Antique 1920s Harwood Automatic Bumper Watch

Antique 1920s Harwood Automatic Bumper Watch

Harwood antique silver self-winding watch. First automatic wristwatch with “bumper” self-winding mechanism.

Time is set by rotating the bezel.

Circa 1920’s.

Case Diameter: 30 mm
Year: 1920’s
Box/Papers: None.
Dial: Grey signed dial
Movement: Automatic Bumper Movement
Watchband Material: Leather
Case Material: 925 Sterling Silver
Display Type: Analogue

Condition: Watch is in good condition, with minor signs of usage, and in good condition overall.

The Englishman John Harwood enriched the horology with an invention, which in the meantime is indispensable for the modern valuable watch: The automatic winding was initiated by the “HARWOOD perpetual”. Already 1924 John Harwood’s invention was patented and two years later the first “Harwood perpetual” saw the light of day on the occasion of the Basel fair. Up to then the winding of wrist-watches was only manually possible by winding the crown. The invention of Harwood however used the kinetic energy at the wrist of the wearer for tightening the mainspring by means of an oscillating rotor in the centre of the watch movement, a ’perpetuum mobile’ for an omnipresent timepiece.