h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

What is an automatic watch? Is it one you wind up?

Nope, an automatic has a mechanism inside that winds itself up when you're wearing it - something to do with the movement of your arm itself.

Ahhh, right! What is the name for a wind-up lad then?

A manual mechanism? (at a guess)

A wind up watch?

automatics - also known as kinetic watches or more colloquially as wind whilst you w*nk - if you have one make sure it is always a few minutes slow otherwise people might infer things about you...

I was just thinking about them yesterday. If you take your watch off for the night, say, will they stop? Anyone have one? How long do they remain powered from a day of movement, on average?