Riedenschild men's automatic watch 42 mm silver-tone dial

You are halfway through your first coffee, and the watch you lift off the bedside table has been ticking quietly since yesterday, wound by nothing but your own wrist. That is the everyday appeal of this Riedenschild, an automatic men's watch with a 42 mm stainless steel case, a silver-tone dial and a black leather strap.

What drives it

There is no battery to replace. The automatic movement charges as you wear it, and it can also be wound by hand with the crown, which helps if the watch has spent a few days in a drawer. A power reserve keeps it running for a while once you take it off. If it has stopped, wind it, then set the time. The calibre is a Miyota 8219. The transparent caseback lets you turn the watch over and see the mechanism at work.

Reading it and wearing it

The silver-tone dial keeps things clear at a glance. Seconds run in a small off-centre sub-dial, the date sits in a small window, and a 24-hour indication tells you whether it is morning or evening. The round case is 42 mm across and 12 mm thick, a standard size for a man's wrist. The stainless steel copes with sweat and everyday damp, and water resistance is rated at 5 ATM, so rain and splashes are fine but swimming is not. The strap is 20 mm wide black leather that softens and develops character over time, so keep it away from water to make it last.

Plain and uncluttered, it sits easily under a shirt cuff or with a suit, and just as well with a weekend jumper. If you want to compare it with similar models, have a look at our men's automatic watches.