Is 'Automatic' on the Dial Necessary?

Often when a new watch gets launched the criticism one reads here is that for some reason it comes with the word Automatic prominently placed on the dial. And I am fully on board with it - I personally find it wholly unnecessary.

For a long time I assumed it was used for signaling to customers perhaps somewhat less knowledgeable about watches that the watch indeed was automatic. Or to people seeing it on someone else’s wrist 🤷🏻‍♂️




Picture from: JLC

During a recent business trip I had a couple of spare minutes at the airport and wanted to check some watches out. One of the largest airports in Europe, in an AD that’s also one of the largest and most thoroughly established ones.

And the sales person - when telling me about the watches (not that there was that much he managed to enlighten me with), was handily using the Automatic text on the dial as an indicator, whether a watch was quartz or mechanical. And naturally got it completely wrong as a result.

If this was the only time, I would have put it down to a fresh employee who wasn’t given adequate training. But somehow I have seen this often enough both at ADs and brand boutiques, so I wonder if the word is really intended for the customers, or for the salespeople, who can use it as a substitute for proper training 🤔

Any thoughts?