anaesdoc
1772
Nostalgia!
Hand wound is more ancient and the automatic movement was an horological innovation that was celebrated then because it made the regular winding superfluous. So in my opinion a hand wound movement is not by itself "superior" to an automatic one. Probably it is often more appreciated or preferred, but "superior" suggests an objective advantage, whereas I assume it is a personal liking among a lot of watch enthusiasts.
Why that preference?
As we hounded people of today (Internet, cell phone, aircrafts, rockets to the moon and coffee-to-go) long for slowliness and steadiness, we cherish hand-wound movements as they send us back to the "good old days" when everything was smaller, slower, more predictable and stable as we believe - even if this does not stand the test of history.
As a bottom line: nostalgia is one main reason for our preference of the hand winding movements.
The intimate contact with the watch - a sort of daily ritual which enables us to fiddle with our toys - and the free sight of the movements were already mentioned as other reasons.
Myself, I have a 50/50 ratio of hand wound and automatic watches. As I have several watches which I wear in turn the automatic movements seldom use their advantage as they have to be wound anyway when leaving the box 
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Very good question, Mostel!
anaesdoc
Why is a hand wound movement considered superior
to an automatic? I've never quite 'gotten' this point. If you were to compare two of the highest, most eminent movements... one automatic. One manual. Why would the manual be better? is it just preference these days? Is it a symbolic thing these days? Aut...
Someone will likely reply with empirical data. But...
Manual wind watches are usually more attractive because the rotor doesn't cover most of the visible movement. Personally in don't prefer one over the other. And have a collection of about 50/50.
Ya the rotor plays a part but then there are the mirco rotor right?
and they are not hat bad looking. Example: Laurent Ferrier Galet for daily beaters, my $ is still on auto then manual. Get so busy at times that winding is just not on top of your mind! cheers PAt
For myself, it's because a manual wind preserves and defines the connection . . .
. . . between watch and wearer. The beauty of their form is a consideration, but not critical; even if the watch has a solid back, I find myself gravitating towards manual winds.
My feeling is exactly the opposite:
I really like the idea that an automatic watch takes its sustenance from my natural movements. For me, that bond is more interesting than the bond of winding, especially with watches that allow me to hear or feel the winding process taking place on my wri...
I agree with you, mkvc...
in that I am always thinking about whether my automatics are wound, how wound are they, do I need to wear this or that automatic to wind it up. With my manual watches, wind it up, you are good for the day, no constant obsession. As you can tell, I enjoy t...
If i start writing on this folks will probably bash me ;)
So i'm just gonna agree on your statement Dr. ;) Tschuss Stephen
I'm ambiguous
When I'm wearing my pragmatists hat I prefer automatics for a variety of good technical reasons. When I'm in my more normal minimalist less-is-better mood I go for hand wound. When I'm wearing my realists hat I go for quartz. Alex
I generally prefer manual over automatic movements, BUT
There is one BIG exception... For me, one of the most beautiful movement is automatic: GP Tourbillon with 3 Bridges, gold or whatever you want: A special mention has to be given to two other movements: The Lange 3 Quarter Rotor, and the Patek Cal 240. Wh...
Wrong perception, perhaps.
This wrong perception could be due to the fact that there are a few independent watchmakers produced highly polished hand wound movements. Just to name a few automatic movements that are in many ways superior to me:- Laurent ferrier's micro rotor movement...
I like the predictability of manual-wound watches...
... I have a very deskbound job and find that the timekeeping of automatics varies based on the state of wind, even with 90 minutes of vigorous walking in the woods every day. I guess the isochronism of modern watches isn't perfect outside certain boundar...
Just walking the watch
may not do that much for its power reserve, depending on a type of automatic that may have been designed to tank itself up with frequent horizontal motions. For those long reserves. of a few days and more, I feel completely frustrated, and never sure of h...
Is it? Really?
Didn't know that. I had thought it was just a matter of preference - some people like manual winding (most PuristS do?) and others like automatic. Did somebody say so? Is it on some book? In my "inferior" knowledge based opinion, automatic movement has ad...
I agree, Ken...
...I prefer automatics for the same reasons. Looks like we're in the minority! Emil
Just my impressions ...
Based on the little that I understood about movements: 1) I prefer hand wound movements based on my interactions with the watch and the assurance that the watch is wound. 2) The absence, except on micro rotor, allow us to see the movement. Of course there...
If given the choice (and I suppose we all are).....
I will almost always choose a manual wind. I enjoy the connection it creates each morning between timepiece and wearer, and also find that the iconic movements of the past century which appeal to me most tend to be manual wind movements (Zenith 135, Peseu...
I guess is just a matter of taste and preferences.
I could not answer if I prefer a manual, or an automatc winding movement. It depends on the movement itself. If you ask me if I prefer blonde or dark hair women, I would say exactly the same, it depends on the person. :) There are some manual movements th...
there is something cathartic about winding a watch
Thats one of the reasons i like a handwind. With regard to accuracy, and this is just a guess, but can the minute occillation of a rotor effect the balance and therefore the accuracy, albeit, very very slightly? Something i hadnt considered before. G
Nostalgia!
Hand wound is more ancient and the automatic movement was an horological innovation that was celebrated then because it made the regular winding superfluous. So in my opinion a hand wound movement is not by itself "superior" to an automatic one. Probably ...
Tamagochi effect ?
I must say I prefer my handwinds, but in warm weather I wear automatics, the only watches I have with metal bracelets. They are all 2824 and I find they are perfectly wound every day by simply walking 10 minutes to the train station every morning and 10 m...
Tamagotchi...
... sorry, couldn't resist nostalgia... There is "t" before "chi". :-) ...
I have a hard time with the word "superior" in this context, but "preferable" is easily
understandable since it is purely personal and subjective, for the reasons others have shared. Personally, depends on my mood, sometimes I'm attracted to a manual wind for the "symbiosis" and sometimes I'm attracted to the automatic for the convenience (a...
Never consider seriously this statement...
Superior? But in terms of pure watchmaking an automatic one is "superior" to the hand wound one due to the additional feature. You may prefer a hand wound movement, find it more beautiful (that's usely my case) but superior... never. I don't think that su...
Thanks all
OK I think I understand now. It is truly a matter of preference. the reason I used the word superior is because that is how many collectors SEEM to view a manual wind. I'm glad to get this clear, that there is no empirical reason--just preference. I do un...
If you HAVE to have a technical reason...
A manual movement is superior because it doesn't have the mechanical dynamic loads forced by the moving eccentric mass of the winding mechanism. This could, arguably, be a case for the superiority of a manual wind movement over an auto - less complexity, ...
On the other hand... :)
Just for the sake of being difficult... An automatic has several advantages: the stem seal is less susceptible to leaks due to wear, less wear on the crown wheel etc, less risk of damage due to careless or rough winding, can get away with a much smaller w...
exactly, Nick. all latter points you and I made...
Are true and valid but arguably insignificant. Which is more "vulnerable" to improper handling? Probably the manual wind. Which, if used properly, is likely more robust, ceteris paribus? The manaul wind.