Self-winding "Map of Discovery" Watch

Self-winding watches were first successfully produced in 1923, improving on the unreliable perpetuelle watch invented in 1770. A small metal weight hangs within the mechanism, and with even small movements of the wearer's wrist, this weight turns gears that wind the watch spring. A half-glass back lets you see this intricate mechanism close-up. The face of this leather and stainless steel watch features painter N. C. Wyeth's "Map of Discovery," painted for the National Geographic Society in 1927.