Why buy a Quartz watch?

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Why buy a Quartz watch?

Post by Kip »

I thought this deserved its own thread so I pulled it from the C6 battery life thread.
Watchamacallit wrote:
mischaman wrote:Why would anyone buy a quartz watch? You're pretty much insulting the history of horology and human engineering as a whole.
Why would anyone buy a mechanical watch? You're pretty much romanticizing the history of horology and mechanical gear machines as a whole.

And Yes - both statements are absurd. All types of wrist watches have their place. Including smart watches.

Long live the battery!....at least the ones powering our quartz watches. :)

Whether or not the original question was in jest or not, the fact is that quartz watches far outsell mechanicals worldwide. The history of horology runs the gamut of clocks from sand and water power through mechanical, electro-mechanical, battery power, electric, Quartz and solar. Watches have followed a similar path from mechanical through battery powered electrics, Quartz, electronic, solar and now smart watches.

Through all these years of evolution we have reached a point where one has many options to suit ones preferences for form, function and lifestyle.

While I myself have a predominately mechanical collection, I currently wear a Quartz watch more often during the day now for the simplicity of them. When I was going to work on a daily basis I much preferred the mechanicals. When I leave the house I usually change to a mechanical as I do feel more comfortable with them. My 2 daily beaters are the C4 Peregrine and a Citizen titanium solar. I wear these because they both take a beating while I work on clocks and both are easily touched up when necessary.

Why would anyone buy a Quartz watch? Simplicity, cost (usually less expensive), convenience, fashion....

Why would anyone by a mechanical? The joy of having a little engine on your wrist. The feeling one gets when going through the daily act of handwinding that little mechanical marvel. The wonderful sensation of the Valjoux wobble when wearing a 7750 Chrono or an SH21 automatic......

I have only touched on a few reasons why someone would buy one over another. I am willing to bet a few others will chime in with their own reasons.
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Re: Why buy a Quartz watch?

Post by ryamam »

I bought a Junghans Maxbill Quartz, my first watch, because I could not afford to buy a mechanical one. I don't regret my choice because I don't have to put it in a winder, and its accuracy beats every watch I own. If I ever going to buy a perpetual watch, it is definitely going to be quartz. I can imagine how pain in the ass it is going to be if it is a mechanical one
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Re: Why buy a Quartz watch?

Post by reggie747 »

Because they're cheaper ?
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Re: Why buy a Quartz watch?

Post by johnnysharp2 »

The main reason I have so many quartz watches is the specific watch only came in quartz.

The last CW I bought was the C70 Ascari which would be attractive in automatic but it doesn't come in that.

I am leaning towards a preference for mechanical movements now purely as I fairly regularly need to have batteries replaced on most of my collection.
That said it will depend on the watch itself it wouldn't necessarily be the movement that would put me off a specific watch, it would be more quality, looks, wearability, value for money etc
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Re: Why buy a Quartz watch?

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

Over hundreds of years of watch and clock making, there have been many technical advances and quite a few giant leaps forward.

Some of these have been purely related to design, others to the use of better and more reliable materials, others to the questions of size and weight (mainly reduction!) and yet others to the question of mechanical efficiency.

And yet the main quest over the centuries, without question, has been to achieve accuracy: the balance wheel; various types of escapement; maintaining power and so on.

Imagine you could go back in a time machine and offer Breguet a timepiece that could be worn on the wrist, powered by a miniaturised voltaic cell, and that could maintain accuracy of a few seconds per year with no intervention whatsoever from its owner.

I think that possibly the greatest watchmaker of all would have jumped at the chance to own one. Don’t you?

And yes, I love my mechanical watches!
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Re: Why buy a Quartz watch?

Post by scooter »

My dislike of quartz watches has been well documented over the past 7 years.

Watches are a bit like people to me.

It's whats on the inside that counts and I prefer automatics because I love the mechanical side of things.

I understand however that many like those powered by other sources and am happy for the pleasure they derive from that.

It's quite a contentious thread and bound to polarise opinion.

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Re: Why buy a Quartz watch?

Post by hughesyn »

I love my HAQ solar, perpetual calender Citizen.

In my opinion the A010 is the most advanced movment in production. The movement is a marvel, much more so than a bog standard mechanical.

5 seconds per year accuracy can only be beaten by a chip scale atomic clock (like a Hoptroff), but these are still too large.

I love mechanical watches, but a Chinese clone auto is just as much a piece of cheap junk as a cheap no jewel quartz.
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Re: Why buy a Quartz watch?

Post by Thermexman »

My grandfather repaired watches as a hobby and gave me my first mechanical watch. Naturally, having observed his handy work, I have an appreciation of the skill and love that goes into the heart of a mechanical watch. As I grew up in the seventies, I was witness to the galloping charge of the Quartz brigade. The LED and LCD race having a big impact on my tastes at the time. As I turned 18, I bought my first "expensive " watch and it was a Quartz. After all, mechanicals were in decline and Quartz was the future. I was a one watch person and, over the years, I've simply replaced each watch with one that I liked, without paying any regards to what powered it. This culminated in my buying a Seiko Kinetic in 2003, which I still have. This was, for me, the most modern or advanced watch that I'd owned. I rekindled my love of the mechanical watch when I was introduced to CW watches by a friend. It was the Trident that got me. It wasn't the mechanical heart that sold it to me. Quite the opposite actually. Going "backwards" to a mechanical, actually worried me at first. It struck me as a retrograde step. Anyway, having lived with it as my daily beater for two years and researching the mechanical phenomena, I now love 'em. Even so, I wouldn't let the innards of a watch put me off it. I have equal respect for all watches. The only caveat being that I need to actually like it!!!

Thanks Kip, great idea making this a stand alone post! Bravo. :clap:
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Re: Why buy a Quartz watch?

Post by Skipper »

My experience and my preferences are very similar to yours.
Generally I prefer to wear quartz watches but admire the inticracies of mechanical movements. My automatic ones are pieces I have bought for their aesthetic character... and often I feel myself willing these watches were quartz ones :silent:

The CWL Trident and the new Motorsport ranges are an example, the finishing design details being way better in the mechanical versions: ceramic bezel inserts in the C60, applied logos and hollow lugs in the C7...
If both the C60 versions were identical, I'll chose the quartz ones blindly
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Re: Why buy a Quartz watch?

Post by missF »

one of the things i appreciate most about watches is the sheer human endeavor and degree of striving that it takes to create a movement small enough to fit on my wrist, that can keep time to within some number of seconds per day.

richard (downer) posted this link a few years back when i posted a question about quartz watches, and it blew my mind wide open about quaartz. because, to me, the degree of sheer human endeavor involved in creating ever more accurate quartz movements is just as mind-blowing and faascinating as the building of ever more accurate mechanical movements. it just involves a different set of skills and technologies.

unfortunately the thread has lost it pictures to photobucket, but it's a great read for anyone who's interested in watches - quartz or otherwise :thumbup:
watching you fail in your quest for a “one watch” has been great entertainment
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Re: Why buy a Quartz watch?

Post by mischaman »

No offense to anyone here but I think most people that are knowledgeable of watches that see someone with an expensive brand in Quartz on their wrist will think that person is quite frankly a moron. I would go as far as to say they would even pass judgement on them as a person. I would choose to wear a $20 Casio digital watch over anything Quartz, makes you look like much less of a doofus.

Whenever I take a peep at a watch someone is wearing when I'm in a meeting at work and I see its ticking, the immediate thought that comes to my head is "piece of sh*t", that's just me though.

"Why would anyone buy a mechanical watch? You're pretty much romanticizing the history of horology and mechanical gear machines as a whole."

Romanticizing mechanical gear machines? Most ridiculous statement I've heard in a long time.
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Re: Why buy a Quartz watch?

Post by golfjunky »

I am a bit of a quartz snob but only towards the lower end overpriced fashion stuff that people buy and think it goods when its actually not (£300 Hugo Boss etc). Before joining this forum i thought each and every brand had there own movements for auto watches, i didnt know that my Seamaster had a ETA 7750 in it, i just thought Omega watch means Omega everything inside and out. knowing what i know now also angers me when i see brands flogging auto's with the ETA 2824 for massive money. I love some watches that only come in quartz but just can not bring myself to buy one, i tried with the Phoenix but it didnt last long and off it went.
Current collection = Omega Seamaster 2225.80.00, Omega Speedmaster 'Moonphase' 3576.50.00, Breitling Aerospace Evo, Vintage Azur, Vintage Seiko Sprtsman, Grand Seiko SBGX059, Omega SMP NTTD 210.92.42.20.01.001, Casioak Milkyway, Casioak Tiffany Sky.
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Re: Why buy a Quartz watch?

Post by nbg »

mischaman wrote:No offense to anyone here but I think most people that are knowledgeable of watches that see someone with an expensive brand in Quartz on their risk will think that person is quite frankly a moron. I would go as far as to say they would even pass judgement on them as a person. I would choose to wear a $20 Casio digital watch over anything Quartz, makes you look like much less of a doofus.

Whenever I take a peep at a watch someone is wearing when I'm in a meeting at work and I see its ticking, the immediate thought that comes to my head is "piece of sh*t", that's just me though.

"Why would anyone buy a mechanical watch? You're pretty much romanticizing the history of horology and mechanical gear machines as a whole."

Romanticizing mechanical gear machines? Most ridiculous statement I've heard in a long time.
I am now a bit confused trying to work out what category of person I fall into when wearing each of these? :)
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Re: Why buy a Quartz watch?

Post by golfjunky »

shouldnt be categorized, its just a case of if you like it then thats all that matters (unless its a stupidly overpriced fashion watch)
Current collection = Omega Seamaster 2225.80.00, Omega Speedmaster 'Moonphase' 3576.50.00, Breitling Aerospace Evo, Vintage Azur, Vintage Seiko Sprtsman, Grand Seiko SBGX059, Omega SMP NTTD 210.92.42.20.01.001, Casioak Milkyway, Casioak Tiffany Sky.
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Re: Why buy a Quartz watch?

Post by hughesyn »

mischaman wrote:No offense to anyone here but I think most people that are knowledgeable of watches that see someone with an expensive brand in Quartz on their risk will think that person is quite frankly a moron.
Whenever I take a peep at a watch someone is wearing when I'm in a meeting at work and I see its ticking, the immediate thought that comes to my head is "piece of sh*t", that's just me though.
Have you ever tried a Grand Seiko or Citizen Chronomaster?
Some of the best finishing you'll find on a watch up to (and including) Rolex price levels.

How about the Brietling Exospace or an Omega X-33 Skywalker?

If you saw someone wearing a JLC Geophysic and it was ticking, what would that make you think?
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