Title: Are Automatic Watches Actually Worth the Price Over Quartz?

[hamukef]

Hello everyone.

I have been getting into watches lately and keep going back and forth on this question. Automatic watches carry a lot of prestige and craftsmanship, and there is something genuinely satisfying about wearing a piece powered entirely by your own movement.

But quartz watches are dramatically more accurate, far cheaper, and require almost no maintenance.

Is the appeal of automatics purely emotional and traditional, or is there something functionally superior I am missing?

For everyday wear, does the sweeping second hand actually matter?

Would love to hear from collectors and casual wearers alike.

 

[hamukef]

Hello everyone.

I have been getting into watches lately and keep going back and forth on this question. Automatic watches carry a lot of prestige and craftsmanship, and there is something genuinely satisfying about wearing a piece powered entirely by your own movement.

But quartz watches are dramatically more accurate, far cheaper, and require almost no maintenance.

Is the appeal of automatics purely emotional and traditional, or is there something functionally superior I am missing?

For everyday wear, does a Rolex super clone offer the sweeping second hand that actually matters?

Would love to hear from collectors and casual wearers alike.

thanks in advance for any help

 

[Joe_A]

A $5 or $10 throw-away plastic watch is much more accurate than Paul Newman's 19 million dollar Rolex Daytona and the Daytona is not even automatic!

What a hunk of junk!!!!

You'd be paying 18,999,995 dollars just because Paul Newman wore it an Joanne Woodward gave it to him. "A sucker is born every minute," as is attributed to P.T. Barnum.

Levity aside . . .

Think of a mechanical "tool" watch as jewelry for men or a work of mechanical art or a status symbol or anything else that mankind purchases with irrationality. Who needs an exotic car or a high-end luxury vehicle when a Honda Civic or a Toyota Prius will do just fine.

Why do people collect stamps or coins?

If one just wants to know the time to a high degree of accuracy, use your cellphone. A little less accurate but close enough would be any quartz watch. For a time, the advent of the quartz watch decimated the Swiss watch industry.

Seriously . . .

There are some very fine and beautiful quartz watches. I'd suggest buying what appeals to you and fits your budget.

You are right though. A quartz watch is more accurate than any mechanical watch.

Cheers,

Joe

 

[jbcollier]

If you think it is dumb to buy an $$$ mechanical watch over the $ quartz alternative, then, you're right! Don't do it.

If, however, you value precision mechanical devices made with craftsmanship and care, then...

 

[Ronald52]

How many of us who collect watches does that because we are keen to know the time? None. To have a piece on the arm that is ticking ~21-28000/times per hour, and have done so for 50 years is what drive us to have mechanical watches.

 

[Ronniebutler]

I have a 1963 Mk2a Healey, and a 1963 Mk2a Sherpa Graph. I am Scottish and a petrol head who likes racing and am a fan of Jim Clark who raced cars and won things. None of these things are of any value to humanity other than entertainment. I also have a 10 year old Golf and a waterproof quartz tool watch. I go fishing in my Golf wearing my waterproof watch. That’s practical and sensible.

My Healey and Enicar are apples, and my Golf and Sunto are pears. sometime I like apples and sometimes I like pears. Entertainment is an emotional aspect of life , and that’s what apples are.

Oh, and if you do your research well, and enjoy learning your subject, apples can be a better investment that pears!

Just enjoy whatever floats your boat and work out whether you like working or being at leisure.