Why do we own watches with automatic movements?

[BillA]

Why do we own watches with automatic movements?

Is it because the watch manufactures make them, charge more than quartz and say they are better quality?

With our automatic movement Rolex watches, we set them down a few days, they stop, we reset, many enthusiasts just don’t reset but reset to Time.Gov or another service.

I recently bought and returned an automatic Shinola as a gift for a family member. Of course when I got it, I wound it, set it to Time.Gov and the next day noticed it was off by a big margin. I called the company and chatted with them and got three different answers anywhere from +/- 1 minute per day to 15 seconds per day within their spec. Now I realize it is a fraction of the cost of a Rolex, but still 1 minute per day or even 15 seconds per day is not good.

We get angry when our watches don’t keep good time. Let’s be honest all the automatic movements are off after a few days. If you can live with that, fine, but many enthusiasts want accuracy. Hey, we paid a lot of money for a Rolex watch.

I have been thinking about this recently. I bought a Breitling Endurance Pro recently, it is quartz movement. I set it to Time.Gov and a few days later I checked it. It was spot on! So now I am thinking I have a beautiful time piece and it keeps accurate time all the time, so why do I want an automatic watch?

[Old Expat Beast]

It's at least partly because of the oft-repeated line, instigated I believe by the Swiss watch industry in the 1970s, that quartz movements don't have "soul". Quite how a natural-grown crystal mysteriously beating in perfect time with the universe, though, is somehow soul-less compared to a chemically treated balance wheel is beyond me.

[Maxy]

It is not about Automatic or Quartz. Both has it's pros and cons. I own 2 highly rated quartz in Grand Seiko and Breitling Endurance Pro (1 formal, 1 casual) and both are better than many automatics in their own range and in general. My life is not dependent on 1 or 2 seconds time difference per day so for me Automatics if within Chronometer specs is there, it is just fine. We try to buy the best automatic movement possible and best quartz movement possible.

If you need perfect time all the time to the milli second - then pop up your iPhone or mobile device and not wrist watch will beat it and you don't need a watch ever!

[Brew]

Since tracking time is a human invention, I think it’s only right that we provide the energy necessary to keep our folly going.


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[OrangeSport]

Originally Posted by BillA

Why do we own watches with automatic movements?

To save daily winding

[rootbeer7]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

It's at least partly because of the oft-repeated line, instigated I believe by the Swiss watch industry in the 1970s, that quartz movements don't have "soul". Quite how a natural-grown crystal mysteriously beating in perfect time with the universe, though, is somehow soul-less compared to a chemically treated balance wheel is beyond me.

I do feel this way genuinely. When you have to wind a manual watch or start an automatic watch and with an exhibition back particularly when you can see what it does, it does feel more like it’s somehow alive. I can literally see my wife falling asleep at this part of the explanation

[Xenophon]

I've never understood why quartz is frowned upon in certain circles either.

[Etschell]

I own a g shock. I'm not opposed to quartz.

[Tikandtokalot]

The joy and appreciation of micro engineering without the advent of electronics.
Small mechanical marvels to enjoy.

[Xerxes77]

Originally Posted by BillA

Why do we own watches with automatic movements?

Is it because the watch manufactures make them, charge more than quartz and say they are better quality?

With our automatic movement Rolex watches, we set them down a few days, they stop, we reset, many enthusiasts just don’t reset but reset to Time.Gov or another service.

I recently bought and returned an automatic Shinola as a gift for a family member. Of course when I got it, I wound it, set it to Time.Gov and the next day noticed it was off by a big margin. I called the company and chatted with them and got three different answers anywhere from +/- 1 minute per day to 15 seconds per day within their spec. Now I realize it is a fraction of the cost of a Rolex, but still 1 minute per day or even 15 seconds per day is not good.

We get angry when our watches don’t keep good time. Let’s be honest all the automatic movements are off after a few days. If you can live with that, fine, but many enthusiasts want accuracy. Hey, we paid a lot of money for a Rolex watch.

I have been thinking about this recently. I bought a Breitling Endurance Pro recently, it is quartz movement. I set it to Time.Gov and a few days later I checked it. It was spot on! So now I am thinking I have a beautiful time piece and it keeps accurate time all the time, so why do I want an automatic watch?

My BLRO work 0 seconds after 2 weeks wear so like your quartz Breitling
Also a mechanical watch have a “heart” who tic ….

[Krash]

If you have only 1 watch, it’s nice having an automatic. You can go months and months without having to wind it. I wore my Submariner almost exclusively for a couple years. I rotate it with others now, so I do have to wind it now.

RE: quartz watches, I’ll take it a step further. Why not get an Apple Watch then? It’s even more accurate than a quartz watch, it even knows what time zone you’re in, and resets itself it for daylight savings time. You never have to re-set the date, and it’s a perpetual calendar too.


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[1William]

Convenience, Workmanship on movements and many other reasons.

[7enderbender]

If you have to ask you don’t get it and maybe never will. It’s for the same reasons we own cars with manual transmission (I do and will never have anything else), fountain pens, analog film cameras, and many other marvels of traditional precision engineering. Those are art forms that are slowly getting lost (and still being perfected in small pockets of excellence).
Yes, nobody actually needs a watch at all these days since we’re all carrying cell phones that have the processing power of many times the computer that brought men to the moon. Yet the mechanical watch that saved the Apollo 13 mission still goes nicely along with it for instance. In fact, I’d rather toss my iPhone than my mechanical watches. It’s actually a thought that has seriously crossed my mind lately. Get a simple small flip phone for calls and text and be done with the 24h madness and distractions. I’ve already killed off all social media with the exception of a few old fashioned forums like this one where you’re still anonymous. And cable TV is gone too. My life has improved. The 24h news cycle and mass hysteria is bringing us down. Guess what, when you check “the news” several hours later the world is still going down the drain. And the junk accumulating in my inbox can also wait.
I’m on my way back from a week long of hiking and climbing in my watches’ homeland. Things are still slower here but not all backwards.
I can live with a few seconds over the course of a month that need resetting.

[fskywalker]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

It's at least partly because of the oft-repeated line, instigated I believe by the Swiss watch industry in the 1970s, that quartz movements don't have "soul". Quite how a natural-grown crystal mysteriously beating in perfect time with the universe, though, is somehow soul-less compared to a chemically treated balance wheel is beyond me.

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[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by 1William

Convenience, Workmanship on movements and many other reasons.

I dunno, I mean the grand Seiko 9F is arguably better finished than the average Rolex automatic movement (some models even have exhibition casebacks), and is supposed not to need a service for 50 years. My Grand Seiko SBGT235 hasn't gained or lost a second in over six months, and has a fully jewelled gear train. I can also change the battery in two minutes (every three years), or Seiko will do it free with new seals and a pressure test. That's pretty convenient.

[S.Explorer]

Mechanical watches = old school engineering.

Nothing wrong with quartz but I'd never pay hundreds for one.

[Swearengen]

I'm partial to Quartz, Autos and manual winds, but have a bit of a thing for high frequency quartz like the Omega Megaquartz 2.4MHz

[trfChris]

Originally Posted by Krash

RE: quartz watches, I’ll take it a step further. Why not get an Apple Watch then? It’s even more accurate than a quartz watch, it even knows what time zone you’re in, and resets itself it for daylight savings time. You never have to re-set the date, and it’s a perpetual calendar too.

Yep, the Apple Watch is indeed a great watch.

[enjoythemusic]

i'm lazy, that's why we need auto-wind. Plus many of us NEVER take off our timepieces, so basically they run 24/7/365 without worry.

BTW, Shinola is a fun brand to experiment on for beginners. Go ahead and regulate the movement yourself. You can probably get it within +/-4 seconds a day all on your own, maybe even better

[Mystro]

When the robots rise up they can’t turn a mechanical watch against you.

[NachoNeal]

Originally Posted by OrangeSport

To save daily winding

and the hassle of battery replacement.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by Mystro

When the robots rise up they can’t turn a mechanical watch against you.

Actually this resonates with me in the sense that when I wear a mechanical watch, I think of it as a bit of a throw back to a bygone era.

Plus, I like knowing I’m wearing a little ‘machine like’ piece of art on my wrist.

[samson66]

Get a Grand Seiko Spring Drive and you get the best of both worlds. Automatic mechanical movement regulated by quartz crystal. Problem solved. Mine is off by 0.2 sec/day so far.



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[Dave455]

Quartz watches don’t suit everyone.

I fly professionally, and wore a quartz chronograph for years as a flying instructor. Loved it, and never let me down.

But…, flying big old turboprops it was a different story. Walking round the aircraft, If I put my wrist with my watch into the hydraulic bay while the other pilot was checking the hydraulic pumps, my watch would regularly wind back by about 20 minutes, obviously due to induced currents.

Telling the tale in the crewroom, the old guys with the IWC’s, the Lemania chronographs, and the battered Rolex Turn O Graphs just smile…! I might as well have been telling them how good beer tastes…!

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by NachoNeal

and the hassle of battery replacement.

That's easier than changing straps, and it's once every few years.

[Stan Cooper]

I've got nice watches with automatic movements, quartz watches with both digital and analog displays, and a Porsche Design Titan made by IWC using a JLC Caliber 630 Mecaquartz movement which combines a quartz crystal timebase with a mechanical moonphase chronograph.

I love 'em all, but the GMT-Master II gets 95% of the wrist time.

[Chester01]

Originally Posted by BillA

Why do we own watches with automatic movements?

Is it because the watch manufactures make them, charge more than quartz and say they are better quality?

With our automatic movement Rolex watches, we set them down a few days, they stop, we reset, many enthusiasts just don’t reset but reset to Time.Gov or another service.

I recently bought and returned an automatic Shinola as a gift for a family member. Of course when I got it, I wound it, set it to Time.Gov and the next day noticed it was off by a big margin. I called the company and chatted with them and got three different answers anywhere from +/- 1 minute per day to 15 seconds per day within their spec. Now I realize it is a fraction of the cost of a Rolex, but still 1 minute per day or even 15 seconds per day is not good.

We get angry when our watches don’t keep good time. Let’s be honest all the automatic movements are off after a few days. If you can live with that, fine, but many enthusiasts want accuracy. Hey, we paid a lot of money for a Rolex watch.

I have been thinking about this recently. I bought a Breitling Endurance Pro recently, it is quartz movement. I set it to Time.Gov and a few days later I checked it. It was spot on! So now I am thinking I have a beautiful time piece and it keeps accurate time all the time, so why do I want an automatic watch?

So I bought my wife a concord quartz watch 20 years ago. In that time spans it had 3 full (yes 3) movement replacements from failures. I bought my wife a Michael Kors and the chrono ceased working in 4-5 months. So, my sub went 17 years without service (or anything replaced for that matter) and only serviced because my AD guilted me into the service. Several other family members went 25+ years without a service. Now my wife loved her concord and would never part with it, but the Daytona i gave her the chrono works fine, and let’s say the Daytona is about 11 grand over MSRP and my sub (16610) bought for 3250 can be sold for perhaps 10-11 k. Try that with your quartz.

[Oyster Sauce]

I wondered about this question as well. Watches utilizing quartz, whether they be inexpensive mass-produced Armitrons, to indestructible G-Shocks, to solar-powered Citizens, to HAQ Grand Seikos, and even Spring Drive, are marvels of human ingenuity and bring the best timekeeping accuracy to one's wrist at any price point. Nothing but respect for quartz watches.

For watch lovers and enthusiasts, however, mechanical watches bring a different type of wonder. It is a wonder that is more historical in nature...the craft of putting 100+ tiny moving parts together and be able to keep time reasonably well. Wearing a mechanical wristwatch is like being connected to several hundred years of this heritage...in general, what we are paying for is this heritage and in many cases the decision made by the company to involve more humans in the assembly process.

I don't think that there is a "better or worse" between quartz or mechanical watches. But I do think that there is a different type of appreciation and enjoyment for each. Wear whatever you enjoy in good health.

[beshannon]

Personally I prefer the elegance of the construction and mechanics of a beating balance wheel driving a gear train that marks the passing of time.

Time seems to take on a different meaning when measured this way as opposed to looking at digital numbers on a display.

Sometimes I just sit and watch the slow balance wheel of my Atmos clock, very calming.

[karteo]

I like the fact that the watch is brought to life by me and the movement of my hand. It always pleases me to see pure physics in real life and how energy is transformed from one form to another. I do love also the engineering of a mechanical watch. It's a beauty to see all those small and tiny components beautifully operating altogether like a...clock.



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