How many actually know what makes their watch tick?

[d6194m]

From WIS people, you often hear that "I bought it for the engineering/design that went into it." I say that to people who ask me about my Rolex or why someone should buy a Rolex. All I know is that there is a weight that winds the main spring and gives energy to the gears and gears rotate and hands move. But I think and 5 year old can look that up in wikipedia.

And then if someone says "oh, you bought it for the engieering huh? .. OK, tell me about the engineering that went into it", then what do you say?

So my question is that how many people actually know what makes their Rolex tick? or how far does your knowledge go into the gears andthemechanics of the watch?

Or is just saying "I bought it for the engineering/design that went into it" an excuse we make up when we do not know what to say? or we don't know enough but we try to justify our purchase?

[padi56]

Originally Posted by d6194m

From WIS people, you often hear that "I bought it for the engineering/design that went into it." I say that to people who ask me about my Rolex or why someone should buy a Rolex. All I know is that there is a weight that winds the main spring and gives energy to the gears and gears rotate and hands move. But I think and 5 year old can look that up in wikipedia.

So my question is that how many people actually know what makes their Rolex tick? or how far does your knowledge go into the gears andthemechanics of the watch?

Or is just saying "I bought it for the engineering/design that went into it" an excuse we make up when we do not know what to say? or we don't know enough but we try to justify our purchase?

Agree many today have no idea how a mechanical watch works,today many don't wear a watch they just wear the brand.

[d6194m]

Originally Posted by padi56

Agree many today have no idea how a mechanical watch works,today many don't wear a watch they just wear the brand.

Well said Padi! I don't expect people to know every single gear and gear ratio and where the jewels are located or where the glycudur bridge is but saying that I bought it for engineering and design, only goes so far and can put you in hot water with lets say some seiko guy who knows it all and can call you up on it and then you get caught with your pants down.

I think WIS people should have knowledge a little far and beyond of the mechanics of the watch, THen I think you become a true WIS. Spotting one model from another in the mall does not really make you a WIS.

[kilyung]

I've never been asked about the reason for a watch purchase except by other WIS. I'm confident in my watchmaking knowledge but I just buy what I like. You could always say that you appreciate the engineering that goes into it which doesn't imply any detailed technical knowledge. You don't have to be a chef to appreciate a good coq au vin.

[floater156]

In general, watches with electronics are made to be disposable. Rolex is all mechanical - over 150 moving parts will keep this watch ticking (with proper maintenance) for a lifetime and therefore is truely a generational watch that you can pass down to your kids. It's also amazing to me at how accurate a Rolex watch is, considering that it does not use electronics.

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by kilyung

I've never been asked about the reason for a watch purchase except by other WIS. I'm confident in my watchmaking knowledge but I just buy what I like. You could always say that you appreciate the engineering that goes into it which doesn't imply any detailed technical knowledge. You don't have to be a chef to appreciate a good coq au vin.

Well said Mike.

Although I am learning a bit more every day.

[Tools]

I know..

[T-Rip]

any good videos that can be posted to explain the details a little bit better...

[Lmbeauleap]

I have absolutely no idea how it works, but mechanical watches and clocks fascinate me. Always have. When the apocalypse hits and everyone is running around looking for watch batteries, I'll have my Rolex. So there.

[joe100]

I know how a mechanical movement works. The amazing thing about a Rolex movement (not exclusive at all) is that the balance will travel the equivalent of a few trips around the equator before service...five years on...

That's engineering.

[Adam.]

Originally Posted by haydendillon

any good videos that can be posted to explain the details a little bit better...

X2!

[superdog]

I pretty much don't have a clue. But, I don't buy for the brand either. I just bought a super watch that most people have no idea of.

I buy for the aesthetics. I consider the material of the case, the comfort, the size, the feel, the toughness and water depth.

I will probably never dive, but I also won't buy a watch that I can't go 100ft with. For me, it is important to know that I can if I want to.

I am one of these people that don't know about the movement, and really do not care even a little. I am totally happy with an ETA movement as long as it is reliable in telling me the time.

I buy a watch for how it makes me feel when looking at it, not for what is inside of it.

[gazp]

Originally Posted by padi56

Agree many today have no idea how a mechanical watch works,today many don't wear a watch they just wear the brand.

I dont know how a mechanical watch works and have worn various Rolex models for the past 20 years or so.

I appreciate the Rolex Brand and what the Rolex Brand values stand for and also the history of the Rolex Brand and that is why I choose to wear a Rolex.

I drive a BMW for the same reasons of Brand values and what they stand for but have no idea how an engine works.

In todays world Brand awareness and Brand values and peoples perceptions of different Brands are what sells products .

So Peter I do wear a watch and my favourite brand of watch is Rolex for the reasons stated above and I can also understand why people wear Panerai , Omega , Breitling etc

[gazp]

Originally Posted by Tools

I know..

Love it Larry

[Dan Pierce]

And here I thought it was my wrist that made it work.
dP

[MoBe]

Actually I do know what makes my Rolex tick but for the life of me I don`t know if I`ll ever know what makes it tock,it`s never spoken a single word to me yet.

[theloxmyth]

I gotz an inkling!

[A.Sharp]

You will find the same is true for most car owners... As BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, most people don't know flipping piston thing about what's under the hood,.. But they do know its a ton of fun, looks great, and makes you feel good, so what more informstion do you honestly need than that?

[dimitros]

Why do you think that Rolex's have solid case backs?
There is a tiny swiss pixie on a hamster-wheel that keeps it going! If the pixie falls asleep, shake the watch to wake her up!

[GradyPhilpott]

I started buying Hondas because of their reputation for engineering.

I know basically how an internal combustion engine works and essentially what intelligent variable valve timing and electronic lift control (iVTEC) means and roughly how a manual transmission works and I have a rudimentary understanding of the wishbone/multi-link suspension.

I'm not sure that I can hold an intelligent conversation regarding the minutia of these subjects, though. In fact, I know I can't.

Nonetheless, I buy Hondas for their engineering.

[Brenngun]

Originally Posted by d6194m

From WIS people, you often hear that "I bought it for the engineering/design that went into it." I say that to people who ask me about my Rolex or why someone should buy a Rolex. All I know is that there is a weight that winds the main spring and gives energy to the gears and gears rotate and hands move. But I think and 5 year old can look that up in wikipedia.

And then if someone says "oh, you bought it for the engieering huh? .. OK, tell me about the engineering that went into it", then what do you say?

So my question is that how many people actually know what makes their Rolex tick? or how far does your knowledge go into the gears andthemechanics of the watch?

Or is just saying "I bought it for the engineering/design that went into it" an excuse we make up when we do not know what to say? or we don't know enough but we try to justify our purchase?

All I need to know is I don't have to worry about a battery. The mechanics are a testament to man's ingenuity. That's enough for me to have an appreciation for it's amazing ability to keep accurate time .....

Originally Posted by Lmbeauleap

I have absolutely no idea how it works, but mechanical watches and clocks fascinate me. Always have. When the apocalypse hits and everyone is running around looking for watch batteries, I'll have my Rolex. So there.

It better be a Milgauss then .....

[LightOnAHill]

The sun makes my watch tick.



And add a bit of human ingenuity and genius.

[HL65]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

And here I thought it was my wrist that made it work.
dP

Me too.

[FeelingTheBlues]

Originally Posted by padi56

Agree many today have no idea how a mechanical watch works,today many don't wear a watch they just wear the brand.

I kind of agree with you but usually those people will use the excuse of "it makes the honey's trippin'" or "it's a status symbol". I must say that I do not know everything about watch movements (and I know I'm not the only one) but I would like to guess that sometimes the mystery around the "without battery" movement amazes some people, we're not sure how it works but it does work on our wrists.

Of course, I'm reading and learning more and more everyday and it makes the whole thing much more interesting to me (especially since I'm going to do this as a profession) but I think there's a lot of reasons for people to enjoy watches, whether they know a lot about them or not.

Originally Posted by kilyung

I've never been asked about the reason for a watch purchase except by other WIS. I'm confident in my watchmaking knowledge but I just buy what I like. You could always say that you appreciate the engineering that goes into it which doesn't imply any detailed technical knowledge. You don't have to be a chef to appreciate a good coq au vin.

Well said Mike!

[TSts]

It's called a 'ticker', correct?

[Rollie2011]

[hdrazor251]

Originally Posted by A.Sharp

You will find the same is true for most car owners... As BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, most people don't know flipping piston thing about what's under the hood,.. But they do know its a ton of fun, looks great, and makes you feel good, so what more informstion do you honestly need than that?

x2

[Dr. Robert]

I have little Swiss Rolex elves in my Rolex watch that make it work.

[gwalker]

I think all my Rolexes run on a battery.... Judging from the insane price increases in the past 5 or so years they might have mini nuclear reactors in them. LOL

[GradyPhilpott]

Having grown up in an era when only pretty well-off people could afford a watch that wound itself and if you forgot to wind your watch, you were in for some grief on the day or night your watch stopped, it's kind of weird to hear people marvel over mechanical watches, manual or automatic, although taking into consideration their history and development, they are extremely marvelous.

When the affordable battery-operated watch emerged, people were all agog over watches that didn't need to be wound and wouldn't stop running if you took them off and a battery would last a full year!

Eventually, those batteries were good for five and even ten years and then came the solar-powered watches.

When self-winding watches became more affordable, I was in a better position to own one and whereas I liked it way better than my old manuals, there was no doubt in my mind, when Texas Instruments introduced their $20 LED battery-powered quartz watch, what I'd be wearing for the rest of my life.

Through a couple of decades, I marveled at every new twist in the quartz-movement revolution from countdown timers, chronographs accurate out to 1/100ths of a second, databanks, multiple alarms, and calculators.

What more could a child of the mid-Twentieth Century ask for? All that technology and for little more than a song.

Well, like everything else in my life that mysteriously eventuated, here I am today with three very expensive automatic mechanical watches and while I don't scoff at quartz or digital technology, recognizing them for the advances that they are, I just don't wear the ones I have anymore and I hope I'm never in a position to have to buy another one in the years that I have remaining.