I will never be convinced that automatic movements are anywhere close to quartz in terms of reliability.

That's an accurate comment because, on balance, automatics won't be as reliable as quartz. That's a fact, but also one that's not too hard to imagine when you look at the difference in technology that goes into the two types of watch.

Quartz has very few moving parts when compared to an auto. As I'm sure you know, in very simple terms, the oscilliations in a quartz watch are generated by passing an electric current from the battery through the piece of quartz which vibrates. These regular vibrations are then transferred into circular motion for the hands. In an auto, there are NUMEROUS moving parts, all of which have friction to some degree, need to be lubricated (with oils that degrade over time), are susceptible to the effects of magnetism, etc, etc. So as with anything the more moving parts there are, the more there is to go wrong.

If you like the positive aspects of automatic watches, then you have to accept that the risk of problems is probably greater than with quartz. It's just the nature of the beast I'm afraid..... but one that I am more than happy to live with.

All your reponses have been helpful and are much appreciated. While I am pretty unsophisticated on the subject of watches, I instinctively have to agree with the line of comment saying that quartz will inevitably be more reliable. The idea that has kept me interested in mechanical movements is that, in theory, one could go into the wilderness and live for years with a mechanical watch (admittedly a purely theoretical scenario in my case) and not have to worry about going into civilization to get a battery changed. Or, more practically, one can go on a long trip without worrying whether the battery in his quartz watch has enough life left in it to get back. (I did have one battery failure on my Aerospace in the middle of a trip, although the battery life of the watch was, in general, great.) Presumably, the maintenance needed for a top-end mechanical watch -- oiling, etc. -- is not as frequent as battery replacements for a quartz. Or am I wrong about that? In any event, thanks again for the responses. I am very likely to go ahead and buy a Blackbird.

All your reponses have been helpful and are much appreciated. While I am pretty unsophisticated on the subject of watches, I instinctively have to agree with the line of comment saying that quartz will inevitably be more reliable. The idea that has kept me interested in mechanical movements is that, in theory, one could go into the wilderness and live for years with a mechanical watch (admittedly a purely theoretical scenario in my case) and not have to worry about going into civilization to get a battery changed. Or, more practically, one can go on a long trip without worrying whether the battery in his quartz watch has enough life left in it to get back. (I did have one battery failure on my Aerospace in the middle of a trip, although the battery life of the watch was, in general, great.) Presumably, the maintenance needed for a top-end mechanical watch -- oiling, etc. -- is not as frequent as battery replacements for a quartz. Or am I wrong about that? In any event, thanks again for the responses. I am very likely to go ahead and buy a Blackbird.

A quartz battery tends to last 2 to 3 years depending on the model..