The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Whats the feeling on quartz v mechanical (apart from the obvious)?? I realise I may be stirring up a hornets nest here and it is not my intention to troll. Opinions very much appreciated.

Many thanks

Jim

Personal take on this...
For a 'watch' that simply measures time, quartz takes some beating. Cheap, accurate, simple and strong. A sensible choice, even on high-end tool watches.
But for me a mechanical 'watch' has the ability to do far more than tell the time. It can make me feel good, make me smile when I look at it and relax me when I hold and touch it. It seems strange that the mere knowledge that inside the case beats a masterpiece of micro engineering, lovingly assembled by hand, is enough to ellicit these feelings...after all, in most cases the watchmakers art is'nt visible...yet somehow just being aware of what is contained within that beautiful shell is enough. One day, I'll be able to afford a timepiece that has its internals visible in all their minute detail, but even now I own ones that I look forward to finding a free hour to take off the wrist and admire. Some would say sad, I would say appreciative.

Some nice poetry up there.

Holy sh!t, how did you come up with that stuff? Can I use it???

Well, what can you say that ewen hasn't already said? That was indeed a great explanation.

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Collection: http://s540.photobucket.com/albums/gg32 ... mview=grid

Well said Ewen! I totally agree.
Some say that quartz is more "cold and robotic", whereas mechanical is more "warm and alive". All fairly esoteric concepts, but for me that kind of sums it up. To truly love mechancial watches, this is just something you "get" I suppose.....

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Well expressed Ewen, I suppose I share your view.

I don't suppose I will wear the watch all the time so a quartz would make sense - but then what has sense got to do with it!

Will keep you posted.

I've often been told that I'm full of it.

Since its you, of course you can

I have to agree with the sentiments here - in this day and age the fact that there are still a dedicated (if small) group of people like watchmakeress that commit their careers to producing and maintaining mechanical marvels in miniature is reassuring in a strange way - maybe there is still room for human achievement in this computer dominated world. Whether it's the most simple, complication free movement of aa three or four tourbillon 'super movement' they really are amazing pieces.

All of that said, the thermo compensated quartz movements available today are also remarkable pieces of technology - the difference to me is that they required someone to solve a problem once while a mechanical watch requires the problem to be solved with every piece.

For thousands of years, measuring time as exactly as possible was the work of technical enthusiasts. In early navigation, a minute could have ment the difference between next to the reef and on the reef. There was a lot of knowhow, that different people have put in the mechanical watch as we know it today. And then the japanese introduced the quarz watch and took the soul out of the watch...

BG
Thomas