question for watch guys

V

Vermont woodsman

Joined
Jan 22, 2005
Messages
212
I have a rolex date just that should be sent in for service every 5 years for a tune up and such, and i have 2 swatches that have been worn for 11 years and have had 3 batterys and just keep on running fine....My question is how can swatches still be running perfect after 11 years, Dont parts wear out inside? How can you just keep putting in batterys every 4 years and nothing wearing, i dont get it? Any ideas?
 
Hi Vermont Woodsman-

The explanation is extremely simple...

Your Swatch watches are battery-powered quartz watches with no moving parts. On the day they refuse to run with a fresh battery you can simply toss them in the garbage because the circuitry is fried. Those quartz watches are merely a disposable item.

Your Rolex Datejust is an automatic mechanical watch that will last through your lifetime, your childrens' lifetimes, and their childrens' lifetimes. It is a tiny machine with gears, springs, and levers crafted by expert watchmakers that will last for many generations with proper care, cleaning, and lubrication. Your automatic watch also has a "soul and heartbeat" that people accustomed exclusively to quartz watches will never understand. A mechanical watch becomes a trusted friend that will be with you for decades of service.

You can really immerse yourself in this topic by visiting TimeZone. Ensure your wallet/pocketbook is safely stored behind locked doors before starting.

~ Blue Jays ~
 
Your Rolex could easily run 11 years without service if you didn't care how worn it will be after that. Your car could run for several years without an oil change, too -- but it pays to maintain something valuable. It doesn't pay to maintain most quartz movements; it's cheaper to run it till it wears out and then buy a new one (more likely a whole new watch).

There are a few quartz movements with metal gears and jeweled bearings that are designed to be cleaned and lubed periodically, like mechanical movements -- but a very cheap quartz movement with molded plastic gears can last a long time and be accurate throughout its working lifetime. There's no pressure on the gear train of a quartz movement so it doesn't wear much. See, the train of a mechanical movement has a mainspring at one end which is held back by an escapement at the other end. The entire train is under pressure from that spring. A quartz movement has a stepping motor that makes a half turn every second, and that drives a train of freewheeling gears that drive the hands and date ring -- there's no resistance.

That is probably not clear at all ... there are more detailed explanations on the net with illustrations, but I can't tell you where just at the moment ... search for it; you'll find it.
 
I'm a heathen.

Why pay a whole lot more for something that keeps crappy time and needs adjustment every few years?

IMO, the soul thing is some weird romaticism. Why use drywall when you can have the soul and craftmanship of a plaster on lath wall? Doesn't make sense does it?

I have to go with quartz.
 
I agree, about the whole romance thing, i think there is alot of spin to the whole watch thing. All i can say is i have a seiko that runs great after 12 years and a swatch that also runs great after 11 years..i just keep putting in batteries. Rolex are nice too but i was at a different time in my life when i needed a rolex.
 
Hi Vermont Woodsman-

It looks like you've answered your own question about the differences. Rest assured, there are less people in this world who will understand your $500.00 pocketknife than understand your $3000.00 watch. My suggestion would be to sell your automatic mechanical watch and you'll have enough money for batteries and replacement quartz watches for the rest of your life.

~ Blue Jays ~​
 
DaveH said:
I'm a heathen.

Why pay a whole lot more for something that keeps crappy time and needs adjustment every few years?

IMO, the soul thing is some weird romaticism. Why use drywall when you can have the soul and craftmanship of a plaster on lath wall? Doesn't make sense does it?

I have to go with quartz.
Click to expand...
I agree 100%. When I read of automatic watches that gain or lose 3-4 minutes a DAY, and people are "ok" with that, I wanna puke. I have quartz watches that gain or lose 3 minutes (if that) a YEAR, AND I don't have to keep 'em moving to keep 'em running.
 
Hi Glockman99-

A couple minutes off per day? Those folks need to invest in better automatic watches. :cool:

~ Blue Jays ~
 
I'd like to own an automatic watch one day since everyone keeps on saying how cool it is but i know if i have to keep changing the bloody time every few weeks it's going to be annoying. I even get annoyed changing the dates in the beginning of the month. But it's nice to have something you know will work 20 years on and maybe something to give your kid. My dad gave up on his rolex and bought a quartz Tag Heuer and he also took my Casio G-Shock. Now i hear he wants a Jaeger.

However, if i had a choice of only 1 watch to take with me it'll have to be one of those G-shock solar watches. Big, chunky, no batteries and indestructable. Try and beat that, Mr. Patek Phillipe.
 
Point44 said:
I'd like to own an automatic watch one day since everyone keeps on saying how cool it is but i know if i have to keep changing the bloody time every few weeks it's going to be annoying. I even get annoyed changing the dates in the beginning of the month. But it's nice to have something you know will work 20 years on and maybe something to give your kid. My dad gave up on his rolex and bought a quartz Tag Heuer and he also took my Casio G-Shock. Now i hear he wants a Jaeger.

However, if i had a choice of only 1 watch to take with me it'll have to be one of those G-shock solar watches. Big, chunky, no batteries and indestructable. Try and beat that, Mr. Patek Phillipe.
Click to expand...

Except that the G-shock solar watches have been failing with disturbing regularity. They DO have a battery and after a while, maybe due to poor speccing, they won't take a charge. This phenomenon has been reported on this forum, CPF, and several watch forums. Until Casio fixes the issue (like Seiko seems to have done with their Kinetic watch issues), I'd advise to stay away.

Now on the other hand, if you want rechargeable, classy, and hate changing dates or time, I'd suggest that you look into a Citizen Eco Drive Perpetual. As long as it gets some sun every once in a while, you're good to go. And you won't have to change the date till 2100. The accuracy is good enough that unless you are a time freak, adjusting at Daylight Savings Time twice a year is all you need to do.

As for mechanical vs quartz, I'm very surprised to hear on THIS FORUM that people don't understand. You guys buy super high dollar custom knives for their art and beauty, to sit under display cases and in safes, and you don't understand that a watch can be a tool, and yet more than a tool. Take a look at the movement of a Patek Phillipe and see the amazing craftsmanship and design that goes into making one. The quality materials. The attention to detail. Sounds a lot like I'm describing a good custom knife (or a coughsebenzacough). :confused:

Now, if you own nothing but Moras and Opinels, then I can understand how someone would be a Timex guy. ;) :p And I fully respect that.

Mark
 
A ROLEX or SEIKO movement can run for years without being touched and while there are inferior mechanical watches out there, ROLEX and SEIKO movements are very durable and accurate, can't comment on other mechanicals. Personally I think this forum has given them a bad rap, both are great movements and I used to only wear SEIKO dive watches.

However I have recently switched to a Citizen eco-drive because of having to wear a SEIKO mechanical to keep it running, reason for the switch is I do some pretty dirty work during the week now and I don't want to gunk a good watch up, and my seiko spent enough time off arm to lose charge on a regular basis, I prefer the seiko overall thought, but the Citizen is a good watch.
 
I have a Seiko 5 Automatic that I bought for around 40 bucks shipped on the internet brand new. It would still be running if I didn't crack the rear display case and the only reason I don't have it running is the sweat from my arm leaks in there :eek: I know it's horrible to just let it go, but I don't have the money to fix it the way I want to right now. I'm keeping it safe and repairable in the mean time. I have no clue how I cracked it. I've dropped it a couple of times, but I inspected it after each drop and there was never a crack, then one day I looked at it and it was all fogged up....

It lasted around 2 years... I didn't spair it any mercy... but it still runs, I just can't wear it without getting the insides all wet...

I like quartz watches, but I like automatics a lot better, I can watch the movements run forever...

http://www.roachman.com/seiko/automatic/SNZC33.html

There's a picture of a display back on this page... Believe it or not I think they put those on their because fake seikos are being found.... I would never think that a seiko would be copied...
 
I don't buy in to the whole "mechanical watches have a soul and heartbeat" thing.
They do not have any more "soul or heartbeat" than a wind-up toy.

Some folks pay alot of money for a knife, but they probably expect that knife to cut at least as well as most cheaper knives.
Who wants to pay $300.00 on a knife that does'nt cut very well?

But some folks (like Rolex fans) think it's okay to pay alot for a watch that does'nt even keep time as well as most other watches.

"Yeah, it loses a couple seconds a day, if I wear it all the time. But hey, it's a Rolex".

I think they've been blinded by the elitism factor.

I do agree that changing batteries, and always wondering when the battery will die, is a PITA.
So I recommend a Citizen Eco-drive or a Seiko Kinetic.

Just my opinion,
Allen.
 
Anybody remember in "trading places" dan ackroyd explaining to both the cop and the pawn broker what the name of his watch and how much it costs?
edit, another humorous watch reference, albert brooks in "defending your life" when he could get in on Casio and he commented, the swiss makes watches not the japanese. (paraphrase)
Rolexes, pateks etc are "luxury, status" I'm not into status nor do I have money for luxury goods. And if I did, I'll probably get a G shock. if it's good enough for charlie rose on his talk show, it's good enough for me. (believe it or not, he's quite a lady's man, remember when Alisha keyes sang happy b'day to him?)
 
Hi All-

President Clinton was ridiculed for his propensity to wear cheap plastic watches to formal affairs of state and when meeting foreign dignitaries. That silly digital Timex Triathlon was his absurd attempt to look like a "regular person" even though he is a vile elitist. It looked very juvenile.

There will always be a place for quality handcrafted automatic chronometers with consumers. To borrow a few words: "...If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up..."

~ Blue Jays ~
 
TiberiusBkirk said:
Anybody remember in "trading places" dan ackroyd explaining to both the cop and the pawn broker what the name of his watch and how much it costs?
Click to expand...

Pawnbroker: Burnt my fingers man.

Louis Winthorpe III: I beg your pardon?

Pawnbroker: Man, that watch is so hot, its smokin'.

Louis Winthorpe III: Hot? Do you mean to imply stolen?

Pawnbroker: I'll give you fifty bucks for it.

Louis Winthorpe III: Fifty bucks? No, no, no. This is a Rouchefoucauld. The finest water-resistant watch in the world. Singularly unique, sculptured in design, hand-crafted in Switzerland and water resistant to three atmospheres. This is *the* sports watch of the '80s. Six thousand, nine hundred and fifty five dollars retail!

Pawnbroker: You got a receipt?

Louis Winthorpe III: It tells time simultaneously in Monte Carlo, Beverley Hills, London, Paris, Rome and Gstaad.

Pawnbroker: In Philadelphia it's worth 50 bucks.
 
Well, I don't think it has to be an decision of "Rolex Submariner or Timex Ironman".
There are alot of fine watches in between the two extremes.

Allen.
 
All US Presidents have worn Timex watches on occasions of state ever since Timex became first the only American made watch and then the brand that comes closest to being an American watch (Timex moved production to the Philippines in the sixties). It's not a matter of their personal taste in watches -- it just goes with being the President of the US. They can only be seen in American cars, too, insofar as there is such a thing as an American car these days (they all have parts made in other countries)....
 
Hi Cougar Allen-

Yes, I'm aware of that interesting horological factoid. President Bush wears a Timex watch on many occasions, but he uses a bit of savoir-faire and chooses a simple model with a round face, silvered analog dial, and black leather band. Many of us had mechanical Timex models in our youth...he might have one himself.

~ Blue Jays ~
 
I think COSC cronometer certification is something like +- 4 or 6 seconds a day, so in a week you could be off a minute, four or five minutes off by the end of a month. That standard might have been good a hundred years ago.
 
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