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Showing 1 of 11 conversations about:
Shellington
14
Oct 7, 2017
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A budget automatic will always be far more impressive to a a watch person than a budget quartz watch.
The type of crystal doesn't make all that much difference as long as it's quality and isn't thrown around like a toy. There are pros and cons to both mineral/hardlex and sapphire crystals.
As a brand a Seiko is much better than victorinox. Swiss made isn't much of a garauntee of quality anymore with the current market. Compare this seiko to a hamilton khaki for example and you'd be surprised how well it stacks up.
Oct 7, 2017
JohnnyCredit
469
Oct 8, 2017
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Shellington"A budget automatic will always be far more impressive to a a watch person than a budget quartz watch."
I won't argue that isn't generally true, but why worry about impressing anyone? I myself prefer quartz for its far lower (nearly non-existent) cost of maintenance. ( To me the charm of the smooth-ish second hand isn't worth $200-300 every few years. But that's me.)
That said, I really dig the cool retro look of these. If it were solar or quartz it'd be right up my alley.
Oct 8, 2017
Shellington
14
Oct 8, 2017
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JohnnyCreditBecause if you're considering buying an automatic then you obviously care more about the craftsmanship and pros of an automatic than a quartz.
It would be silly to buy a quartz watch above $100 Because they don't keep their value and are throw away items, they have little to no advantages to a cheap timex. Their specs barely improve until you reach $800 and then they are accurate and convenient enough to justify the increase in price.
Automatics, especially seikos in this price range, have the advantage of a long 5 years plus service interval. With a quartz in this price range you would get a battery life of 2 or 3 years. Then they would likely be disposed of due to the lack of any repair parts for quartz. The automatic could keep going for your lifetime.
Oct 8, 2017
JohnnyCredit
469
Oct 8, 2017
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Shellington"It would be silly to buy a quartz watch above $100 Because they don't keep their value and are throw away items..."
Throwaway items? I've had a Citizen quartz for 21 years, a Tissot Autoquartz for 10, a Hamilton quartz for about 12 years. I'm sure all the guys with Rolex Oysterquartz and Omega quartz watches aren't throwing theirs away either.
As to resale, many of us are never going to resell our watches.
"With a quartz in this price range you would get a battery life of 2 or 3 years. Then they would likely be disposed of due to the lack of any repair parts for quartz."
If you know someone who's throwing away his quartz watches when they need a new battery, please put me in touch so I can take them off his hands.
A new battery is $10 installed, a fraction of that if you do it yourself. As to parts, quartz watches seldom need any.
I'm not arguing with anyone to whom the charms of automatics are worth the ongoing costs. (I have an old Hamilton auto myself.) But on pure practicality for total money spent, quartz is hard to beat.
Oct 8, 2017
JohnnyCredit
469
Oct 8, 2017
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JohnnyCreditPS: I actually do think automatics make more sense at the very high end. Although I don't see parts for most sub-$1000 movements -- mechanical OR quartz -- being available in 30 years, I'm sure there will continue to be parts for the Rolexes, Omegas, Pateks, etc.
So if you're buying with the intent of passing down an heirloom, I'd agree auto (an expensive one) is the way to go.
At the medium range, I think the cost of labor for repair eclipses the value with mechanical/ auto movements, even if parts are around. So in this range I think it's more a question of what's least likely to need repair-- at least when comparing purely on money spent in the lifetime of the item.
Oct 8, 2017
Erik1
255
Oct 9, 2017
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JohnnyCreditThere are millions upon millions of cheap seiko and ETA movements out there. There will always be a way to repair or replace these movements as long as I live and probably my children as well. Higher end watches with more expenseive and rarer in house movements - maybe not. Although if a watch is valuable enough parts can be made.
In fact for many of the cheaper autos it would be cheaper to source a new movement than to have it serviced at all which I would generally recommend against (service) ever doing until they quit working then see the price of replacing movement vs. repair.
Oct 9, 2017
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