@@aestheticterritoryit’s interesting that ETA has a line of thermocompensated quartz movements that are roughly +-10 seconds per year or a bit worse, but almost nobody seems interested in using them. Some Certina watches mention it on the dial with “Precidrive,” some Tissot watches have something on the dial, nobody else mentions it.
My favorite watch in my humble collection is my Quartz Omega Pre-Bond. I love mechanical watches. But the reliability of a good quartz is so comforting.
I enjoy owning a Bulova Moon Watch in my collection with the 262kHz Quartz movement. Its accurate to approx. 10 seconds a year A great value and very well made
Agreed. It sits next to my Submariners in a 3 watch roll, and I use the $300 Dark Side Lunar Pilot to set the time on the other two. I really enjoy it, one of the best bargains sub $500.
Over 1,000 watch companies went bankrupt and over 60,000 jobs went during the Quartz crisis. Mechanical came back, yes, but only when Quartz became easily accessible.
Charlie is such a well spoken and knowledgeable member of the Crown and Caliber team, and his perspective has shifted my entire view on quartz. The balance between Nathan's on-camera personality with Charlie's knowledge base (and cool, articulate communication style) made for a throroughly enjoyable (and educational) video. I'd love to see future videos that tap into Charlie's perspective as a watchmaker.
@@johnr6145 that's debatable, the oysterquartz is a move by rolex in the 1970s to keep the brand competitive with the largely growing quartz movement that was happening because of seiko, the oysterquatz was discontinued in 2001 when the quartz hype began to die down, but grand seiko manages to make one hell of a quartz movement that is the 9f movement with an accuracy of 5 seconds a year, compared to the obsolete oysterquartz with an accuracy of 1 minute per year. So at the time the oysterquartz might be the best, but not anymore.
I am thoroughly surprised that he didn't mention quartz watches from Grand Seiko or Citizen, they have some high end quartz pieces that are amazing. Also, the F.P. Journe Elegante, that's a whole topic in itself too. We need more insight on this conversation from him
Citizen is a dirty name in the watch industry. More dependable build quality than Seiko at half the price but bc they primarily make *gasp* solar quartz watch snobs tend to ignore them. Lb for Lb the best tool watches…
The only real "tool" watches are quartz watches. So much tougher, resistant to magnetism, etc. Orders of magnitude more accurate. They just function better. Mechanical watches are purely jewelry.
Yup, they're a lot more accurate. The batteries last a very very long time. There are no moving parts if it's a digital watch (aside from the vibrating crystal) or very few if it has a analogue dial. You don't need to worry about lubricating the movement or a shock damaging a jewel. I've never owned a mechanical watch. The only reason why you'd own one imo is if appearance or nostalgia are more important to you compared to the purpose of a watch. Also a mechanical watch needs constant maintenance which I guess is an indirect way to show off your wealth (ability to regularly spend on optional things)
Hello Do you know how antimagnetic a normal quartz watch is? I mean an around 500€-1000€ Citizen, Seiko, Casio etc I'm not meaning no moving part square g shock here Thank you i would appreciate the help
Yes you see almost no UA-camrs showing quartz love. They’re so apologetic when they do actually review one. It’s definitely a stigma amount the watch community.
Nice! Me too. Inherited one from my Uncle when I was about 13 ish, even though it gets plenty of hate it carries so much sentimental value that it outshines my rolexes.
I wore a mech watch for the past two days (for the first time in weeks).Today, a quartz is back on my arm., and l will wear quartz for the next couple of weeks. I like the grab-and-go of quartz. And I love the accuracy.
this video just saved me a 1000$ on buying an automatic watch I wasn't really sure I need and I'll stick with my beautiful quartz much happier for now :)
After collecting for years vintage watches I have found happy finds in the watch hunts especially with some charming quartz models from the 80’s. I enjoy the complexity of automatics but I’ve never had to second guess the accuracy of my quartz watches.
@@johnr6145 Breitling as a brand shits on Seiko? Are you sure about that? Seiko has different tears in their company, on the top they have credor which shits on half of the Swiss watch industry.
@@johnr6145 Yes the emergency watch must have saved the lives of literally dozens of watch snobs stranded half way up a mountain whilst going off piste!!
@@johnr6145 Really? Breitling makes good quartz watches but you cannot possibly say they shit on Seiko and Citizen. Credor was already mentioned, Grand Seiko 9F caliber, Grand Seiko Spring Drive (technically a hybrid), Citizen Chronomaster (accurate to +/- 5 sec/year), Citizen Ecodrive Caliber 0100 (accurate to +/-1 sec/year). The list goes on. So you cannot just dismiss these brands and say Breitling shits on them.
@@johnr6145 I couldn't justify buying a $5T GS Spring Drive or a $7T Citizen Eco-Drive Caliber 0100 at that price range I'd go mechanical. Sorry am not a quartz guy. But that doesn't mean I don't appreciate a good quartz and the technology behind it. Like I said Breitling's SuperQuartz is a good HAQ watch but it just doesn't compare to the offerings of Seiko and Citizen. Seiko and Citizen gets a bad rap because of they sell affordable watches. Just like your initial comment that people like it because it's cheap. Am not interested in the cheap Seiko and cheap Citizen quartz because they are the run of the mill quartz watch. But their high-end offerings are technically superior and actually more expensive than Breitling's Quartz offering. I think the GS 9F is on par in terms of price to Breitling's SuperQuartz but the Spring Drive is more expensive and so is the Citizen Caliber 0100 (Correct me if I am wrong on the pricing since it changes and I haven't actually seen updated prices as of late).
I bought an accutron railroad approved in 1976, it was serviced by the vendor who came to the rail yard each year. As it got beat up I retired it and started buying Timex. In 2020 I wanted a nice watch to wear on the weekends so I bought a Seiko mechanical and it really impressed me with the case and presentation back, but it lost 15 seconds a day so I returned it as my 10 year old Timex lost no more than ten seconds a month max. So with a little looking around I found out about the newer but discontinued Accutron ii snorkel and bought one new with tags, now I’m well satisfied and the watch is off maybe a second a month. I love seeing old quality company’s staying alive and I would patronize them but I won’t if I have to hack a watch everyday by looking on the wall at the $15 quartz wall clock to set it.
I’m a quartz fan. My longines vhp gmt is my daily. My 2.5k mechanical never gets worn. My next and final watch will be a GS with a 9F movement. Accuracy and cheaper servicing just wins it for me.
32,768 Hz. This is because to get 1 second pulses, you divide the oscillator frequency by 2 fifteen times in a row. Making an electronic circuit to divide a frequency by 2 is the easiest divider circuit you can make.
My Grand Seiko SBGN005 as gained exactly one second over the course of an entire year. It is beautiful, high end, sporty (100m wr), and generally awesome. It is a great feeling knowing that I always have the authority of the exact time on my wrist.
Swiss quartz...Cartier makes a ton of quartz Santos, tanks, Ballon Blue watches, Audemars Piguet makes quartz Royal Oaks upwards of $70k diamond encased. They have $14k quartz also. Patek has the same. Many Swiss brands carry a quartz line. Do a simple search and you will find that quartz watches are a staple in the Swiss watch world. Great video! Quartz is misunderstood because folks ignore how the watch world works. Volume sales drive sustainability. Cheap quartz is what made Swatch Group the Swatch group. Quatrz actually helped the watch world stay afloat in the end.
While I truly appreciate the work and craftsmanship that goes in to my couple of automatics, they truly are a pain in the ass and only vaguely approximate time. Deep down, I'm a junkie for precision and reliability with no fuss. Most days I leave the house wearing an eco-drive. It's plus or minus a couple of seconds a month and it "just works." It's the Toyota Tacoma of watches.
I own more than 30 watches in my collection, both automatic and quartz and the Q Timex is my favorite, the Marlin manual wind is my 2nd, so there is room to love both.
Honestly, I think the best way to sell a quartz to a mechanical watch enthusiast is to just look at a disassembly video for a high end quartz timepiece. They look gorgeous inside.
I'm late to the party, but a buddy and I were talking watches recently and how Tudor is such a good value to get a chronometer for less than $5,000, and how you can get a Omega and a master chronometer for $7,000 and what a good value that is for such accuracy. Then we had a silent moment and basically said "Or get a $10 Timex"
As a watch enthusiast with over a dozen automatic and mechanical movements, I regularly wear a $20 Casio and have just purchased my first high end quartz watch. There are extreme benefits, and I am coming around to quartz actually being a superior mechanism...because technically it isn't even comparable. Quartz is king. Automatic and mechanical are beautiful and artistic, but simply not as technologically advanced.
I completely agree... there are some spectacular Quartz watches out there now. While I'm a huge fan of mechanical watches, the Quartz watch is still an excellent option.
I’ve had two GS 9F watches and the Spring drive......nothing comes close for accuracy, and while the Quartz ones were solid casebacks, they are so well finished you could have had open case backs to show them off. I like mechanical and yes, they’ll always be seen as superior among most watch lovers.....I personally prefer Quartz
I grew up in the era when the Hamilton Pulsar was released and one of my uncles owned one. A few years later I was in high school and owned a basic Casio. Today I wear a mechanical field watch as my EDC watch, but I still have Casio as my beater watch, and quartz Seiko "tank" as my dress watch (I also have a pocket watch as a dress watch).
I've got a citizen promaster tough, monobloc case design, anti magnetic, solar quartz (eco-drive), water resistant to 200m, shock resistant and not to mention relatively thin. Toughest thing i've ever owned that's not digital. Dropped it 8 times (on hard carpeted floor) scratched up but the hands are not misalinged and time is still keeping on. Quartz is heavily underrated.
@@myhandlewastakenandIgaveup Citizen UK has a smaller, titanium version of the Promaster Tough (BN0118-55E) with all of the same benefits but 300m water resistance. I got the one with the titanium bracelet, and I am very happy with it!
I bought a Victorinox INOX professional diver. It’s a Swiss quartz movement and it is a beautiful watch, an amazingly solid piece that I got at a really good price I didn’t feel that I sacrificed quality and it is nice having a quality watch that doesn’t need to be kept on a winder when not being worn. I do love a mechanical watch though.
I own a Pre Bond Omega Seamaster Professional quartz model that I purchased new in 1988. It is still very accurate and reliable and it seems to be holding its value rather well.
Don’t forget Citizen’s 0100. That bad boy is +- 1 second per YEAR! I don’t think people realize the engineering that goes on with that watch. Oh, and it’s definitely not a beater. It’s white gold.
I grew up with mechanical watches when you had to spend big bucks for an accurate reliable watch.. When quartz came out, the world changed.. anyone could afford one. That is a game changer. I have some mechanicals (love skeleton watches), but on the pragmatic daily beater side, I have several G Shocks and a Garmin Fenix.
sand = pa-sir pan-tai Function: Used for polishing stone weapons as early as 25,000 B. C. Garnet = glasslike gemstone silica = silicon dioxide What is emery? a b (unusual. Not sequenced as the usual numbering method) Pg. 382. In the Middle Ages, grinding wheels of quartz and flint fragments naturally bonded together in rock were used.
I have the ‘Bond’ 300 Diver in quartz in both 41 and 36 ( black dial) … fantastically practical and stylish watches and my go -to everyday watches. They are what got me into ‘Omega’ at a point at which I could then afford. I have several automatics but I think these higher end quartz models have yet to be fully appreciated.
The Quartz Crisis was the direct result of marketing watches based on accuracy for a century, and then a new product came on the scene that was eight times "more accurate." And this completely disrupted the industry. The solution was to switch marketing to something other than accuracy. So now they had to talk about quality of craftsmanship, heritage, high end materials, status, and exclusivity. The things that could make mechanical watches more appealing. And it worked. So today, quartz watches are deemed inferior, even though they keep much better time and can provide far more functionality and far more complications at a much lower price. They have become the best tool, but are lacking status and prestige. And mechanical watches have become jewelry only. Prized for their craftsmanship, and coveted for their cost, even though they are inferior time keeping devices. And now we have a third category, created by Grand Seiko. A watch that does both things. Their spring drive watches are even more accurate than standard quartz models and include all the features required to make them a luxury brand.
From a purely technical point of view mechanical watches are simply inferior. I still like mechanical watches but most are probably built largely by machines and the image people have of them being made by highly trained watchmakers is largely inaccurate these days. It is just romanticism, apart from a few very expensive brands that most can afford. Some of my G-Shock watches have GPS, Bluetooth and Multiband 6 and so can locate themselves into a 500m square box anywhere in the world and set the time correctly, allowing for SDT etc. A mechanical watch will never be able to achieve such a feat. With Multiband 6 they correct the time every day while you sleep. All this and they are solar powered. Being G-Shocks they are also much tougher than any mechanical lever escapement watch.
Excellent conversation and insightful. I own both and feel the same way. Quartz is an excellent movement and should not be shunned. I love my quartz and automatics equally.
If the Swiss had invented the quartz wristwatch instead of the Japanese, it would have been known as "The Quartz Renaissance", and we would celebrate that it made timepieces affordable, bringing it to the masses.
I have Mechanical & Quartz, less of the latter, and enjoy both. Seiko & Citizen (Quartz - Eco-Drive great). Also have Raymond Weil quartz & Cartier Tank quartz, and even a Timex Three Allied GMT. All great.
You know what would be really interesting? A watch enthusiast who has a quartz only collection. I have a mechanical/automatic collection but I haven't see a quartz one yet.
I wore mechanical watches for 20 years, but now I've sold most of them and have switched to quartz. Grand Seiko 9F, Citizen A060 and several Omegas. I love being able to "service" them myself- change the battery and gaskets. I think a lot of folks don't like quartz because they don't really know how they work and are mystified. Quartz clocks have been around for almost 100 years. The basic principles of electricity, batteries, capacitors have been known since the time of Breguet. The principles of resonant circuits, motors and piezoelectricity were known long before Rolex was even a company.
Great show Nathan and Charlie. Thank you for explaining the workings of a quartz watch and movement. Should have talked about Seiko and there many important quartz improvements over the years and GS 9F movements and spring drive. Stay healthy and safe all the best.
What does it look like. I have the opportunity to get one in automatic or one in quartz. I’m also lucky enough to know a watchmaker who owns 4 Zodiacs from the 90’s, 2 in automatic and 2 in quartz. They are the divers with the blue dot and I do not know which one I want.
@@waynestapleton3 Mine is a red dot quartz. It is 200m. Black w. a gold bezel. It is 38-39mm wide. So feels small by todays standards. But it still runs fine.
@@M3LTUP I’m stuck deciding between quartz and automatic. The ticking hand or sweeping hand so hard to pick from. Since my friend is a watchmaker and there his I know there in great shape and I’ve seen them but just undecided. I know the quartz is more durable but it’s a mental thing. Does your second hand hit every mark or skip them, and does owning a quartz bother you?
@@waynestapleton3 I dont mind Quartz at all. I appreciate its accuracy. But Automatic is batter for value retention. In the era of the smart watch. I feel like Quartz is the new vintage.
The relative disrepute of quartz watches is mostly a result of aggressive and clever marketing by the Swiss mechanical watch industry, which had every right to try and save itself. To see this marketing push in action, all anyone has to do is observe how virtually no Swiss mechanical watch is made available with an optional quartz movement. Some customers would greatly prefer the same case, dial and sapphire crystal, but with a high quality quartz movement instead of the (usually mass-produced ETA) mechanical movement. These are generally not made available, regardless of demand, because their existence would tend to drive prices down, at least a bit, and remove the enormous markup and repair profit opportunities on complicated mechanical watches.
Swiss quartz...Cartier makes a ton of quartz Santos, tanks, Ballon Blue watches, Audemars Piguet makes quartz Royal Oaks upwards of $70k diamond encased. They have $14k quartz also. Patek has the same. Many Swiss brands carry a quartz line. Do a simple search and you will find that quartz watches are a staple in the Swiss watch world.
I recently picked up a Grand Seiko SBGN003, it is a wonderful watch, but it is strange to see the seconds hand ticking away. Hard to beat the accuracy of +/- 10 seconds per year though.
Every computer nerd knows it has to be a power of 2 for the frequency. 32768 Hz, except when it’s a multiple of that. Whether the quartz crystal is accurate and how accuracy changes when it ages or changes temperature is a whole set of problems… which various makers have addressed, of course.
Seiko Spring Drive is the best of both worlds...now if only they made them affordable. I have mostly mechanical and Citizen Eco-drives. I have a couple of battery quartz from long ago before I decided batteries are too much of a pain.
My GS spring drive kept time at +2.5 seconds per week and it was a 15 year old watch when I bought. Excellent until you have to send it in for service. I wish they had more service centers. They need at least one in North America for sure.
Quartz watches for the most part are divided into two categories. BEATERS and Exceptional. Beaters for those that work hard and the watch can be damaged and replaced easily. Casio/G Shock as an example. Then there are the Exceptional. Watches that are unique and stylish. Bulova Precisionist/Lunar Pilot or CWC fall into this category.
Very informative - thank you. What are your thoughts about solar powered quartz watches (Seiko, Citizen, etc.) and the claims that they "NEVER" need a battery replacement?
@@redastrachan8978 Replacing a cap in a high end quartz watch is neither inconvenient nor costly. They're designed to be serviced. It is no more complicated than servicing a mechanical watch.
Lots of comments about Grand Seiko's 9F or Spring Drive... I'll also add that Seiko's Meca-Quartz is also a great innovation and option for chronograph watches.
Seiko, Citizens, Casio quartz watches are for superior to any and all Swiss brands. For it was the Japanese quartz watchmakers in the 70s that sent most Swiss watcher makers to their graves.
The Casio Oceanus T200 is perfect. It is beautiful, sapphire, satellite, perpetual calendar, always exact to the 1/1000 of a second, never needs adjustment, bright lume, it will be seen in the year 3000 as the best watch of the old Milenium.
@P M B That's not the point, it's just cool for an analog watch to do that. At this point "need" is not a question anymore. If you're talking "need", no one "need" a mechanical watch at all. They're just cool to have. 🤷
Imagine if BMW in 2020 is selling amost exactly the same engine and look that they had on a 1988 BMW 325 (manual 4 cylinder, 105 hp, boxy aesthetic) but now with just bigger rims... That's the logic with the Rolex subs and GMT's....
I have a collection of affordable mechanical watches, but I like my Solar quartz warches as well. Sometimes I want to fiddle with a watch, and sometimes I just want to slap one on and go. Solar warches take no fiddling. I wish there was a wider selection of styles.
Both quartz and mechanical watch is sort of obsolete tech. If we are into tech then a smartwatch is the watch of choice. I wear luxury mechanical watches because its a piece of art and its likely the only jewelry men wears besides our wedding ring. So in that sense, a high end quartz watch is redundant except for a "grand complication" G-Shock for a "beater" to bring my kids to the waterpark, beach and for doing sports.
Sadly smartwatches are just not there yet. A day of battery life? At tops two if you use it as it was intended to? It's just way too low. Nobody would buy a quartz watch if you had to put a new battery in it every day. Until they reach some decent battery life, for most of us they are out of the question, even if they are better than a quartz.
@@birtalanlorant5572 My gripe is with expensive high end quartz watch which I feel is redundant. A smartwatch or a Casio Ediface/G-shock with Solar powered, GPS, Buetooth, time sync and etc functions for the tech geek. If you just need a watch for timing stuffs or just checking the time easily during work then a cheap quartz like Casio F91 will do the job. Luxury mechanical watch is an intricate jewelry and something I buy to commemorate a special occasion or a milestone in life. I don't see a need or appeal for an expensive high end quartz watch that watch maker Charlie was so enthusiastic about but that is just my opinion.
@@donaldneo4317 I guess it's just different strokes for different folks. If I would ever spend let's say steel Rolex sports watch money on a watch, it couldn't be an automatic, because they are just way too inaccurate for me, thus my preference for a high end quartz.
Wear a solar watch. They have all the pros and non of the Cons. At least you should have a watch that makes more convenient when you need to check the time compared to a cellphone ,a watch that with today's technology and makes people pay respect you than any high end but old school watches on your wrist.
I love both mech and quartz equally, but for different reasons, however I generally wear a quartz watch, why? Because it simply ties in better with my work and lifestyle, I get annoyed when people say oh, 1500£ is too much for a Quartz watch, but the funny thing, as far as keeping time goes, quartz is superior in every way, there isn't an argument about that, in the 70s quartz was the future, it's a successor to the mechanical watch in that sense. What if you like luxury watches but you want a grab & go watch, or youre af a job with a lot of Manul work, maybe you don't feel like having to get it serviced as often as mechs generally require to keep running smoothly, quartz is an amazing technological and horological innovation. What I love about mech watches: It's romanticism firstly, but let's appreciate how much work and craft goes into some of these beautiful mechanical movements, even as a technological thing it still impresses me the way they work, it's nice to human / machine interaction, I could go on and on about how amazing mech watches are, There shouldn't be a debate about quartz Vs mech, wear what you like and respect both of these equally imo.
I see that a few mentioned Seiko and Citizen and I subscribe. And I'll add solar to the mix. Just try a U700-powered solar Citizen watch (the JW0xx series). It is a non-atomic, non-thermocompensated movement that hardly goes faster than 1 sec./month. That's 12 sec./year. Plus a 7-year power reserve. What more can you want from an affordable, sub-1000 EUR quartz watch?
I have both quartz and automatic watches in my collection. I don't care what the watch snobs think, quartz is great.
Good luck picking up a college-educated woman with a quartz watch. They prefer guys with automatic watches.
@@GeorgeUK84, sounds like you have little hands.
@@GeorgeUK84, is that the best you have? Such utter nonsense.
@@GeorgeUK84 Sometimes I read comments, and I just cannot believe that someone would write something as such seriously. You have to be trolling.
@@GeorgeUK84 lmao
I think (Grand) Seiko and Citizen should have been part of this discussion. The story of quartz isn't complete without these innovative watch brands.
Also Casio!
Also a comparation between Swiss and Japan Quartz. And the new China Quartz.
The Swiss weren't interested in quartz at all, then Seiko started killing them in Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres competitions.
@@aestheticterritoryit’s interesting that ETA has a line of thermocompensated quartz movements that are roughly +-10 seconds per year or a bit worse, but almost nobody seems interested in using them. Some Certina watches mention it on the dial with “Precidrive,” some Tissot watches have something on the dial, nobody else mentions it.
My favorite watch in my humble collection is my Quartz Omega Pre-Bond. I love mechanical watches. But the reliability of a good quartz is so comforting.
I believe Prince William has that one from his late mom.
I enjoy owning a Bulova Moon Watch in my collection with the 262kHz Quartz movement. Its accurate to approx. 10 seconds a year A great value and very well made
Agreed. It sits next to my Submariners in a 3 watch roll, and I use the $300 Dark Side Lunar Pilot to set the time on the other two. I really enjoy it, one of the best bargains sub $500.
A real watchmaker teaching us about how great quartz is. Let us sell all our mechanical watch.
Quartz didnt kill mechanical it came back stronger like most collectors have both! and love them all!
Over 1,000 watch companies went bankrupt and over 60,000 jobs went during the Quartz crisis. Mechanical came back, yes, but only when Quartz became easily accessible.
Charlie is such a well spoken and knowledgeable member of the Crown and Caliber team, and his perspective has shifted my entire view on quartz. The balance between Nathan's on-camera personality with Charlie's knowledge base (and cool, articulate communication style) made for a throroughly enjoyable (and educational) video. I'd love to see future videos that tap into Charlie's perspective as a watchmaker.
No mention of Grand Seiko? They have fantastic quartz watches. As well as the Spring Drive which is sort of a hybrid.
@@johnr6145 that's debatable, the oysterquartz is a move by rolex in the 1970s to keep the brand competitive with the largely growing quartz movement that was happening because of seiko, the oysterquatz was discontinued in 2001 when the quartz hype began to die down, but grand seiko manages to make one hell of a quartz movement that is the 9f movement with an accuracy of 5 seconds a year, compared to the obsolete oysterquartz with an accuracy of 1 minute per year. So at the time the oysterquartz might be the best, but not anymore.
No mention of Grand Seiko because Crown & Caliber doesn't sell Grand Seiko. Go on their site and you'll see gobs of Breitlings and Omegas.
@@johnr6145 No chance!
They didn’t mention Cartier and Tag Heur either. What’s your point?
@@tomnewham1269 They absolutely brought up Tag Heuer.
I am thoroughly surprised that he didn't mention quartz watches from Grand Seiko or Citizen, they have some high end quartz pieces that are amazing. Also, the F.P. Journe Elegante, that's a whole topic in itself too. We need more insight on this conversation from him
Citizen is a dirty name in the watch industry. More dependable build quality than Seiko at half the price but bc they primarily make *gasp* solar quartz watch snobs tend to ignore them. Lb for Lb the best tool watches…
What about Casio!!!
The only real "tool" watches are quartz watches. So much tougher, resistant to magnetism, etc. Orders of magnitude more accurate. They just function better. Mechanical watches are purely jewelry.
A point that doesn’t get made nearly enough
Yup, they're a lot more accurate. The batteries last a very very long time. There are no moving parts if it's a digital watch (aside from the vibrating crystal) or very few if it has a analogue dial. You don't need to worry about lubricating the movement or a shock damaging a jewel.
I've never owned a mechanical watch. The only reason why you'd own one imo is if appearance or nostalgia are more important to you compared to the purpose of a watch. Also a mechanical watch needs constant maintenance which I guess is an indirect way to show off your wealth (ability to regularly spend on optional things)
all watches are jewlery
Hello
Do you know how antimagnetic a normal quartz watch is? I mean an around 500€-1000€ Citizen, Seiko, Casio etc
I'm not meaning no moving part square g shock here
Thank you i would appreciate the help
Bulova Precisionist Chronograph. Best watch I ever bought. 10 seconds accuracy in a year with a lovely sweeping hi beat hand.
Our hobby needs more videos like this. Also, love GS quartz :)
Yes you see almost no UA-camrs showing quartz love. They’re so apologetic when they do actually review one. It’s definitely a stigma amount the watch community.
I’ve been using a quartz Tag Heuer for 20 years now. Excellent watch!
Nice! Me too. Inherited one from my Uncle when I was about 13 ish, even though it gets plenty of hate it carries so much sentimental value that it outshines my rolexes.
Mine for 12 years tag huer f1 👍👍
I wore a mech watch for the past two days (for the first time in weeks).Today, a quartz is back on my arm., and l will wear quartz for the next couple of weeks. I like the grab-and-go of quartz. And I love the accuracy.
this video just saved me a 1000$ on buying an automatic watch I wasn't really sure I need and I'll stick with my beautiful quartz much happier for now :)
Tag formula 1 quartz was my first Swiss watch- 15 years later still using it
After collecting for years vintage watches I have found happy finds in the watch hunts especially with some charming quartz models from the 80’s. I enjoy the complexity of automatics but I’ve never had to second guess the accuracy of my quartz watches.
No mention of Seiko or Citizen high end quartz... Because it has to be Swiss to count 🙄
@@johnr6145 Breitling as a brand shits on Seiko? Are you sure about that? Seiko has different tears in their company, on the top they have credor which shits on half of the Swiss watch industry.
@@johnr6145 Yes the emergency watch must have saved the lives of literally dozens of watch snobs stranded half way up a mountain whilst going off piste!!
@@Andrew.W75 Reminds me of Sinn's firefighter watch for all those firefighters with deep pockets.
@@johnr6145 Really? Breitling makes good quartz watches but you cannot possibly say they shit on Seiko and Citizen. Credor was already mentioned, Grand Seiko 9F caliber, Grand Seiko Spring Drive (technically a hybrid), Citizen Chronomaster (accurate to +/- 5 sec/year), Citizen Ecodrive Caliber 0100 (accurate to +/-1 sec/year). The list goes on. So you cannot just dismiss these brands and say Breitling shits on them.
@@johnr6145 I couldn't justify buying a $5T GS Spring Drive or a $7T Citizen Eco-Drive Caliber 0100 at that price range I'd go mechanical. Sorry am not a quartz guy. But that doesn't mean I don't appreciate a good quartz and the technology behind it. Like I said Breitling's SuperQuartz is a good HAQ watch but it just doesn't compare to the offerings of Seiko and Citizen. Seiko and Citizen gets a bad rap because of they sell affordable watches. Just like your initial comment that people like it because it's cheap. Am not interested in the cheap Seiko and cheap Citizen quartz because they are the run of the mill quartz watch. But their high-end offerings are technically superior and actually more expensive than Breitling's Quartz offering. I think the GS 9F is on par in terms of price to Breitling's SuperQuartz but the Spring Drive is more expensive and so is the Citizen Caliber 0100 (Correct me if I am wrong on the pricing since it changes and I haven't actually seen updated prices as of late).
Quartz watch = thin profile + endless selection + sophistication + simplicity + affordability + robustness
I bought an accutron railroad approved in 1976, it was serviced by the vendor who came to the rail yard each year. As it got beat up I retired it and started buying Timex. In 2020 I wanted a nice watch to wear on the weekends so I bought a Seiko mechanical and it really impressed me with the case and presentation back, but it lost 15 seconds a day so I returned it as my 10 year old Timex lost no more than ten seconds a month max. So with a little looking around I found out about the newer but discontinued Accutron ii snorkel and bought one new with tags, now I’m well satisfied and the watch is off maybe a second a month. I love seeing old quality company’s staying alive and I would patronize them but I won’t if I have to hack a watch everyday by looking on the wall at the $15 quartz wall clock to set it.
I got an Omega seamaster pre-Bond, 200m, as a work watch on fishing boats. Love it. Its stood up to everything so far.
I’m a quartz fan. My longines vhp gmt is my daily. My 2.5k mechanical never gets worn. My next and final watch will be a GS with a 9F movement. Accuracy and cheaper servicing just wins it for me.
32,768 Hz. This is because to get 1 second pulses, you divide the oscillator frequency by 2 fifteen times in a row. Making an electronic circuit to divide a frequency by 2 is the easiest divider circuit you can make.
I was hoping to hear more on high accuracy quartz movements from the likes of Grand Seiko, Bulova, etc.
My Grand Seiko SBGN005 as gained exactly one second over the course of an entire year. It is beautiful, high end, sporty (100m wr), and generally awesome. It is a great feeling knowing that I always have the authority of the exact time on my wrist.
I've had both. I've started off admiring mechanical. I prefer quartz.
Swiss quartz...Cartier makes a ton of quartz Santos, tanks, Ballon Blue watches, Audemars Piguet makes quartz Royal Oaks upwards of $70k diamond encased. They have $14k quartz also. Patek has the same. Many Swiss brands carry a quartz line. Do a simple search and you will find that quartz watches are a staple in the Swiss watch world. Great video!
Quartz is misunderstood because folks ignore how the watch world works. Volume sales drive sustainability. Cheap quartz is what made Swatch Group the Swatch group. Quatrz actually helped the watch world stay afloat in the end.
Great episode. I have both quartz and mechanical. And to be honest quartz is just more efficient for me.
Excellent video. I share in every one of Charlie’s opinions, and for a long time felt alone in appreciating quartz timepieces. Thanks guys!
While I truly appreciate the work and craftsmanship that goes in to my couple of automatics, they truly are a pain in the ass and only vaguely approximate time.
Deep down, I'm a junkie for precision and reliability with no fuss. Most days I leave the house wearing an eco-drive. It's plus or minus a couple of seconds a month and it "just works." It's the Toyota Tacoma of watches.
I own more than 30 watches in my collection, both automatic and quartz and the Q Timex is my favorite, the Marlin manual wind is my 2nd, so there is room to love both.
Honestly, I think the best way to sell a quartz to a mechanical watch enthusiast is to just look at a disassembly video for a high end quartz timepiece. They look gorgeous inside.
Interesting discussion thanks. Love my Bulova Lunar Pilot, +/- 0.00 consistantly.
I'm late to the party, but a buddy and I were talking watches recently and how Tudor is such a good value to get a chronometer for less than $5,000, and how you can get a Omega and a master chronometer for $7,000 and what a good value that is for such accuracy. Then we had a silent moment and basically said "Or get a $10 Timex"
Just picked up a seiko 7a28-7030 made in 1983. It was the first quartz analog chronograph, what a beautiful piece 😍.
That's a cool watch! Unfortunately Crown & Caliber won't acknowledge the existence of Seiko as they don't sell them!
As a watch enthusiast with over a dozen automatic and mechanical movements, I regularly wear a $20 Casio and have just purchased my first high end quartz watch. There are extreme benefits, and I am coming around to quartz actually being a superior mechanism...because technically it isn't even comparable. Quartz is king. Automatic and mechanical are beautiful and artistic, but simply not as technologically advanced.
I completely agree... there are some spectacular Quartz watches out there now. While I'm a huge fan of mechanical watches, the Quartz watch is still an excellent option.
Great interview. Quartz is super accurate which I find appealing.
A quartz watch is a watch, an automatic watch is a fancy bracelet
Don't listen to the negative comments. I really enjoyed this video.
Great topic. Thanks to Charlie for explaining in a clear concise way.
I’ve had two GS 9F watches and the Spring drive......nothing comes close for accuracy, and while the Quartz ones were solid casebacks, they are so well finished you could have had open case backs to show them off. I like mechanical and yes, they’ll always be seen as superior among most watch lovers.....I personally prefer Quartz
I grew up in the era when the Hamilton Pulsar was released and one of my uncles owned one. A few years later I was in high school and owned a basic Casio. Today I wear a mechanical field watch as my EDC watch, but I still have Casio as my beater watch, and quartz Seiko "tank" as my dress watch (I also have a pocket watch as a dress watch).
I've got a citizen promaster tough, monobloc case design, anti magnetic, solar quartz (eco-drive), water resistant to 200m, shock resistant and not to mention relatively thin. Toughest thing i've ever owned that's not digital. Dropped it 8 times (on hard carpeted floor) scratched up but the hands are not misalinged and time is still keeping on. Quartz is heavily underrated.
I own that watch and it is the perfect one watch collection watch.
@@myhandlewastakenandIgaveup Citizen UK has a smaller, titanium version of the Promaster Tough (BN0118-55E) with all of the same benefits but 300m water resistance. I got the one with the titanium bracelet, and I am very happy with it!
Very informative, well done, learned lots about quartz watches.
I bought a Victorinox INOX professional diver. It’s a Swiss quartz movement and it is a beautiful watch, an amazingly solid piece that I got at a really good price I didn’t feel that I sacrificed quality and it is nice having a quality watch that doesn’t need to be kept on a winder when not being worn. I do love a mechanical watch though.
I own a Pre Bond Omega Seamaster Professional quartz model that I purchased new in 1988. It is still very accurate and reliable and it seems to be holding its value rather well.
That was great, and has given me a totally different perspective on quartz watches.
Don’t forget Citizen’s 0100. That bad boy is +- 1 second per YEAR! I don’t think people realize the engineering that goes on with that watch. Oh, and it’s definitely not a beater. It’s white gold.
Just looked it up, $7400! Damn, didn’t know they made such a watch, looks clean!
I grew up with mechanical watches when you had to spend big bucks for an accurate reliable watch.. When quartz came out, the world changed.. anyone could afford one. That is a game changer.
I have some mechanicals (love skeleton watches), but on the pragmatic daily beater side, I have several G Shocks and a Garmin Fenix.
I love the connection between quartz and military watch like in marathon pilot navigator
Amazingly informative
Keep it up guys!
Love this video. I too love quartz movements and tend to wear them more than mechanical watches
sand = pa-sir pan-tai
Function: Used for polishing stone weapons as early as 25,000 B. C.
Garnet = glasslike gemstone
silica = silicon dioxide
What is emery? a b (unusual. Not sequenced as the usual numbering method) Pg. 382.
In the Middle Ages, grinding wheels of quartz and flint fragments naturally bonded together in rock were used.
I have the ‘Bond’ 300 Diver in quartz in both 41 and 36 ( black dial) … fantastically practical and stylish watches and my go -to everyday watches. They are what got me into ‘Omega’ at a point at which I could then afford. I have several automatics but I think these higher end quartz models have yet to be fully appreciated.
I found this video to be very informative! Thank you!
Awesome Video Omega Seamaster Quartz was my first Swiss Watch, Great Piece incredibly Accurate
The Quartz Crisis was the direct result of marketing watches based on accuracy for a century, and then a new product came on the scene that was eight times "more accurate." And this completely disrupted the industry. The solution was to switch marketing to something other than accuracy. So now they had to talk about quality of craftsmanship, heritage, high end materials, status, and exclusivity. The things that could make mechanical watches more appealing. And it worked.
So today, quartz watches are deemed inferior, even though they keep much better time and can provide far more functionality and far more complications at a much lower price. They have become the best tool, but are lacking status and prestige. And mechanical watches have become jewelry only. Prized for their craftsmanship, and coveted for their cost, even though they are inferior time keeping devices. And now we have a third category, created by Grand Seiko. A watch that does both things. Their spring drive watches are even more accurate than standard quartz models and include all the features required to make them a luxury brand.
From a purely technical point of view mechanical watches are simply inferior. I still like mechanical watches but most are probably built largely by machines and the image people have of them being made by highly trained watchmakers is largely inaccurate these days. It is just romanticism, apart from a few very expensive brands that most can afford. Some of my G-Shock watches have GPS, Bluetooth and Multiband 6 and so can locate themselves into a 500m square box anywhere in the world and set the time correctly, allowing for SDT etc. A mechanical watch will never be able to achieve such a feat. With Multiband 6 they correct the time every day while you sleep. All this and they are solar powered. Being G-Shocks they are also much tougher than any mechanical lever escapement watch.
Love this chapter guys ! Tks for such a great content. I do love quartz !
I have that exact seamaster , had it for many years love it .
You don't need to be an expert to mention Seiko when talking about quartz watches.
Excellent conversation and insightful. I own both and feel the same way. Quartz is an excellent movement and should not be shunned. I love my quartz and automatics equally.
If the Swiss had invented the quartz wristwatch instead of the Japanese, it would have been known as "The Quartz Renaissance", and we would celebrate that it made timepieces affordable, bringing it to the masses.
I have Mechanical & Quartz, less of the latter, and enjoy both. Seiko & Citizen (Quartz - Eco-Drive great). Also have Raymond Weil quartz & Cartier Tank quartz, and even a Timex Three Allied GMT. All great.
You know what would be really interesting? A watch enthusiast who has a quartz only collection. I have a mechanical/automatic collection but I haven't see a quartz one yet.
What are people's opinions on Cartier tank solo quartz? Yes or no.
I wore mechanical watches for 20 years, but now I've sold most of them and have switched to quartz. Grand Seiko 9F, Citizen A060 and several Omegas. I love being able to "service" them myself- change the battery and gaskets. I think a lot of folks don't like quartz because they don't really know how they work and are mystified. Quartz clocks have been around for almost 100 years. The basic principles of electricity, batteries, capacitors have been known since the time of Breguet. The principles of resonant circuits, motors and piezoelectricity were known long before Rolex was even a company.
This answered my question about the difference within quartz watches. Great conversation!
Great interview. Thanks to both of you! subbed
Great show Nathan and Charlie. Thank you for explaining the workings of a quartz watch and movement. Should have talked about Seiko and there many important quartz improvements over the years and GS 9F movements and spring drive. Stay healthy and safe all the best.
Supreme Quartz twin. All day.
I have a Zodiac Quartz Diver that has been running since 1994. Good video. Thanks
What does it look like. I have the opportunity to get one in automatic or one in quartz. I’m also lucky enough to know a watchmaker who owns 4 Zodiacs from the 90’s, 2 in automatic and 2 in quartz. They are the divers with the blue dot and I do not know which one I want.
@@waynestapleton3 Mine is a red dot quartz. It is 200m. Black w. a gold bezel. It is 38-39mm wide. So feels small by todays standards. But it still runs fine.
@@M3LTUP I’m stuck deciding between quartz and automatic. The ticking hand or sweeping hand so hard to pick from. Since my friend is a watchmaker and there his I know there in great shape and I’ve seen them but just undecided. I know the quartz is more durable but it’s a mental thing. Does your second hand hit every mark or skip them, and does owning
a quartz bother you?
@@waynestapleton3 I dont mind Quartz at all. I appreciate its accuracy. But Automatic is batter for value retention. In the era of the smart watch. I feel like Quartz is the new vintage.
The relative disrepute of quartz watches is mostly a result of aggressive and clever marketing by the Swiss mechanical watch industry, which had every right to try and save itself. To see this marketing push in action, all anyone has to do is observe how virtually no Swiss mechanical watch is made available with an optional quartz movement. Some customers would greatly prefer the same case, dial and sapphire crystal, but with a high quality quartz movement instead of the (usually mass-produced ETA) mechanical movement. These are generally not made available, regardless of demand, because their existence would tend to drive prices down, at least a bit, and remove the enormous markup and repair profit opportunities on complicated mechanical watches.
Certina has quartz versions
I have a Tag formula 1 quartz watch and while I know snobs will laugh at me it’s my go to all around watch
Swiss quartz...Cartier makes a ton of quartz Santos, tanks, Ballon Blue watches, Audemars Piguet makes quartz Royal Oaks upwards of $70k diamond encased. They have $14k quartz also. Patek has the same. Many Swiss brands carry a quartz line. Do a simple search and you will find that quartz watches are a staple in the Swiss watch world.
I recently picked up a Grand Seiko SBGN003, it is a wonderful watch, but it is strange to see the seconds hand ticking away. Hard to beat the accuracy of +/- 10 seconds per year though.
Someone had a good go at the drinks on the tray (:
Musicians could use them. Can’t snap your arm quickly over and over without doing damage over time to an auto or manual wind
I had to buy 3 automatics to realize I like my quartz more!
Every computer nerd knows it has to be a power of 2 for the frequency. 32768 Hz, except when it’s a multiple of that. Whether the quartz crystal is accurate and how accuracy changes when it ages or changes temperature is a whole set of problems… which various makers have addressed, of course.
The Bulova precisionist is so smooth
Ultimately the case for quartz is a case for the love of accuracy...
Seiko Spring Drive is the best of both worlds...now if only they made them affordable. I have mostly mechanical and Citizen Eco-drives. I have a couple of battery quartz from long ago before I decided batteries are too much of a pain.
My GS spring drive kept time at +2.5 seconds per week and it was a 15 year old watch when I bought. Excellent until you have to send it in for service. I wish they had more service centers. They need at least one in North America for sure.
Quartz watches for the most part are divided into two categories. BEATERS and Exceptional. Beaters for those that work hard and the watch can be damaged and replaced easily. Casio/G Shock as an example. Then there are the Exceptional. Watches that are unique and stylish. Bulova Precisionist/Lunar Pilot or CWC fall into this category.
Very informative - thank you. What are your thoughts about solar powered quartz watches (Seiko, Citizen, etc.) and the claims that they "NEVER" need a battery replacement?
"Never" - except for co$tly and inconvenient capacitor change.
@@redastrachan8978 Replacing a cap in a high end quartz watch is neither inconvenient nor costly. They're designed to be serviced. It is no more complicated than servicing a mechanical watch.
Informative and concise. Thanks!
Lots of comments about Grand Seiko's 9F or Spring Drive... I'll also add that Seiko's Meca-Quartz is also a great innovation and option for chronograph watches.
Seiko, Citizens, Casio quartz watches are for superior to any and all Swiss brands. For it was the Japanese quartz watchmakers in the 70s that sent most Swiss watcher makers to their graves.
They didn't even mention the Japanese who pioneered quartz. The Swiss were and still are playing catch-up when it comes to quartz.
The Casio Oceanus T200 is perfect. It is beautiful, sapphire, satellite, perpetual calendar, always exact to the 1/1000 of a second, never needs adjustment, bright lume, it will be seen in the year 3000 as the best watch of the old Milenium.
Cmon guys, you cant talk quartz without at least mentioning seiko. And you cant mention +/-10sec per year without mentioning GS 9f caliber.
@P M B That's not the point, it's just cool for an analog watch to do that. At this point "need" is not a question anymore. If you're talking "need", no one "need" a mechanical watch at all. They're just cool to have. 🤷
What no Seiko? Unbelievable...
Imagine if BMW in 2020 is selling amost exactly the same engine and look that they had on a 1988 BMW 325 (manual 4 cylinder, 105 hp, boxy aesthetic) but now with just bigger rims... That's the logic with the Rolex subs and GMT's....
Please make that the Second hand sweep as smooth as possible..
Great show it not all about rolex . I got my bulova moon watch with 262khz wow
I have a collection of affordable mechanical watches, but I like my Solar quartz warches as well. Sometimes I want to fiddle with a watch, and sometimes I just want to slap one on and go. Solar warches take no fiddling. I wish there was a wider selection of styles.
This video explain how quartz movement works, clearly
Both quartz and mechanical watch is sort of obsolete tech. If we are into tech then a smartwatch is the watch of choice. I wear luxury mechanical watches because its a piece of art and its likely the only jewelry men wears besides our wedding ring. So in that sense, a high end quartz watch is redundant except for a "grand complication" G-Shock for a "beater" to bring my kids to the waterpark, beach and for doing sports.
Sadly smartwatches are just not there yet. A day of battery life? At tops two if you use it as it was intended to? It's just way too low. Nobody would buy a quartz watch if you had to put a new battery in it every day. Until they reach some decent battery life, for most of us they are out of the question, even if they are better than a quartz.
@@birtalanlorant5572 My gripe is with expensive high end quartz watch which I feel is redundant. A smartwatch or a Casio Ediface/G-shock with Solar powered, GPS, Buetooth, time sync and etc functions for the tech geek. If you just need a watch for timing stuffs or just checking the time easily during work then a cheap quartz like Casio F91 will do the job. Luxury mechanical watch is an intricate jewelry and something I buy to commemorate a special occasion or a milestone in life. I don't see a need or appeal for an expensive high end quartz watch that watch maker Charlie was so enthusiastic about but that is just my opinion.
@@donaldneo4317 I guess it's just different strokes for different folks. If I would ever spend let's say steel Rolex sports watch money on a watch, it couldn't be an automatic, because they are just way too inaccurate for me, thus my preference for a high end quartz.
Wear a solar watch.
They have all the pros and non of the Cons.
At least you should have a watch that makes more convenient when you need to check the time compared to a cellphone ,a watch that with today's technology and makes people pay respect you than any high end but old school watches on your wrist.
I will always be just savvy enough to hate quartz, and not actually savvy enough to appreciate it.
I love both mech and quartz equally, but for different reasons, however I generally wear a quartz watch, why? Because it simply ties in better with my work and lifestyle, I get annoyed when people say oh, 1500£ is too much for a Quartz watch, but the funny thing, as far as keeping time goes, quartz is superior in every way, there isn't an argument about that, in the 70s quartz was the future, it's a successor to the mechanical watch in that sense. What if you like luxury watches but you want a grab & go watch, or youre af a job with a lot of Manul work, maybe you don't feel like having to get it serviced as often as mechs generally require to keep running smoothly, quartz is an amazing technological and horological innovation.
What I love about mech watches:
It's romanticism firstly, but let's appreciate how much work and craft goes into some of these beautiful mechanical movements, even as a technological thing it still impresses me the way they work, it's nice to human / machine interaction, I could go on and on about how amazing mech watches are,
There shouldn't be a debate about quartz Vs mech, wear what you like and respect both of these equally imo.
I have the seamaster he mentions & love it @ see no reason to switch to the co-axial version.
Amazing info thanks
I see that a few mentioned Seiko and Citizen and I subscribe. And I'll add solar to the mix. Just try a U700-powered solar Citizen watch (the JW0xx series). It is a non-atomic, non-thermocompensated movement that hardly goes faster than 1 sec./month. That's 12 sec./year. Plus a 7-year power reserve. What more can you want from an affordable, sub-1000 EUR quartz watch?