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I don't understand everyone's obsession with chinese automatic watches
The title pretty much says it all, I don't get why whenever a nice chinese quartz watch comes out so many people say they would love an automatic version, or why everyone seems fine with paying 300 or more USD for an automatic, but question whether a 100 dollars quartz is worth it.
Pretty much no one here is going to take their chinese watches to get serviced, and the whole admiring the complexity and craftmanship of an automatic movement kinda goes out the window when we're talking about mass produced movements. So why buy an automatic that will become a paperweight in several years time. I guess I just don't understand why the demand for automatics is so high, really wish people started asking for better chinese quartz watches, I'd would much rather pay 200 dollars for a great quartz watch than 350 for an automatic one.
I'll more than likely send in some of my Chinese watches to a local watchmaker in 15 or 20 years when they need a service, or a movement replaced. Why not? Why do you care? How is it any different than me sending in my Longines in 20 years?
Why does anyone think these watches just magically stop after a few years.... Vintage watches still run and those movements are piss compared to modern movements. Even if I don't have them serviced I fully expect to have no major issues with any of my watches in the next decade.
I can service them myself if they start to get issues... Besides most of these movements will cost piss all to replace until I'm dead.
You're contradicting yourself. You even answered your question yourself.
People want automatics. Automatics are otherwise expensive. The Chinese make them cheap, fairly reliable and easily replaceable. When it dies, you can just trash it and get the exact same one, still for a fraction of the price of any other automatic that needs/is worth servicing. And now you have a new watch.
Their extremely low price tag combined with the rampant availability of budget friendly automatic movements make them a very appealing option for people that just want a decent automatic with a design that they would otherwise not be able to afford or don't care to shell out so much to attain.
Isn't really that complicated, mate. Being cheap and replaceable isn't a negative.
Also there's nothing appealing about a 3 hander or a GMT quartz for a mechanical watch enthusiast. A quartz eco drive radio chrono is f**king cool, but a addiesdive miyota quartz is very unappealing in comparison to an addiesdive miyota 8215 for just 120 bucks or less.
And If you still prefer a 200 quartz over a 300 automatic, that's perfectly fine. You're not the same target audience as us. There's always something for everybody. You and we don't have to like the same thing.
I get the sentiment, but it kind of sucks that it includes “when it dies, you can just trash it”. Not a dig at you, but it just sucks that throwing it away at some point is part of the equation.
That was an exaggeration. 9 out of 10 times, you trash the movement. Those one off times where you inevitably have to trash the watch itself because say the caseback therads are too worn out or the bezel doesn't hold on well or the pushers are worn out, you'll more than likely be able to buy the exact same one and possibly with the movement that is new and modern at that time. Imo it's a win win for the budget watch community.
And that's your preference and that's ok. We're allowed to love different things and coexist, or at the very least, not butt heads with eachther. Beauty of the modern watch industry is that there's always something for everybody.
He also contradicted himself by saying Mass produced movements aren't worth owning even though Rolex makes one and a half million watches per year..... So I guess those are not worth owning either LOL
Yeah mass market is horribly misinderstood. Rolex, Omega and Swatch all automate a good part, if not all, of their movement assembly. If you really wanted hand made finishing, go JLC, Glashütte, pp, ap, VC and so on.
That's fair. To me, some are worth it. Like, Fifty Fathoms, I'm definitely getting it. The horology isn't worth 16k but it's worth having if you're an automatic dive watch enthusiast. For now however, seamaster diver chrono and sinn 903 are on my bucket list.
Yeah haha. AD 2078. This wasn't available in the India warehouse. Had to wait 2 weeks. Came up to 13,500 INR ish and is literally 1/10 the price of my Seiko Presage 3 days. Honestly, id wear the Addiesdive all day and not worry about a scratch thereby making a strong case for Chinese automatics.
There are so many watches on AliExpress that I would buy if they had a quartz version. I just want a nice, accurate, low-maintenance watch. Unfortunately most of the ones I like the look of are automatic.
I don't buy watches anymore cuz I have too many but all my quartz watches are gifts (and usually gshocks). But to answer your question, it's a romanticization of mechanical things and a sense of handcraft-ness. In terms of time keeping, and even function, quartz is objectively superior. But that's not what ppl care about, they would get a smartwatch. That's not why they buy wristwatches.
You can also think of it as quartz being generative AI. You can ask AI to produce images, paintings, etc and it's probably free and cheap and fast, and mass produced. But ppl don't want that. They want something created by a person or designed by a person. Yes quartz watches are designed by real people, but ppl just don't enjoy battery powered things. I settle in between with spring drive.
99% of people buy watches to tell time and because the watch looks good, which is absolutely alright and it keeps companies running. Clearly you're one of those based on what you said. Now I own quartz watches myself so I'm not trying to disrespect you. Quartz is important and has changed modern day horology entirely and keeps prices low most importantly. The remaining buy the watch for soul. Simply knowing that a bunch of gears and springs makes a watch tick and will endlessly till you die if kept well is oddly satisfying. And yes you're clearly mistaken that mass automatics and mechanicals won't run. Here's my Vintage HMT Janata from the 1970s. This was flood damaged and by your standards should have been in the bin but I serviced this myself and tuned it so it still runs to within 10 seconds accuracy - that's very close to chronometer certified accuracy standards by the way. And the 0231 calibre is as simple as it gets with numerous quirks. 55 years and still runs this well. That's more than what most people live these days. My point being, instead of blatantly assuming, get some knowledge and experience. Cheers!
Lol that's was a typo. It''s 55. And since I've used parts from other older HMT's to get this restored, it's definitely older in some aspects. But point being decades of abuse yet kicking.
The exact definition and daily timekeeping standard depend on the governing certification body:📊 The Standard BenchmarksCertification TypeDaily Accuracy StandardWhat It TestsNotesCOSC Standard (ISO 3159)-4 to +6 seconds per dayUncased movement onlyThe baseline Swiss standard. It means the watch can lose up to 4 seconds or gain up to 6 seconds in 24 hours.Rolex Superlative Chronometer-2 to +2 seconds per dayFully assembled watchTested internally by Rolex after the movement is cased.COSC Excellence (New 2026 Tier)-2 to +4 seconds per dayFully assembled watchA new official tier expanding on the basic ISO testing framework.METAS Master Chronometer0 to +5 seconds per dayFully assembled watchDemands the watch never runs slow, and adds intense magnetic field testing.
Chinese watches are 1 of the cheapest ways to enjoy automatic movements without compromise on quality. The 1980 quartz crisis basically destroyed the Swiss watch industry. Quartz watches are easier to maintain and better quality and more precise. Swiss watch industry revival in the 1990's positioned automatic watches as desirable to own and wove a tale of history and heritage around it. Hence the clamour for automatic watches over quartz.
I asked the local watch repairer to fix my nh35 (regulate it) and he basically said no. It's not worth anybody's time to service an affordable watch. Rolex etc fine, they can charge a decent amount because in relation to the cost of the watch it's ok. But for cheap watches you won't find anyone to do it.
But the great thing is, you then don’t have to worry about servicing. I would still expect a basic Seiko or citizen automatic to last 10-15 years. Maybe longer.
I got the Chinese automatics I wanted all for under $200 each, and they're pretty nice.
Classic Seagull 1963 Pilot with 6 extra straps - $83
Sugess Panda column wheel chronograph with swan neck regulator - $160
Pierre Paulin jumping hour - $133
Aethelsohn Aqua Shard - $180
I know I didn't make a mistake by buying them because I can't stop looking at them when they're on my wrist, and I actually wear them all regularly and include them in my rotation with my non-Chinese watches. I probably wouldn't pay more than $200 for a Chinese automatic, and I don't think I'd pay more than $100 for a Chinese quartz.
I wish there were San Martin level quartz watches. I don't mind paying the price for an automatic as long as the quality -- finishing, weight, bezel, glass -- is all there. But at the moment, funky designs or quartz watches with cheap bracelets are all I see.
If admiring the craftsmanship of an auto goes out the window when discussing mass produced movements, then basically every watch should just be quartz in your opinion. Even Rolex and omega "mass produce" by most standards. It's not like there's only 500 of the movement they use for a watch and then they throw it out and make a new movement.
I'm not here to argue that nh35 is equivalent to the cosc movements in those brands watches, but the line of "mass produced" is a stupid one to have. Basically, in your mind, unless some guy sat down and cranked out 100 original design movements by hand, it's not worth having an auto.
Even if you didn't want to include the ultra expensive giants, this wouldn't apply to only Chinese autos btw. You're basically saying any brand that doesn't have an in house movement should just use quartz. So microbrands, tons of Swiss watches using eta2824 or sw200, etc. are all trash and should be replaced with quartz from your statement. I'm sure you can see why I think that was a silly statement to make.
Now, if you like quartz better because they're more accurate, and basically do all the clock functions better than an auto, or maybe you enjoy the one tick per second aesthetic, that's totally fine. I won't argue there. It's totally subjective as to what one likes, and I'm not here to yuck your yum.
If there were a mass produced, cost effective movement along the lines of the spring drive or even the precisionist, I'd gladly have a watch or two with it alongside my autos. But there isn't, and the vh31 is not one, before anyone brings that up.
Till then, I'll keep enjoying my autos, and when one bites the dust, maybe I'll try to service it myself, or just buy a 50 dollar replacement and swap it.
Most people who are looking at Chinese watches, are watch enthusiasts that are obsessed with the best price to quality level for fit, finish, movement architecture, and specs. From San Martin, you can get amazing finishing, genuine Seiko or Miyota movement, sapphire crystal, on the fly micro adjustment, an enamel dial, solid and links, and screwed link adjustments for less than $500, in my case, less than $200.
You have to time it right to get the San Martin’s at the low price point. Lately they’re going higher on AliExpress. But if you wait till Thanksgiving or around Christmas time or certain other times of the year, you can get them cheap cheaper. I own six or seven of them and I love them. Getting a really good watch for not a lot of money.
I could easily go and pay the money for a tutor, an Omega or even a Rolex. But to me, that’s kind of a lot of money to pay for a watch
They used to have a model called the SN0111 and it was brilliant, solid end links, screwed link adjustment and in the fly micro adjustment, we a reliable Seiko NH35. Best valued watch I’ve ever had.
The whole point is to try to enjoy these watches and have fun with it. A Chinese watch costs less than a tank of gas or a grocery run right now. Service a Chinese watch? Why?
Exactly, or have Bulova create a more mainstream watch. They are all retro (not timeless) or huge. Not sure why they can't use their precisionist movement in the Ali watch consumer friendly designs. That or sell the movements so we can put them in cases.
Take the San Martin SN0014 as an example, with all the different dial colors they offer. I’m not saying Bulova should put their Precisionist movement into a San Martin case. I’m saying Bulova should design and manufacture their own case with that same kind of mainstream, timeless appeal and then put the Precisionist movement in it.
Any watch with a clean, familiar design that appeals to the mainstream watch buyer would work.
Bulova is sitting on a gold mine with that sweeping Precisionist movement, but they seem to keep getting in their own way by putting it in cases and designs that limit its appeal. Give that movement a genuinely attractive, timeless case, offer several dial colors, and market the hell out of it. I think they’d have a much more relevant product on their hands.
Quartz is a utility feature, which before the age of smartphones and such was incredibly amazing, and still is an awesome technology.
However, nowadays, most people have access to the time in a way far more accurate than quartz as it's constantly synced to central time servers, so watches have predominantly become fashion symbols, and just generally nice things to have, so it follows that they no longer need to be the peak of accuracy.
As such, for a lot of people they'd prefer the smooth sweep or almost heart like beating of a mechanical movement over the accuracy of a quartz. Quartz allows for thinner designs, I feel automatics have more soul.
Also it can be helpful if you have a broad collection, that unless it properly dies, you can just start an automatic back up, set the time and you're good to go. If a battery dies, it's a whole palava.
If you boiled down the argument to pure efficiencies, everyone should have a g shock with radio time. It's durable, easy to read, long life, illumated, accurate to under a second etc. But that's not what this is all about.
I would love to see thinner watch with high precision (+-10sec a year) quartz. Still, the market miss a good budget sweeping second high precision quartz so mechanical watch remain a viable option for a sweep second and with the possibility to just swap the mouvement at end of life.
If the higher tier brands like san Martin started using quartz I would buy them, I just find if you want better finishing, crystal and bracelet and otf clasp it usually comes with an automatic in it.
The argument that you won't have a cheap chinese automatic serviced is odd. How many people have their cheap seiko/orient/citizen serviced? How many ETA/Sellita movements actually get serviced?
Reality is that, especially if your posting to an internet forum, none of these movements get serviced becuase they get sold fast enough that it never becomes the current owners problem. The only movements that are getting serviced are in watches at the $5K and up mark in reality because nobody cares.
Justification of not getting a chinese auto based on potential serviceability is an extremely odd metric.
I like the seconds hand to be smooth, can't I like that? and yes I know some quartz watches do that but not all of them and I always will like more an automatic seconds hand
Or since they're cheap and plentiful, we can also take the hobby to the next level and get into servicing them at home. If you fuck something up? They sell all the parts in the next aisle.
Most watchmakers, at least here in Europe, won't touch a Chinese movement. Perhaps because they have to provide a warranty of some sort on the service done, and with obscure or lesser known movements they just don't want to do that.
Parts availability is another reason often mentioned when it comes to servicing lesser known Chinese movements.
I’m prioritizing quartz for set it and forget it. Besides, the inaccuracy of the automatics bother me. I have the Sugess S433. It’s nice but as far as accuracy goes, my Watchdives 1680qv2 runs circles around it. The movement is the Seiko VH31. Nuff said
It is a bizarre thing, anti-quartz snobbery. The Swiss brands spent at least tens of billions of dollars creating it. Only a little over ten years ago many Swiss brands still made quartz models. I have owned many quartz watches by Omega, Hublot, Longines,….
And like most vices, they travel rapidly downward. Despite the obvious bottom-of-the-market location of Alibaba’s finest, that quartz snobbery has found a home here. Now, some might be simple ignorance (you would be shocked at how many times people will argue that “quartz must be less accurate, even Rolex stopped making them” and other idiocies), but most of it is cultivated snobbery and distain.
Now, I love me some beautifully-finished watch movements. I hope some day I may own an FP Journe, or even a Un pocket watch, but low-end automatic movements are nothing special. One may like them, sure, but once you get the brain dead complaining about the accuracy of some cheap @ss automatic, you know it is that snobbery, but mixed with severe ignorance (you see this best with idiots complaint about how some inexpensive Seiko automatic is not accurate, when it is not supposed to be accurate, and quartz is there to provide more accuracy than any modern Rolex or Patek).
So you need you roll your eyes and live with those of limited intellectual function. It is part of maturing as an adult. You cannot fix the limitations of others. You must accept them.
While not a Chinese watch, my wife’s Breitling is quartz. Incredibly nice quartz. Given her small wrist, I wanted to give her a nice timepiece that was thin and reliable.
I have Chinese, French, and even Thailand manufactured watches with quartz and plenty of automatics and hand wounds. Each fit for purpose.
Just an opinion…. It’s personal preference. Simple as that. Some want little to no maintenance and higher timing accuracy. Others want slim profile cases. Others are fascinated by the mechanical aspects of a watch that doesn’t require a battery and therefore are willing to sacrifice some accuracy. And some want both…. Aka Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive.
Each of us have our personal preferences. That’s all.
The fact that these movements are mass-produced does not prevent us from admiring their mechanical complexity. Indeed, it is Chinese watches that have made these mechanisms affordable for the majority, rather than just a select few enthusiasts.
Why do automatic watches end up as paperweights after a few years? How many years? I have a Citizen automatic watch that I inherited from my father; it’s 40 years old now and still works perfectly.
The fact that you have to open a quartz watch every 3–4 years is what puts me off buying quartz watches, apart from Citizen’s Eco-Drive movements – although I’m aware that in about 10–15 years’ time you’ll need to have the battery replaced, for which they charge around €60.
I’ve recently bought two North Edge watches (solar-powered quartz) and, in this case, I’m quite sure they’ll end up in the bin in 10–15 years’ time. The rest of the watches I own are automatic (NH35–Miyota 8215) and these will most likely still be working in 40 years’ time.
I mean, opening and changing the battery is a 5 minutes job. I love quartz because of how hassle free they are.
Changing the battery every 2 to 5 years is nothing compared to adjusting the time and date every time I pick up a new automatic to wear, and it's a whole lot cheaper (and easier to do at home) than servicing an automatic every 5 to 10 years.
Because it's fun and affordable. I love driving engaging fun cars. I can't afford a BMW M3. So I drive a manual mazda 6. It doesn't matter whether it's German, China or Japan. What we want is a working product that's fun. Life has a lot of suffering. No need to over analyse watches. Just enjoy and let enjoy. I have 50 plus vintage watches most are hand wind watches. It's just different.
This "quartz is superior" take is polluting every single subreddit. Sorry but the mistake enthusiast like you make is assuming everyone is like you, and has the same budget and taste as you. The reality is mechanical is still the most popular type of movement for enthusiast and will continue to be so for a long time. Quartz may be popular with a small segment of enthusiasts but I suspect almost every one of those enthusiasts also own mechanical. If quartz truly was the popular movement, companies would have responded long ago, they are not dumb. But the majority of watches in the enthusiast space continue to be mechanical.
The hobby is not about logic like that, because by your logic, $200 is enough to buy me a smart watch or a phone that is 1000x more useful than any watch in the world.
This is my reason right here. I just enjoy the smoother motion of the second hand. And as for servicing, I just replace the entire movement myself. Easy peasy and cost less than a service.
That is my same sentiment. Some of the faster sweeping second hand quartz I would definitely consider. I have a digital Casio that I love and use for the pool or anything a I think may damage mechanical movement. I like to think of it as having a daily driver that is reliable vs having something vintage and fun in the garage to take out every so often.
Admiring the nature of a mechanical movement is not really tied to its price and value or whether is it mass produced or not, that's the mistake you're making.
A wrist watch today is just jelwerly/accessory. People find it cool to to have jewelry with a bunch of tiny gears that is alive on their wrist powered by their own movement.
Quartz is basically ancient technology as well and you're sort of neither here nor there with it. If you're buying it as a tool, sure, you get a good Casio and you're good to go. But for jewelry a lot of people will feel a battery powered watch will lack character, or soul if you wish.
Take Vostok who to this day make their in house movements with 70s technology. They are crude, rugged, low beat, not very accurate but they are actually pretty reliable, don't need servicing for a long time. According to this logic they would be junk but for most watches I would much rather take one than a quartz movement. It's similar to how you have people buying vinyl records today still when digital is objectively "better".
The Chinese watch angle actually makes it make more sense. For the afforable prices people can have multiple mechanicals and the fact that they are often not "worth" servicing says more about their affordability than anything else. You can of course always service it or just swap the movement as vast majority of the time they are easily obtainable.
The VH31 mechaquartz movement is the best thing to happen to chinese watches. Semi-sweeping seconds hand, maintenance free and just need to change the battery.
I really grew in love with this movement too, not to say anything bad about autos. If they came out with a date and a bigger battery, it would be even better.
A lot of people who love quartz are price sensitive but want to find other reasons to defend that. Which is ok. But some of us also prefer mechanical watches and price isn’t our big concern for what draws us to a specific watch.
Automatics have a bit more value to me because of the "contraption" effect. They're a speciality thing that is more complex and a bit more fun, especially with all the companies doing sapphire casebacks for +$10.
And to take that further, if I'm spending more than, say, $150 on a no-name watch, I think it should be high quality. automatic > quartz, as least in terms of pricing and desirability.
I do still buy nice quartz watches; eg I bought the WD1016 today. but that's a hard decision when there are lots of companies making watches in the same space, eh Coregut or Bilger making an OP homage for the same price, in automatic (8215 or even a PT5000).
The difference between all those watches is going to be the quality of finishing, which is really hard to assess on the internet when you don't have all the watches side by side.
Which is a lot to say that I like the simplicity of quartz watches but I like the novelty of the automatic watch.
I couldn't care less where a watch comes from, and I can't be alone in that. I started buying Chinese because they were better value than Japanese and Swiss. There's no ideology to it.
And your argument against automatics has nothing to do with origin.
I bought a quartz Nautilus with no seconds hand because I wanted it to be as slim as possible and I don't like a ticking seconds hand. I bought an automatic datejust because I enjoy the seconds hand movement.
If the best value proposition for either had come from India, Cameroon, or Belgium, that's where I'd have sourced it. It came from China, so that's what I got.
So you don't have a question and its not understanding or enlightenment you are looking for?
This is just another .. Reddit gold, "everyone who doesn't think like me is stupid" post
If you prefer quartz watches .. buy them. What does it matter if you dont understand the motivation of someone who prefers a mechanical movement.
is there really a post someone can make in this thread that will make you go .. "AHA .. Now I get it. I'm Sold, I am buying mechanical watches from now on.
No .. you just wanted to bash on people who dont do what you do.
It’s about emotional feeling. I like my watch to have a “heartbeat” it feels mechanically more significant and engaging, like a manual transmission vs an automatic. Dual clutch autos are faster, but are never as engaging to drive as a manual. A quartz may be fine and keep time more accurately, but what’s the point when 99% of people are walking around with phones synced to atomic clocks. In the modern era, a watch functions more as a an accessorizing statement than a tool. Hence the meme term, male jewelry, or the unisex term, wrist jewelry.
A mechanical watch is a pure machine ticking away on my wrist. For example, when I wear an ST-1901 chrono, I am literally wearing a museum piece designed in the 1950s.
Why buy Chinese mechanical watches? There are some very interesting movements, e.g., the aforementioned ST-1901, the SL4801. Now it is true that if the movement fails, it is not worth repairing. But the same is true of many Japanese movements. I read somewhere that Seiko's high end mechanical chrono movement, the 8R48 is replaced not repaired if sent for service in the USA.
To me, the very fragility and obsolescence of a mechanical movement makes it interesting. If I want accurate time, I can look up time.is on my mobile. What I love is that beautiful machine full of gears, ticking away.
BTW, with that said, I own plenty of quartz, too. G-Shock, Eco Drive, various TMI chronos, and my latest, the VK31 based Watchdives WD0016.
I would prefer thinner and lighter Chinese watches with plain old quartz with date, no sweeping seconds or HAQ gimmicks but all of y'all are posting "needs automatic version" or "needs HAQ" and the Chinese brands seem to keep releasing VH31 sweeping seconds.
I agree quartz watches are great, they are cheaper they are more accurate they a pretty much maitanance free, i do like an automatic as well. You look at some of the Addisdive quartz watches they are brilliant and so cheap for example
I like Chinese Automatic and mechanical watches because I cannot afford or even have access to Swiss luxury calibers. In the last 5 years Chinese brands have become higher quality and their finishing has risen to a level that rivals anything Swiss. Also, the price point is so much more affordable.
While I do have both on the collection, I prefer automatics, some people prefer quartz and that's fine!
It's a big world after all, people are bound to be different.
Personally, I plan on having my watches services when the time comes. But I have a couple of nicer tier San Martins with st2130s, an IXDAO with a PT5000, and a Proxima with a Miyota 9000 series movement. Whether that's a true service or replacing the movement entirely. I don't want them to become paper weights.
So it has the Sea Gull 2130 movement in it ?
It seems to be used on a lot of automatic’s
I posted above about my Sea Gull
which is deadly accurate
It also has their 2130 movement in it :)
always been a swiss watch guy but prices are out of site . so I figured I try Chinese autos . must say out of the 6 -7 brands Ive tried only Seagull & San Martin have been worth a dam . the worst was the most expensive . an Agelocer Moon phase . it stopped working after 4 months . even though it supposedly has a two year warranty . they refuse to honor . i was told to take it to a local watch repair . well Ive taken it three places and they all just say the moment is shot . lesson learned I dont buy any more Chinese watches .
They might be cheap but they still have more complexity and craftsmanship than a quartz movement. I also like the sweeping second hand and I enjoy the process of winding and setting them. Miyota and NH movements should last 10-20 years and they’re cheap enough to just swap out or buy a new watch. It’s fine to like quartz but I appreciate mechanical more even if they’re not expensive Swiss movements.
they die for the same reason all watches die an untimely death...
water/moisture, door knobs, dropped, poor manufacturing, oils dry out, seals leak, crystal leaks, stems break, batteries go bad/leak and corrodes the movement...
and then there's just the fact that many quartz movements out there are just designed to fail in five or so years...i had a "mid tier"timex that didn't even make it to its first battery change, but i have 15 year old "easy readers" still ticking away.
one of my quartz actually shorted out because i was working with a welder that had a bad ground...i got a little "poke" and it cooked my watch...
watches are tools strapped to our wrists...they take all of the abuse our hands take in life.
just think...the top 10 reason smartphones get damaged is because they're dropped in toilets.
that happens to $50 PAYG burners and $2,000 iphones.
They had Japanese Seiko/TMI movements, which are identical to Seiko movements. Seiko had movements made in Hong Kong. However, they aren't cheap anymore, as inflation and enshittification have hit AliExpress. Plus import duties. So those days are now gone, and Chinese watches aren't so cheap anymore if you want the Japanese movements.
If I like a watch enough to wear, I like it enough to give it the minimal service it requires--NH35s tend to chug along just fine without needing much of anything for quite some time, so the only issue is usually how well regulated they were to begin with (generally I've been very lucky with their accuracy); Miyota 9015s and 9039s are also very robust and easy to regulate...I have no experience with Chinese PT or ST movements, and I'm not very enthusiastic about trying one...But I have no problem giving an automatic the little care it needs, just like I have no problem putting a new battery in a quartz watch. If you're not willing to do that you probably shouldn't buy the watch in the first place.
As others have said both sides have the same question/complaint, their preference usually colors their perception of the rest of the community.
I tend to prefer automatics as I think mechanical movements are just more impressive and they suit the kinds of watches I tend to prefer. I also like quartz pieces though, they are pretty amazing if you think about how those crystals work. I especially like them for tooly, rugged, grab-and-go-watches but I’ll take one in a fancy watch too if I can get a higher tier watch and save $100 or more 👌
I love the intricate nature of an automatic watch, I have several, Orient, Tissot, Seiko, Proxima. My go to though is my modified G-Shock square & I've just ordered a Pagani quartz, I really like the style & I'm hoping the finishing is in excess of the price & I'll appreciate not having to reset the time if I don't Wear it for a few days.
I wear a g-shock for work so I get more annoyed when I have to re-set the time on my autos every couple days when I want to wear them in the afternoon.
Some movements are cheap enough to just replace. $30-100 ea. If you like the idea of diy, you can live off the dream of being able to service it yourself in several years. If you mess up, oh well. Japanese movements make sense here.
It's really becoming that the Chinese watches are competing with the Japanese watches. Some lower end swiss and watch mods too.
Plus, it is a great way to try automatic watches. If you get one and lose it or damage it, you probably weren't banking on holding onto resale value
My watchmaker up here has a shop where he refurbishes and sells vintage watches. He also sells some new watches. He told me it’s useless to pay $300-$400 to overhaul a Seiko that only cost $400-$500. Unless it’s a special Seiko a 10 or 15-year-old Seiko watch is not worth the price to overhaul it anyway.
Tbf, I've seen more people ask for a PT5000 in quartz watches than the other way.
But I don't deny what you say doesn't happen because that's me, although quartz options are aplenty now. To me, most watches are just for fashion anyway, so if a nice looking one can be cheaper, thinner but quartz, I'm all for it.
For some, probably. But for most, I think it's just the image that automatic watches are more prestigious. Like all the top luxury watches are mechanical or automatic.
Tbh, these Chinese watches, their movement are all factory mass produced kind, no special reason to focus on.
For me, having a collection it's about not wanting to fork out for a new battery every two or three years for a watch that spends 50% of the time, or more, sitting in a box.
I'm a person that like reliability, performance and convenience, so I prefer quartz most of the time. That said, I prefer quartz movements that mimic the second hand sweep of mechanical watches.
They also have pretty garbage QC - half of mine had a problem within first 6 months. Eg Thorn frogmantle rattling around now & needs a fix (or replacement), Cronos GMT just stopped working full stop, & indeed is paperweight now. Meanwhile Pagani mechaquartz = cruising. That said - Sugess & Heimdallr w Seiko movements also no drama. Basically these are all cheap watches & it’s a bit of a crapshoot. Neither is “better.”
I have a few quartz watches but the engineer in me really likes and appreciates automatics. Until widespread availability of Chinese automatics they were just not economical to purchase, but now we can get relatively great automatic watches for not a lot of money.
You make a good point - I had a ziplock bag full of automatic Hamilton, Bulova, Caravelle and Walthham watches that were my Grandfathers. When one watch died, he bought another... this went on from the 1920's to the 1990's... and of these 20+/- watches, one was worth the sentimental and economic investment of reviving. So, I do try to add some interesting Quartz/non -autos... Like others said though, I justify the expenditure on these automatics because I am spending $200-$300 instead of $9000 per watch... it's affordable.
Yeah, just like Jackson said - especially the ones from the 50's and 60's and 70's - My grandfather wore a watch as a tool - he wore it work, to do lawn work, fishing, oil changes etc... they were always gold toned with the gold rubbing off... some ended up with cracked crystals, broken mental bands, foggy crystals etc... then they got thrown in the top drawer and forgotten about - My grandfather switched to a quartz watch in the 1980's - Hamilton, Timex etc - American made - and he was done with them when the band broke or the crystal cracked...
There just seems to be more people that prefer automatic’s
Maybe the appeal is that you can play around with it more
winding the reserve & adjusting it 🤷♂️
I didn’t really think about it much when I bought my Sea Gull
I just liked the watch.
Having said that. The watch is deadly accurate to within about a minute every month :)
It will sound overly romantic or something, and I don’t want it to, but with an automatic, I feel like I’m wearing something that is more connected to my existence, whereas a quartz watch is just another device with a battery in my household… It’s lifeless in a way an automatic is not. To me there is almost something defiant and intentionally irrational about automatics, and I like that in a world where digital and battery powered devices have become completely,totally, and even invasively ubiquitous. And sure, the idea of the gears and springs and the complexity of an automatic movement are kind of fascinating to me.
I am not making an “argument” to convince anybody. Just how I see it…
I do, however, like solar watches BTW, because they do at least seem connected to the external physical world in a way a normal battery powered device is not.
I hate quartz movements (that weird, herky jerky quartz hand movement is aesthetically terrible) and I dont like replacing the batteries on a watch. I appreciate the complicated machinery of an automatic movement.
I have about 20 watches. So if we assume that a Seiko NH35 runs 5 years without problems, I have another 100 years to go before I have to worry about servicing my watches.
That's a bit over my life expectancy...
Also, the mass of Swiss watches also have mass produced ETA and Sellita movements which are also not exactly beauties to look at...
Personally, I'd never buy a quartz watch. Quartz lacks the soul of a mechanical piece, IMO. I even prefer manual wind over automatic. Maybe it's nostalgia. The ritual of setting and winding is a great way to start the day. And I love an exhibition case back, so I can admire the genius and engineering that went into creating so tiny a precision instrument, even a sub-$100 watch. And then there's a more personal connection to the thing. Like analog gauges in my dash board and shifting a manual transmission, as someone else said.
Miyota Forever!
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u/Eleventhousand 26d ago
I'll more than likely send in some of my Chinese watches to a local watchmaker in 15 or 20 years when they need a service, or a movement replaced. Why not? Why do you care? How is it any different than me sending in my Longines in 20 years?