I made this video 2 months ago, and it helped push me over the 1000 subscriber threshold in early July. For some reason there has a been a huge spike in traffic in the last day on it. So this video has once again helped push me over a threshold. This time just over 2000 subscribers. Thank you to everyone who has just joined!

I think the main problem with quartz movements is, there is no problem with quartz movements. The reality is they're more accurate and more reliable than mechanical movements. I appreciate the engineering that goes into mechanical movements but the problem with quartz is that a lot of"watch people" are just snobs.

Quartz: what you use to set your mechanical watches.

I've had my quartz Seiko for 41 years now (cost was £28) and have bought automatics including a couple of Swiss ones over the years but my quartz Seiko does one basic thing that the automatics cannot do - it tells me the time - accurately. No frustration, as with automatics, having to check and reset my quartz Seiko. I'm absolutely in awe of the craftsmen who make automatic movements but the bottom line is that a watch is a device to be used for telling the time - accurately. It can be a fashion accessory and my stainless steel bracelet strap along with the white face and clean and simple Seiko lines is a classic look and looks good on me so I'm sticking with quartz and Seiko.

If you appreciate horology and love timepieces, you will appreciate all movements

You don't have to favor one over the other. I love my Seiko SKX and appreciate it's craftsmanship. But without quartz we wouldn't have G-Shocks, which are one of the most amazing watches ever made!

I use to work at Bell Labs, and enjoy the science behind the quartz watch technology (poor understood by most). I now really appreciate the meca quartz movements from Seiko, and have several watches with that movement. The are highly accurate and the sweeping second hand is smooth. A COSC certified Quartz movement is really special as well.

There is a nostalgic element to automatic watches and the idea of the movement mimicking a heartbeat.

I’m a watch collector and own both mechanical and quartz watches. You are correct in saying that mechanical watches are more appreciated than quartz watches mainly because of the intricate workmanship however maintaining a sizable mechanical collection is expensive. I enjoy my quality quartz watches as a marvel of engineering and don’t need to have them serviced nearly as often and they are more rugged than mechanical watches. There is a place for both designs. Thanks

For my work as mariner I need accurate time. That is why I use quartz watches. When I get onboard I adjust the watch from GPS and forget it and after 30 days when I go home they have usually creeped 15-30 sec. Now I am using Casio Tough Solar and it´s price is under 80 usd. To get similar accuracy from a mechanical watch I would have to pay thousands of usd. The Casio has even other functions which I use, world time, alarms, timers.... none available from mechanical watches. I believe that there are many others like me who need these qualities in work and are very happy to pay little and get much. Thanks for a nice video and calm opinions on this subject!

I think very few people realize what it actually takes to create a quartz watch - not only the mechanical work, but also the process of designing and production of the integrated circuit, even a relatively simple one with quartz crystal oscillator and set of dividers. I prefer quartz, for practicality.

People who look down upon quartz watches have never taken a circuit analysis class. That said I own both mechanical and quartz watches.

Great first 90 seconds, both fun, laconically delivered and spot on. Mechanical movements can be almost hypnotical in their beauty, and that's something a quartz movement will never be able to match. That is, unless one finds beauty in precision and the unfathomable accuracy of a +/- 1 second deviation in a whole year of time keeping in a wrist watch being charged by available light. Both can be mind blowing in their own right.

I love my Citizen Eco-drive i've had it since 2006 and it's still going strong!

I absolutely love quartz watches because the whole point of wearing a wristwatch is to be able to accurately measure time. Quartz is superior in this most important criteria. Besides, of you're a "regular joe", it borders on the irresponsible side to spend hundreds of dollars on a watch when you have a family.

I like both quartz and mechanical. But seeing and hearing the ticking of a mechanical movement relaxes me. It is nothing less than a small miracle.

I grew up in 60’s. everyone had hand wind watches. Few forgot to wind their main watch.

I appreciate both for their complexity and the research and development that went into both but mechanical movements will never come close to quartz for it's simplicity, effectiveness and accuracy.

I love my Seiko Monster and I equally love my Citizen Eco Drive. Both are amazing in their own, special ways.

The majority of my watches are mechanical, but I do own quartz. You’re not a true watch lover if you don’t own both! ;-)

If you need superior accuracy, buy a quartz watch. However for me it's the feeling that a mechanical watch is almost 'alive' and only works because I wind it.

I really like watches, and the idea of having a specific object in my person that measures time. As with all my tools, I like them to be as precise and flawless ass possible, but wrist watches aren’t just tools, but fashion accessories too. The way a mechanical movement looks is insanely captivating, much more than a quartz movement. I just wish someone created a beautiful quartz movement that could look as good as a mechanical, and for the brands that boast about their in-house mechanical movements to stop covering them with a metal back, all that price tag just so the service guy can appreciate it.

Some people prefer vinyl records over CD too. Some people prefer things that are technically inferior.

the watch collecting communities prejudice against quartz is little more than a load of pretentious bollox and snobbery that belongs in the 19th century. i find solar movements more appealing these days for a growing watch collection , they are basically maintenance free and will run accurately without fuss for the best part of 20 years. Accuracy on most mechs are a pile of crap , with a power reserve rarely extending past 3 days - i dont find that appealling or practical in any way to be honest.

Excellent tutorial. I believe you were spot on with your summary of, the age old, quartz vs mechanical question. I myself appreciate a good quality quartz movement just as much as a well made mechanical movement. There are manufacturers that produce some truly amazing quartz calibers, that are every bit as complex, (if not more so) than most mechanical movements. Grand Seiko for example makes some impressive, top notch quartz calibers. I both own and appreciate both types, and like you, feel that they both have a time and a place in my life style. Excellent presentation. Thanks for sharing

Agreed. I like both worlds. And I like the precision such a miniature machine is capable of providing.

The Seiko VH31 is a quartz movement that operates at 4 beats per second. Think of it as 2/3rds as smooth as an automatic with the accuracy of a quartz. The Vario Eclipse and Kingsbury Monarch are two examples of this.

I own both Quartz and Mechanical, and i love/hate them for different/same reasons, I have a high end Seiko solar radio control, always dead accurate, always. I love that about it but to be honest, I also hate that about it. There is nothing to futz around with, no winding, setting, checking the accuracy, temperature, face up? face down? .. conversely all the things I love/hate about my mechanicals.. I love futzing with them, I love/hate that they are +6 seconds a day, then +7 the next.. did I wind it? etc.. So for me it's great to have both, depending on my mood and what I need to do on any given day. Sometimes Quartz. Sometimes Mech. I love/hate them both.. Is this a hobby or just OCD? ;)

I think that like many things, horology is a hobby where one grows over time. I myself have been guilty of the "mechanical movement or bust" snobbery in the past. As I learned more, however, I began to appreciate the design, accuracy, and durability of quartz. Today, my collection ranges from a GS 9F and Casio Oceanus (with Sallaz-polished titanium and Casio tough quartz movement) to your standard ETA 2824-2 or Seiko 6R15 pieces. I love them all and wear them proudly.

I use the analogy that a quartz watch is like a photograph, whereas a mechanical watch is like a painting, one is a more accurate representation, the other is something more intangible, but lovely. (however using a 'pagani design' watch to illustrate your point is a bit like the painting being done by a 6 year old with moms lipstick).

Very interesting video. Well done!

I stumbled on this video by mistake and watched thinking it might actually disseminate some useful information.

I own lots of different watches, from auto to mechanical to solar. Quartz is 100% best choice, its cheaper, practical and far more accurate than auto.

I have both automatic and quartz, and I like them all. Of my two favorites, one is automatic and one is quartz. What I'm a snob about, is the quality, and that it's a watch that pleases me. It doesn't need to be expensive, but I want to enjoy looking at it in months 2, 3, 4 and on. Too many seem to be out there trying to check off somebody else's list of the right watches to owe. Sure, one needs to do some research so as not to be a total rube, but it's your money, your wrist and your joy. Nobody neeeeeeds a Rolex, worthy though they are.

From a military and field aspect. I’d rather have to deal with changing a battery every 5 years than having to reset the time every few days. If you’re nostalgic then go mechanical. If you don’t care about what people think and want something practical then go quartz.

I continue to enjoy your videos.You have wonderful honest and informative and entertaining approach.

Quite an interesting topic. You did a great job discussing this topic. I believe there is nothing wrong with quartz. The biggest problem with mechanical is the ever increasing costs involved with fine watchmaking. There are several additional points that one might consider in relation to the topic also. One of those is upkeep. Higher end watches are expensive to maintain with a typical service cost running about $1000 for a service. The more complicated the watch, the higher the cost. If you are maintaining a mechanical watch on a regular frequency than these maintenance costs compared to quartz are quite high. A battery change every 5 years is inexpensive for quartz compared to that. Even a solar quartz drops that maintenance even further as long as the battery/capacitor is not allowed to sit depleted for a very long time. Also, there is also a new genre of mechanical watch "snobbery" for lack of a better term. These are the "never silicon" enthusiasts who consider any watch contain any form of silicon part to be rubbish. This includes any parts of springs that may be made from silicon. Watch giants like Patek Philippe, and Rolex already have balance springs made with silicon and these are frowned upon by these watch "purists". It make me wonder what one of the greatest watchmakers of all time would think. I believe that the great innovator, Abraham Louis Breguet, would probably embrace silicon being used in watches if it was to improve timekeeping because that was a part of his ethos.

I was seduced into the world of mechanical watches a couple of years ago, building up a small 12-15 piece collection. It has slowly dawned on me, however, the extent to which I've been had! I have enough mechanicals that I switch them out day to day and so have to reset and wind whichever watch I'm going to use for the day. I'm constantly concerned that I don't accidentally smack or drop one of these complicated and fragile beauties. I live with the fact that none of my watches are as accurate or durable as the $25 timex I can buy at the local Target, even though all of them cost considerably more! I've also realized that all of these silly beasts will require expensive servicing in the not too distant future! And for what? A smooth sweeping second hand? The benefits of heritage and prestige and the celebration of craftspersonship are just not worth it, at least for me, not for the significantly greater costs over the life of each watch. The only thing that I know I will miss is the amazing variety and creativity that is poured into the mechanical watch business. I'm now in the process of liquidating my mechanical collection and starting again with quality quartz. I've found that while there are less options for quality and creative quartz watches, they are still out there, and perhaps the increased rarity will make the hunting that much more enjoyable.

I’m an electrical engineer, so I’m highly driven by making things “faster, better, cheaper, lower power, more accurate, etc.”. Considering only such technical factors, mechanical watches have no reason for being. However, as much as I like those technical factors, I admire genius, ingenuity, and creativity more. John Harrison’s clocks are astonishing. He solved the longitude problem. His clocks are beautiful works of art and are mechanically masterful. Ironically, it was Eric Vittoz, a Swiss guy, who devised circuitry to run the tiny quartz tuning forks on tiny batteries for around a year. I attended a lecture by Vittoz. Very bright guy and also humble. I’ve employed his design methods to build quartz crystal oscillators just like those in our wristwatches. I greatly admire Vittoz. And atomic clocks make quartz clocks seem crude. But, jewelry is another art form and is also valuable. Art takes many forms. Genius is expressed in all of those forms.

As a long time admirer of watches and neophyte collector I really enjoyed this video. Thanks! Your cadence of speech is easy listening.

Automatic anytime. And yes there is a bit of a pain in love.

I feel like there is just as much craftsmanship in a quartz movement as in a mechanical one and a lot of people that don't like quartz just don't understand how it works. I like and own both movement types but I think quartz is really underappreciated.

really nice video, great detail. thanks

If every watch came in quartz and mechanical I would buy quartz almost every time. I shiver to think what it would cost to service all my mechanical watches!! A car??

Brilliant analogy with the car engine! Personally, I love Mechanical watches. There’s something about giving a watch the ‘Seiko Shuffle’ at night before bed! 😉 You are right about giving a watch to someone. If you know their preference, great. If not it would be better just to give them a Quartz watch. Nothing wrong with that. Thx for the video dude

In the same vain, we can compare analog vs. digital.

Amazing video... how come I missed this one... that intro is just hair raising good :) Soon be on 20k my friend, am pleased I was there at the early side, you deserve way way much more :)) Your friend :)

Partly personal and practical for me. I've always wanted a watch that you wouldn't run out of power for, in case of power outages and also if you can't get a new battery for them. A mechanical watch, the power for the watch running is simply just you essentially, as you wind it up. You could be stranded on a desert island, and you could always know what time it is and it would also be a cure for boredom, as it athletically is very beautiful to look at. And also, I have wanted a wine up pocket watch and not a battery run pocket watch. The battery could begin to leak, etc. so, I was curious and looked online and found many beautiful pocket watches, and also, ones where you could see the engine of gear work. So I bought one and, not having to rely upon battery power, really makes it feel more independent as if it is completely self contained. I love it. And it was not over 20 dollars too

I use to avoid Quartz like the plague. But that was before I took watch collecting a step further. Started getting into Vintage Seiko watches and that is when I came across the 80's Seiko with the 7a28 and 7548 Quartz movements. These 2 are no mickey mouse Quartz but a highly engineered and serviceable movement with mostly if not all metal components with jewels. Got myself a 7548 dive watch and a 7a28-7039 synchrotimer and never been happier. I still have Automatic for the majority of my watches but once you get a better understanding of Quartz tech it becomes alot more interesting.

the problem with quartz, from a watch enthusiast’s perspective is that the beauty of a watch movement is it’s ability to run without a battery accurately and for a long period of time

This video was well put together. I had thoroughly enjoyed watching it. Thanks.

I cannot believe I watched this vid right to the end, what's even more surprising is that I really liked this vid. Great job bud 👍👍

I've recently purchased a kinetic quartz watch which I love. It's a nice bridge between mechanical and quartz. I have been a mechanical watch snob in the past, but am developing an appreciation for quartz.

I have both quartz and automatics and even a digital G shock. Most of the watches occupy different niches. Growing up I only had quartz watches (they were cheap, well spec'ed and worked) throughout school I had a cheap Casio digital which I had to change the strap for a Velcro g10 like strap which worked great until the lug snapped, I then had a couple of "surf" watches which were fashionable in the late 90s (basically divers on g10 style Velcro straps) the problem I had with Quartz fashion watches were they were very much disposable, the cost of replacing a battery was close to the cost of the watch. Also as they were "fashion" watches by the time the battery died the watch was out of fashion. When I started my PhD I brought a cheap timex expedition field watch (I was doing a lot or field work and the brown leather and simple white face looked the part) two straps later and the watch is still with me (it looks a little worse for wear, the silver coating on the brass is wearing off, but it has sentimental value). I also have a sekonda moon phase Quartz dress watch that was an impulse buy on holiday, and a gshock. I also brought myself a few seiko five automatics, my first was a little 21jewel dress watch on steel band (similar to one my dad got for his 21st birthday) which is great, but as I spend a lot of time in the field the "30m water resistance " always worried me, so when I got my first full time post doc position I brought the seiko sports "fifty five fathoms" diver, as my "work watch" which was brought as it looked good in the office and would survive the field. A year after that I brought my last eat seiko five sport field watch for a dedicated field watch. I love automatics, and both my dad and my granddad both always wore automatics (although my dad now wears a kinetic) so I grew up with the idea that an automatic was a "grown ups" watch. One thing I love is that an automatic will last a lifetime, I have known people pull an automatic out of a draw after a few years, give it a shake and it keeps good time, if a Quartz goes in a draw for a few years the battery will leak and ruin the watch. But as always ymmv

For me the problem with Quartz is that most of them are powered by disposable batteries. So the watch spends 3 years slowly dying, then you have to take it to a shop and it will inevitably get small scratches when they open up the case to change the battery (and if you don't change it in time, the electrolyte leaks from the battery and corrodes your watch). That's why all my Quartz watches are solar-powered (no battery change needed for 20 years), and all my more expensive watches are automatic (it's just more fun to see a spinning balance wheel through the transparent case back).

Well said, you perfectly Explained the difference between someone who appreciates the fine art of building a beautiful time peace with a mechanical movement and someone who just wants a fashion design that keeps time

Mechanical or quartz I own both and both are great for me ,of course there are advantages and disadvantages and recently I'm admiring the grandseiko spring drive movement more like a hybrid it has a mechanical movement and yes it visible engine and a sweeping second hand also a dead accuracy watch

Was this video made before Seiko released their VH31 high beat quartz movement? That 14400 bph is a beauty.

Love this great spot on commentary on this topic as well as your other stellar videos ( including the Vostok ones )too!!

I appreciate both. But fundamentally the chief function of a watch IMO is to tell the time accurately and thus in that regard quartz wins.

Sometimes a very similar watch is available in both quartz and mechanical. When the quartz watch is considerably cheaper and I want the particular style without the expense, I will chose quartz. Only problem is if i eventually love the style, I end up with the mechanical version too! :)

The biggest problem with quartz is a delayed end-of-life. Battery can go a year, five, ten years. And that very day when the quartz movement will stop might be when I will be on a boat, in the woods, in a car on a long highway and so on. That unsettling feeling that it will likely let you down in most inappropriate moment. Mechanical watches do not have that. The , there is this post-apocalypse...not even dream, but quartz is a dependent technology. Mechanical watches are virtually eternal. Of course they are not and then there are plenty of solar powered watches these days, kinetic movements and so on. Still, mechanical Watch is a bicycle of timekeeping. It’s just you and your watch whenever you are:) In a world going fully electronic problem with quartz is also in the fact that any next technology will wipe it without a trace. Smart watches most likely will wipe the quartz out because it does not have anything to counterweight, even if it is a nice fairy-tale (like mechanical watches), it plays in the same field, so to say. Regarding precision - most of my good watches are within 1-15 seconds a month - what to ask for more? Not every quartz does that! And there’s nothing that requires or even makes possible a greater precision...

Brilliant presentation and application of choice words.

I often wear a mechanical on the left side; and a MultiBand6 controlled watch on the other hand... one for the heart, and one 4 accuracy! ;))

My favorite watch company is Timex so far. They have really great designs, built-in night lights in the dials, and are super accurate (loud though), but unfortunately are not of horological value because they are cheap, and quartz. Well, what can you do. They are recently coming out with some “lower end” automatic movements. I guess they’ve never really been a company that wants to make luxury or higher end pieces. More so durable, accurate watches.

Thinking about winding even if it`s an automatic watch it`s the reason i have quartz watches.

Very well balanced thoughts and I am glad to hear about this topic without any rage just a relaxed view on the pros and cons! Great!

Great video yet again!

For me, the only thing I don't like about quartz is the 1 tick per second. That's it. Everything else about quartz is undeniably superior. They can be made smaller and thinner, they are more accurate, and more reliable. And because of this, the design space for the quartz watch is so much larger, there's so much more room for the experimentation in form once you've mastered the function. And as for the ugly sweep of quartz, there are solutions for that too isn't there (Precisionist and Spring Drive)?

Own both. The cheapest quartz watch is more accurate than the most expensive automatic movements. When I’m in the hood I wear my timex. When I’m somewhere els I wear my seiko. I use a watch to tell time. Not make a social statement.

Excellent video, with lots of valid points. Nice, that in a free-market economy, there is plenty of choice, and something for every taste.

This is a very good video! I agree with your opinion and I share them. I am on a limited budget and have not had an automatic watch in a very long time simply because I can't afford them. My personal favorite watch now is an inexpensive analog and my only issue is that the style I have does not have a day function. I was looking at the internet recently and was surprised to see a watch listed for several thousand dollars.

In a world where humans can't even fart without their smartphone, a quartz wristwatch is something useless at best. In the other hand, a mechanical watch is a piece of art and as you said jewelry.

All my watches are either quartz or auto

Great video. I have found myself going to the mechanical watch because of how all those parts work together and how the second hand moves. It make me appreciate it more. I have an atomic G Shock always available by my sink in the bathroom as a point of reference that I use for yard work, at home in the evening and working out. During the week going to work I'm now rotating an Orient M- Force diver and Bulova Sea King diver with the UHF movement. The best of both worlds.

Agree with everything you said! Thumbs up! I can appreciate both!

I appreciate Automatic watches and have a few (barely used), but you can't beat the convenience, accuracy and durability of a Quartz watch. I view my watches as a tool and a fashion accessory. It is not like the early days where a watch was a must to track time.

The problem with quartz is it never fast or late. It never fails :)

A quartz movement is like a photograph while an automatic movement is like a painting.

I love both types of movements. I have my quartz watches I wear through the week to work that I can grab and go like you say, and I have my Mechanical watches that I enjoy wearing on my time off.

Love quartz watches, especially solar quartz movements. Robust, reliable, accurate and super low maintenance cost. I only own a few mechanical watches as having to set the time and wind them every time I want to wear them gets old fast. I’m also not interested in shelling out for servicing costs of mechanical watches. If I could buy the same watch with either an automatic or quartz movement, I’d buy the quartz every time. I really don’t get all the hate for quartz watches. Sure, it’s fun to know you have a little mechanical machine on your wrist. The one main advantage of buying mechanical watches is there is a greater selection of watches to choose from.

i love my vostok amphibia, no more quartz for me.

Thanks for helping me understand the motives of mechanical watch collectors, since I collect quartz RC and GPS watches. I can especially relate to their appreciation of art, craftsmanship, and quality.

I think that mechanical watches are great, but once you get past "Swiss craftsmanship". And you see the copper coils, circuitry, mechanical parts, solar panel, quartz, of watches like Citizen eco-drive you truly see the magic. At the end of the day electricity is much more magical then miniature hamners, gears, and springs.

Quartz watches are cool and I would definitely wear one.

There is something indefinable, fascination wise, when looking at the interplay of gears in a mechanical watch.

i used to be a watch snob, it's automatic analogs all the way (no quartz analogs too)... however, now i'm at a certain age wherein i find analog timepieces to be difficult to read (especially in dim environments) and maintain (having to adjust it on a monthly basis) so i have now gained a certain appreciation for digital timepieces more and more... i haven't forgotten about my first love of automatics, it's just that i've gained more respect for its digital brethren...

I do like automatics, love my seikos but when I'm running out the door and going to work it's more often than not I'm grabbing one of my g-shocks :)

Quartz is the way to go for its reliability and accuracy.

So, in other words, the reality is that quartz movement is superior and all the rest is "blah, blah, workmanship, blah, blah, blah, heirloom, artistic, blah, blah, blah. I get it, now.

I have many quartz watches and several automatics. I tell you the difference. I never come home after work and check my quartz watch to see if it lost time or if it's within its tolerance. Owning automatics is a pain in the ass.

Thank you for (another) well-balanced video. I have both mechanical and quartz watches in my collection, and love both styles for many of the reasons you discussed here. As far as the snobs are concerned, there is important horological history in both camps, and both types should be appreciated for what they bring to the table. Same can be said for the various styles of watch---dive, dress, field, aviator and more all have their place an (so to speak) their time.

Nothing beats the sound of ‘tick tick tick ‘ of a manual watch as for quartz watches they work but don’t give you the comfort of the ticking heartbeat of a manual watch & if you listen to the heartbeat you will realise that they tick differently the sound the rhythm it’s so beautiful that I listen to my watches as my comfort thing Watches love them ✅✅✅👍👍

Bulova's 262kHz movement is what got me into purchasing a quartz. It's absolutely mesmerizing to watch that smooth sweeping hand.

I appreciate both, I am planning on buying a mechanical watch, very soon, I want hack and wind, sapphire crystal, but it will be used very rarely, basically will be used as a pass me down. But I only use quartz and has to be solar.

Bought too many watches in the last two years. Decided to stop collecting for a year and closed the deal with two eco drives from Citizen. A Titanium piece with a 12 o’clock triangle pointing up and a GMT with the triangle looking down. The second hand hits every mark, and the overall look is my cup of tea. Love them…and the notion that I can forget about them for 6 months… hopefully 🙏🏽 will keep the addiction at bay…

Agreed! too many people said quartz is just a soulless item, but they could never really understood that designing a circuit board that regulates the quartz watch is as hard as making a mechanical movement, i.e. years of tough engineering school vs years of tough apprenticeship.

Hello. Before I liked very much the mechanical watches. I bought one, but... Its accurary was a problem. All the time watching its accuracy. At the end, I kept it into a drawer. Now I have a cheaper analogic Casio made of plastic. Every three years I only have to change its battery. If the navigators of the last centuries would have had a quartz clock in their wrists, finding Longitud at sea had been more easy . Without quartz we wouldn´t have computers, mobile phones... But the mechanical watches have that special beauty... Greetings from Spain.

really enjoyable! pretty much agree in all respects. if you like a variety of watches and can afford to sample a few, a mix of autos (mechanical) and quartz can be interesting and fun. where you draw the line--expense per unit--is the real question.

Thanks again for the thoughtful explanation. I’m presently looking for a field watch. Was narrowing it down to either Hamilton Khaki Mechanical or BOLDR Expedition. Now you have me thinking that I could and should consider quartz. So in short you’ve both helped and hindered my decision process LOL.