The Future -- Mechanical vs Quartz

I know this is likely a group with some biases but I was wondering if anyone here ever wears a quartz watch from time to time...

I believe there may be a niche for better high end watches with quartz movements. My only real interest is based on the fact that I like the accuracy of time keeping that is currently not unsurpassable using a quartz movement. I am so impressed with the IWC style but would be interested in their style merged with a quartz movement. I believe at one time IWC did make such a watch but curious as to whether this might come about once again in the future.

Mark

I like quartz watches, too, but I'm quite sure that IWD currently has no plans for them. The difference is more than timekeeping, but to the manufacturer also relative pricepoint, production quantities, and the desire for movement craftsmanship.

Yes I do understand your point. However the more than just timekeeping -- to me can be interpreted to integrate a style into newer technology. I realize that some companies will maintain an important niche but I really believe there would be a decent market for a high end quartz timepiece with the beautiful design of a manufacturer like IWC.

BTW i like your pocket watch site. As a child i always had a fascination with pocket watches.

Hi Mark,

I occasionally wear a quartz watch: a Breitling B-1. Not the Superquartz version but it's quite accurate. It is loaded with functions and when I wear it, it's usually for the chrono function when I go mountainbiking.

I think that if I didn't have this watch, I might have bought a G-Shock.

Kind regards,

Clemens

In the newly published book "All in Good Time: Reflections of a Watchmaker the late and legendary George Daniels describes his early fascination with mechanical watchmaking that such timepieces are not dependent on external requirements. In other words, a mechanical watch of course will need winding as in the form of manual or automatic but is not dependent on a "battery" for its source power.

This advantage, especially when one is travelling and distant from a watchmaker, becomes more appreciated when wearing a precision crafted timepiece that can stand on its own. Thus one more reason for choosing a mechanical timepiece over quartz.

Regards,
Jack Freedman

I guess balance comes into play here too. A superbly designed, crafted and finished case, a beautifully structured and clean dial, fantastically sharp and fitting hands, a luxurious crocodile strap, they just don't go with a relatively cheap quartz movement, how accurate that may be. The movement must also be something special, well designed and constructed, nicely finished, being an integral part of the whole watch. I guess the mismatch will not sell, buyers will not do it. So either you have quite a good looking watch with a quartz movement for a reasonable price, or you have about the best you can get for a much higher price, and that watch has a mechanical movement.

But this kind of reasoning has been proven wrong a few decades ago. In those days, the luxury watches had a gold or platinum case. Steel was for the ordinary middle-of-the-road watches, the good tool watches. Until Audermars Piguet came with the Royal Oak, a luxury steel watch with a fitting price tag. It was a huge success and now most companies have top steel cased watches. Patek Philippe has a very very expensive steel chronograph. As long as it sells the company is right, the concept is sane. But I don't see this happen with quartz movements, movements are the heart of the watch after all.

Kind regards,
Paul