Quartz vs. Mechanical Watches

The revolution in the watchmaking industry came in the late 70s, when most of the manufacturers start using quartz movements in their timepieces. Quartz mechanisms, although very precise, were very cheap to manufacture. An opportunity to make watches that cost less and keep accuracy for as long as the battery is strong was very tempting for the most of the watch companies. Very quickly the traditional mechanical watch movements went into history.

However, the idea of simplified watches was not greeted with enthusiasm by all of the consumers. Just like Harley-Davidson in motorcycle industry or Shelby in the automotive industry, mechanical watch movements have become a symbol of good taste and class. The companies such as Rolex has tried to enter quartz industry with their Rolex Oysterquartz, but this attempt was failed and abandoned by Rolex just after a couple of years in production. Having a cheap watch movement in the luxury watch was greeted just as Honda engine in the Rolls-Royce – good idea but not respectable.

Four decades later, there are only a few places in the world where mechanical watch movements are still made. Among them Swiss made watches are the best. Companies like Omega and Breitling are using movements manufactured by ETA. Rolex and Patek Philippe are manufacturing their own mechanisms. Of course, there are movements from “Big Three” Japanese watch companies (Seiko, Orient, and Citizen), but the quality and finish of their products has changed dramatically: many plastic parts, a lot of cheap metals. And finally, there are several watch companies in the former Soviet Union (Vostok, Poljot, and etc.) which failed to adapt to the quartz revolution during the 70s and 80s and up to these days manufacturing watches with all-metal mechanical movements, practically unchanged since the 50s.

Quartz watch is also the most unreliable investment. These watches, no matter what company has manufactured them, are losing their value very fast. For instance Omega Seamaster can be found with either quartz or automatic movement, and only the ones with mechanical movement will retain their value. Of cause Japanese and Russian mechanical watches are losing their value fairly quickly too, but they don’t cost much on the first place.