07-02-2015, 10:28 PM
This seems to be a never ending discussion . I will try to shed a bit of light on this subject , without going into to much detail about the calibers . You can google them yourselves .
Many look down their noses at quartz , saying they are easy to make and not worth collecting . They are usually talking out of the back of their heads , about something they know nothing about . Most of them do not know the difference between a high or low end quartz calibers . And in terms of collecting and future value , again they are just guessing . Let me explain why .
Mechanical watch collecting is a relative new trend , that first started in a big way for about 30-40 years ago . Before this time there were very few collectors in the world , who would pay big money for an old wristwatch .Rolex and Patek both bought their own watches at auctions at gross overprice to create a boom in the prices and collectability of vintage watches . Auction houses like Antiquorim also helped to create a new market for used wristwatches . Watch sites started to open all over the world , and suddenly mechanical watches were once again the in thing . The Japanese quartz invasion nearly wiped out the swiss mechanical watch industry in the seventys . And believe it or not it was a quartz watch that saved the swiss mechanical watch industry . The Swatch quartz watches generated enough money for the Swatch group , that enabled them to once again make mechanical watches . So you could say that the swiss watch industry was destroyed by quartz and brought back to life by quartz .
If you look back in the history of collecting antiques , you will find one irrefutable fact . And that is , that anything that is rare or unique is worth money in the future Especially when it was the the first in its field , because then it becomes a part of history . That is why people who say all quartz watches are not worth collecting , are talking rubbish .
The technology in high end quartz watches leaves any run of the mill mechanical caliber for dead . Just Google the Seiko 9F movement or Omega 1538 , and of course the Rolex Oyster Quartz caliber . These calibers are unique and amongst the first of the super quartz movements . To say that these calibers will not be highly collectable in say 20-30 years is a joke . With the speed of development today , who honestly believes we will have batterys in watches in the future ? These quartz watches are a very important part of watch making history To say otherwise is based on snobbery and lack of knowledge .
Already some of the first computers are selling for small fortunes . And this tendancy can and will spread in the future . These electronic dinosaurs are just as big a part of our history as mechanical wrist watches are . To say otherwise is arrogant . Some will say that there is more handwork in a mechanical timepiece . That may have been the case 40-50 years ago , but not anymore . 98 % of all mechanical watches are spit out of machines , and finished and assembled by machines . Only a very small procent of mechanical watches have real watchmakers working on them . So you know where you can stick your ideas about the soul in mechanical watches
Already many of these early high end quartz watches have increased in price , and have no doubt this will accelerate in the future . The Omega Marinequartz is just one that is a good Investment to buy for your grandchildren . There are many others . I paid 13000dkr for a Rolex Oyster Quartz 5 years ago , in absolute mint condition with box & papers and purchase papers . I have been offered over 35000 dkr for my watch , but it is not for sale . There are only 20 of these watches for sale on Chrono 24 , and they have nearly all been polished and ruined . So do not try to tell me High end quartz is not a good Investment for the future . I know that if my watch is maybe put up for sale in say 30 years time , it will cost a small fortune because it is rare and unique .You will not be saying the same about the millions of submariners Rolex have spit out by this time .
I love mechanical watches when they are well made . I can honestly say the same about quartz . Just as there is a huge difference in the quality of mechanical watches , is there a difference in the quality of quartz . To put all quartz watches in the same bag is just like compairing a ETA basic caliber with a Lange caliber .
So why is it that people who collect mechanical watches tend to look down on quartz ? I think they are in love with the past , and i can respect this . But this past exists in so few mechanical watches today , that i find it hard to understand them . I can understand it better with people who collect vintage watches that were really made by hand . There is a kind of soul in vintage . I admire the genius that went into the development of Quartz , and the enormous effort made by these pioneers of timekeeping .
Mechanical collectors who dismiss quartz , might like to remember it was the same way of thinking that people who travelled in a horse and cart , had about the car . Quartz has played a very important part in the history of timekeeping , and history will judge and remember these watches just like it remembers Breguet and Harrison .
Now a bit of advice and an example to look at . The Omega 300 seamaster is a great watch and a future classic .It is a nearly useless dive watch because of the stupid bezel design . But it looks bloody fantastic , and it is the shape of the bezel that makes this watch look so different to all other divers . Its funny when you think about it . A design cock up , making a great looking watch . Now you can buy this watch in mechanical or quartz . So what do you choose ? If you buy the mechanical version you get a ETA caliber that is made in the millions , and is sitting in so many other watches , its like a virus . So forget about the soul of watchkeeping , because it is definitely not in this watch .But the Swatch Group will still charge you a small fortune to keep the watch running for you , in its lifetime . The quartz seamaster 300 m is exactly the same watch with a high grade quartz movement inside . The quartz is much more robust and will cost you a very small amount to keep running , and it keeps better time . And nobody will know the difference when you are wearing it . These watches are made in the hundreds of thousands and will never become great collector items . So for me the choice is easy , i would go for the quartz in this case .
Watches that contain quartz movements from many high end brands , are a waste of space and money . PP- Cartier- AP- JLC- etc etc , put quartz calibers in some of their watches to satisfy some of their buyers who just want a easy watch to look after . Stay away from these design moneymakers , because the price does not justify what you get . Not many brands today sell really high end quality quartz in top standard watches . Some that spring to mind are Brietling - Omega- and Seiko . These three brands have some really high end quartz calibers in top quality watches .
Advice , always buy used if you can . When a mechanical or quartz watch has reached its price level after a year or two . There is really no big difference in the future used price . A new mechanical Omega 300 costs more than the new quartz model . And this will continue for the watches lifetime . So if you think you gain by buying the mechanical used watch , then think again . In fact over say a ten year period the quartz because of lower service costs is a better investment . I would like to add that there are really no black or white rules concerning buying mechanical or quartz . It all depends on the watch and the caliber , and of course the price . But sometimes it really is better to buy quartz .
I cannot resist giving one more example . If i had the choice of buying say a IWC or Brietling with a ETA or Selitta caliber inside it , for say 45000dkr . Or a Grand Seiko with a high end quartz caliber for the same price . Then for me the choice is easy , the Seiko wins easily . And i bet that in the future the Seiko will be more collectable and will cost more than the IWC or Brietling .
Many look down their noses at quartz , saying they are easy to make and not worth collecting . They are usually talking out of the back of their heads , about something they know nothing about . Most of them do not know the difference between a high or low end quartz calibers . And in terms of collecting and future value , again they are just guessing . Let me explain why .
Mechanical watch collecting is a relative new trend , that first started in a big way for about 30-40 years ago . Before this time there were very few collectors in the world , who would pay big money for an old wristwatch .Rolex and Patek both bought their own watches at auctions at gross overprice to create a boom in the prices and collectability of vintage watches . Auction houses like Antiquorim also helped to create a new market for used wristwatches . Watch sites started to open all over the world , and suddenly mechanical watches were once again the in thing . The Japanese quartz invasion nearly wiped out the swiss mechanical watch industry in the seventys . And believe it or not it was a quartz watch that saved the swiss mechanical watch industry . The Swatch quartz watches generated enough money for the Swatch group , that enabled them to once again make mechanical watches . So you could say that the swiss watch industry was destroyed by quartz and brought back to life by quartz .
If you look back in the history of collecting antiques , you will find one irrefutable fact . And that is , that anything that is rare or unique is worth money in the future Especially when it was the the first in its field , because then it becomes a part of history . That is why people who say all quartz watches are not worth collecting , are talking rubbish .
The technology in high end quartz watches leaves any run of the mill mechanical caliber for dead . Just Google the Seiko 9F movement or Omega 1538 , and of course the Rolex Oyster Quartz caliber . These calibers are unique and amongst the first of the super quartz movements . To say that these calibers will not be highly collectable in say 20-30 years is a joke . With the speed of development today , who honestly believes we will have batterys in watches in the future ? These quartz watches are a very important part of watch making history To say otherwise is based on snobbery and lack of knowledge .
Already some of the first computers are selling for small fortunes . And this tendancy can and will spread in the future . These electronic dinosaurs are just as big a part of our history as mechanical wrist watches are . To say otherwise is arrogant . Some will say that there is more handwork in a mechanical timepiece . That may have been the case 40-50 years ago , but not anymore . 98 % of all mechanical watches are spit out of machines , and finished and assembled by machines . Only a very small procent of mechanical watches have real watchmakers working on them . So you know where you can stick your ideas about the soul in mechanical watches
Already many of these early high end quartz watches have increased in price , and have no doubt this will accelerate in the future . The Omega Marinequartz is just one that is a good Investment to buy for your grandchildren . There are many others . I paid 13000dkr for a Rolex Oyster Quartz 5 years ago , in absolute mint condition with box & papers and purchase papers . I have been offered over 35000 dkr for my watch , but it is not for sale . There are only 20 of these watches for sale on Chrono 24 , and they have nearly all been polished and ruined . So do not try to tell me High end quartz is not a good Investment for the future . I know that if my watch is maybe put up for sale in say 30 years time , it will cost a small fortune because it is rare and unique .You will not be saying the same about the millions of submariners Rolex have spit out by this time .
I love mechanical watches when they are well made . I can honestly say the same about quartz . Just as there is a huge difference in the quality of mechanical watches , is there a difference in the quality of quartz . To put all quartz watches in the same bag is just like compairing a ETA basic caliber with a Lange caliber .
So why is it that people who collect mechanical watches tend to look down on quartz ? I think they are in love with the past , and i can respect this . But this past exists in so few mechanical watches today , that i find it hard to understand them . I can understand it better with people who collect vintage watches that were really made by hand . There is a kind of soul in vintage . I admire the genius that went into the development of Quartz , and the enormous effort made by these pioneers of timekeeping .
Mechanical collectors who dismiss quartz , might like to remember it was the same way of thinking that people who travelled in a horse and cart , had about the car . Quartz has played a very important part in the history of timekeeping , and history will judge and remember these watches just like it remembers Breguet and Harrison .
Now a bit of advice and an example to look at . The Omega 300 seamaster is a great watch and a future classic .It is a nearly useless dive watch because of the stupid bezel design . But it looks bloody fantastic , and it is the shape of the bezel that makes this watch look so different to all other divers . Its funny when you think about it . A design cock up , making a great looking watch . Now you can buy this watch in mechanical or quartz . So what do you choose ? If you buy the mechanical version you get a ETA caliber that is made in the millions , and is sitting in so many other watches , its like a virus . So forget about the soul of watchkeeping , because it is definitely not in this watch .But the Swatch Group will still charge you a small fortune to keep the watch running for you , in its lifetime . The quartz seamaster 300 m is exactly the same watch with a high grade quartz movement inside . The quartz is much more robust and will cost you a very small amount to keep running , and it keeps better time . And nobody will know the difference when you are wearing it . These watches are made in the hundreds of thousands and will never become great collector items . So for me the choice is easy , i would go for the quartz in this case .
Watches that contain quartz movements from many high end brands , are a waste of space and money . PP- Cartier- AP- JLC- etc etc , put quartz calibers in some of their watches to satisfy some of their buyers who just want a easy watch to look after . Stay away from these design moneymakers , because the price does not justify what you get . Not many brands today sell really high end quality quartz in top standard watches . Some that spring to mind are Brietling - Omega- and Seiko . These three brands have some really high end quartz calibers in top quality watches .
Advice , always buy used if you can . When a mechanical or quartz watch has reached its price level after a year or two . There is really no big difference in the future used price . A new mechanical Omega 300 costs more than the new quartz model . And this will continue for the watches lifetime . So if you think you gain by buying the mechanical used watch , then think again . In fact over say a ten year period the quartz because of lower service costs is a better investment . I would like to add that there are really no black or white rules concerning buying mechanical or quartz . It all depends on the watch and the caliber , and of course the price . But sometimes it really is better to buy quartz .
I cannot resist giving one more example . If i had the choice of buying say a IWC or Brietling with a ETA or Selitta caliber inside it , for say 45000dkr . Or a Grand Seiko with a high end quartz caliber for the same price . Then for me the choice is easy , the Seiko wins easily . And i bet that in the future the Seiko will be more collectable and will cost more than the IWC or Brietling .
- Jeg er engelsk - bor i Danmark, forstår dansk - men foretrækker at skrive på engelsk 
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