Automatic watches (1 Viewer)

[andrew markworthy]

And me. I have a quartz gold model from 1981 given to me by my father when I got my first degree. Other than needing the occasional battery change, it's still going strong after 24 years and has never been serviced.

 

[Andrew W]

Quartz movements don't need servicing. There's a tiny stepper motor and a few gears to move the hands. It's all very low wear being only the low torque end of the gear train.

A mechanical watch has a longer train usually with four gears to reduce the very high torque from the mainspring to the balance wheel and then move the hands. The staffs in this part are under a lot of stress and must be lubricated regularly.

When a quartz movement fails, they just replace it with an new movement. Most quartz movements can be had for under $20 while a cheap replacement ETA mechanical movement is around $50 at a minimum.

 

[AjayM]

Depends on the movement, but you can pick up ETA movements in the mid $20 range, Quartz can range quite a bit, but generally it's cheaper (but not by a whole lot).

http://www.ofrei.com/page_181.html

 

[andrew markworthy]

Agreed. However, I still think it's a moot point whether that level of accuracy is worth the extra bucks for a normal person. Having said that, had I a couple of tens of thousands spare cash, I would probably be down at the jeweller's in a heartbeat.

 

[Michael Harris]

I currently own a Rolex Submariner Oyster Perpetual Date. Its accuracy leaves a bit to be desired. I usually have to reset it every few weeks by about two minutes. But, to confess, I bought it used from a reputable dealer and I've not had it serviced in the 3.5 years I've owned it. Guess I should get around to it since the bezel turns in both directions now, not just counter clockwise. I have noticed that it keeps better time if I rewind it regularly as opposed to relying on the autowinding.

I am looking at some possible replacements. A Rolex GMT Master, a manual Breitling, or the Omega "Moon" watch (Just like the astronauts wore!).

 

[Eric Samonte]

Wow..u guys are really kinda picky on the accuracy. My Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust just stops after I've not used it for a few days ( I kinda swap watches to match my clothes :b ) and I just adjust it to the time and get going again. I assume this isn't bad for it but since my wife also has a Rolex I was contemplating on getting one of those winder gizmos. Any recommendations....meaning cheaper ones like...less than $100?

 

[Brian Perry]

From what I've read, you don't want to get a poorly designed winder, because it could lead to overwinding (depending on the watch).

 

[Yee-Ming]

Count me as another Seamaster wearer, though mine has a black bezel and solid hands, and the bracelet is different from the one pictured above. It was a nice pressie from the missus

 

[AjayM]

They are fairly rare in that price range, the biggest issue in the lower priced models is that they don't secure the watches very well, so the risk of the watch falling off the winder is a risk (and the associated risk of damaging the watch when it falls goes with it).

There are a few here - http://www.watchprince.com/category/a/

 

[Alan M]

Depending on the watch winder,a timer to set the winder for a 1 hour run every 12 hours will keep your auto's wound without over winding.

I'm a Panerai,invicta guy,and have kept my auto's wound using an inexpensive winder with a timer for the past 3 years with no problems.
One thing to look for even with an inexpensive winder is,make sure the winder will wind both clockwise and counter clockwise.Some watches(less expensive auto's)will only wind in one direction.

 

[Bry_DD]

i have a Tag for more than 5 yrs and still going strong.. so i'm sure the Tag you are looking at is good.

 

[Jeremy Illingworth]

But to me keeping accurate time is the whole point of a watch, unless its a status symbol watch. What good is the wrong time? Its no different that buying a certain television set because its got better performance. All televions display the image and all high end ones do it very well, but people still want the best, even if its just a little better.

jeremy

 

[Andrew W]

Most quartz watches don't keep perfect time either. The RTC in your computer is quartz and probably keeps very poor time if you don't let it synch to a time server.

I like the idea of a watch that works pretty much the same way that they have worked for the last 250 years, even if it loses or gains a few seconds a day.

PS: incabloc was a nice improvement though.

 

[VinhT]

Gentlemen, thank you all for your input. The three brands I considered were Omega, Rolex, and Tag Heuer.

From Rolex, I was interested in the Submariner and Sea-Dweller. The cyclops magnifier on the Submariner was a deal breaker for me. The Sea-Dweller was more appealing, but there were minor aesthetic details that bothered me.

From Tag Heuer, I seriously considered the Link Automatic, with the Aquaracer 2000 as an afterthought. I was not fond of the Aquaracer's shape. The hour markers on the dial of the Link were too shiny for me and the luminescent markers were too small. The bezel exhibited minor vertical play. I was also not sure about the bracelet.

After much consideration, I decided that Omega would be the brand. After eliminating the other two brands based primarily on aesthetics, I wanted to make sure I was purchasing a luxury timepiece for the right reasons. In addition to watch forums, there were two websites in particular that I found very helpful. The first, Chronocentric, has an amazing wealth of information. The second website is a Seamaster review at Spiffle.com. The reviewer's enthusiasm was incredibly infectious.

It became clear that the Seamaster was the watch for me. But which model? I was initially afraid that I was going to have to get the mid-size version, which would limit options. Comparing the two sizes together, the full-size clearly dwarfed the mid-size, making it look too small. Plus, it seemed like while the watch had been reduced in size, the two crowns had not, making them seem disproportionately large. Surprisingly, my wrist was able to accomodate the standard version, so that was somewhat of a relief. Next, I had to choose between stainless steel and titanium. The weight difference did not feel as dramatic as I had imagined. The stainless steel was already so light that I did not feel a need for something even lighter. I was also concerned that the titanium might show excessive wear.

In the end, I narrowed it down to the blue/blue model with skeleton hands and the black/black one with sword hands. I liked that the black model represents the most recent evolution of the Seamaster, and felt that the black would be more compatible with my attire. Looking at pictures online, I thought the hour markers seemed overpowering, but in person I found that it wasn't the case and looked just fine. So, I decided to get the black one and lived happily ever after.



I am extremely pleased, and fear that I may never be able to go back to quartz watches. Regarding the accuracy issue, I decided to look at it this way. Quartz watches are 99.9% accurate. Mechanical automatics are 99.9% accurate. That's good enough for me!

 

[Brian Perry]

Very nice!

 

[Vincent_S]

Hey ANDREW W, just curious where you bought your Omega? I got mine from Austin Watch and Jewelry.

 

[Andrew W]

Vincent,

It was a jeweller that has since gone out of business and I can't remember the name. I have had all of my watches cleaned at AW&J though. Seem like OK guys.

 

[EricW]

just thought i'd resurrect this thread instead of starting a new one. i bought a Seiko Kinetic Titanium in early 2000 and it's an amazing watch. keeps perfect time, i've only brought it in once in 10 years to replace a pin that fell out on the band part, that cost like $10 to fix. however in the last couple weeks i've noticed if i don't wear it for a weekend the charge dies. i was wondering if anyone has had any experience with replacing capacitors on automatic watches, or if it's even worth it.

thanks!

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I have a Citizen Ec-Drive that has kept perfect time with zero battery changes for the past 4-5 years. It's nice not having to deal with replacing watch batteries, since most of my other watches can only be opened by a jeweler. That makes it very inconvenient to replace a battery.

 

[SeaRay230]

Coserv is the Seiko service org. in the US.

"Dear Coserv Customer:

In reply to your recent letter concerning how to obtain service and/or parts for your timepiece, please be advised as follows: Coserv, the authorized repair division of Seiko Corporation of America, can perform repair services on Seiko, Pulsar, Jaz, Lassale, Wired, Spoon, and Seiko clocks. Please know that Coserv is the only authorized repair facility in the United States. This facility will provide you with a free written estimate(s) to the cost of repairing your timepiece(s), including any part(s) it may require. We cannot provide estimates without first having the opportunity to evaluate a timepiece to determine the cause of the problem. If you live in Puerto Rico, you may send your watch to Centro Tecnico, who is authorized by Seiko Corporation of America to provide In Warranty service on Seiko and Pulsar watches. Please see below for their address and phone number.

If you would like Coserv to evaluate your timepiece please send it to our service center in Mahwah, N.J. Please Note: We do not register warrantees. Warranty paperwork (original Warranty Card or Sales Receipt) must be sent with the timepiece for the work to be evaluated under the terms of the warranty. We will return all warranty and/or sales documentation. Items not covered under warranty, timepieces outside of the warranty period, and timepieces received without warranty paperwork will be estimated for normal repair costs as necessary. After the evaluation is completed, we will contact you with the results of our findings.

PLEASE DO NOT SEND THE ORIGINAL GIFT BOX SINCE IT WILL NOT BE RETURNED. We suggest you insure the package for your protection. Please send the timepiece to:
COSERV Centro Tecnico de Reparacion
1111 MacArthur Blvd. Or Avenida Roberto Clemente C16
Mahwah, NJ 07430 Carolina, Puerto Rico 00985
800-722-4452 787-750-7190
In addition, Coserv sells bands, straps, some batteries, and band parts directly to consumers, and provides extra links free of charge. Please call 1-800-722-4452 to order parts from us directly. Thank you for contacting us about your timepiece."