Watch Movements

What matters to you in regards to watch movements?.....................ie: are you a quartz lover or does a true mechanical send willies down your spine or is it the automatic that floats your boat? How about timing? Do you see if your watch is gaining or losing or do you even care? Why choose COSC over movements that run with-in COSC? Is it a status thing or does it make any difference to you? If you like mechanicals and autos, do you need to see the movement in order to feel satisfied or is a closed case-back OK? Just some thoughts running through my head and I wanted to see what might be in your minds.........

Noah said:

Well with having Colon cancer I guess my mind moves to Bowl movements rather than Watch movements ...... hahhaha




Love the humor Noah It's a ( + ) thing!

Pretty much YES to all of the above.

Quartz: Love the accuracy and > 30min totalizers on chronos (prefer 10-12hr)
Checking?: You bet - All the time - really picky about gains/losses (prefer the former). And hence, hate non-hacking
COSC.1: My PO was my first but only after 2 trips to warranty service (gray) is it within the spec (+1-2sec/day) Happy now.
COSC.2: Still amazed how accurate my Deep Blue Master 2K is for only a $600 Base 2824-2 (+1sec/48hrs+!!!)
Autos: Fascinating but does get annoying having to reset them - mainly due to my Checking OCD. Not accurate enough. Still remain fascinated.
Mech: Recent Debaufre Nav-B Unitas 6497 gives me a new appreciation for the pure mechanical - I LOVE THIS WATCH. Very accurate - gettin over the non-hack.

Collection evolution is crazy, year ago I had over 100 quartz watches...

...now I only want automatics.

I get the SOUL thing now.

Quartz has been a good way of letting me get some interesting case and
dial looks. The price along with accuracy is part of the reason for having
quartz as well. Would REALLY enjoy true mechanicals in the future though,
because they are such great examples of how original watches and clocks
always worked. Plus their just so cool with all of their parts, as well as
terrific looks. Same for automatics, would like to have more of those in
the years to come also. They seem to be fascinating, as well as genuine
examples of watchmaking ! ..With the timing, this is important, but
it's not going to be that bad imho if it's a few seconds here or there.
Especially if it's on a neat mechanical or automatic ! ..Wouldn't mind
having at least one COSC certified watch at some point, but it's not
really that important to be honest. Most normal watches are accurate
enough I guess..Would usually like seeing mechanical, and automatic
movements through the cases or case backs. It's great seeing parts
moving, along with as much of the details as possible. Still having a
mechanical or auomatic with a closed case isn't a terrible thing, and
my only automatic does actually have a closed case. So I guess every
movement in any form is o.k. with me !

Reliable over constant usage.With a large collection,very few get worn every day.Some will be on winders for a month before getting any wrist time.
I prefer thermocompensated for quartz movements.Basically, HEQ.

It's nice to have an accurate watch, I don't have a problem with an auto being off a bit. I won't compare my standard auto watches to cosc either, no matter how accurate they are, they will never be cosc! I would rather say they keep great time. If I bought a cosc then I would want it to be within specs.
quartz movements make a watch tell time and affordable...that's it!
Auto's and mechanicals are works of art, beautiful to look at, feels great on the wrist, knowing the balance wheel and escapement are beating, the rotor and gears turning, a great feeling you can't get from a quartz.

. . . great take on the question John. I do prefer autos, just because of the fact that they are machines in the sense of the concerted activity involved in them operating.

. . . I don't shun quartz though, outside of quartz chronos . . . just fell out of attraction with them.

. . . and I never have timed or checked any of my watches. As long as I'm not late for work, I'm good. Now getting home early . . . . well, thats perfectly acceptable!!!!!

barnbuilder1 wrote:

It's nice to have an accurate watch, I don't have a problem with an auto being off a bit. I won't compare my standard auto watches to cosc either, no matter how accurate they are, they will never be cosc! I would rather say they keep great time. If I bought a cosc then I would want it to be within specs.
quartz movements make a watch tell time and affordable...that's it!
Auto's and mechanicals are works of art, beautiful to look at, feels great on the wrist, knowing the balance wheel and escapement are beating, the rotor and gears turning, a great feeling you can't get from a quartz.

Well said and just how i feel Ron!

I'm eclectic about watch types, having all types -quartz, Quartz HEQ, mechanical auto, auto/handwinders, digitals, closed and open casebacks, Japanese, Chinese, and Swiss movement watches.

Each has its place in horology history. My favorite quartz models are the Seiko 7548 and the Omega Seamaster pre-Bond HEQ 1441 caliber (+-10secs/year).

I don't subscribe to the notion that mechanicals have more 'soul' than quartz watches.....the human wearer has the SOUL to impart to the watch.....not the other way around.

I tend to lean towards automatic movements--for me they really get to the essence of watch making....Nothing the matter with having a couple of quartz watches to grab and go....

COSC is a nice to have...Movements are very accurate today and many companies adjust
them 3,4 or 5 places.

I'd like to think my watches are accurate, but rarely do I find myself checking to see how accurate.

Good topic and post..

Mike

Thanks for chiming in guys! I favor autos..........I am interested in getting some mechanicals that I used to have and now find that I actually miss them. I have 2 quartz watches in my collection........1 for working out/biking and the other for grab and go. I have never timed any of my watches so I do not think COSC would really matter to me. I have not noticed any obvious differences in times when compared to other sources so I am happy with that. I am fascinated by the workings of mechanical and autos and the watchmaking it can take to make thsse movements.

Honestly, I really don't care any more. Quartz or auto are both fine with me. Manual winds, not as much.

cali kid wrote:

barnbuilder1 wrote:

It's nice to have an accurate watch, I don't have a problem with an auto being off a bit. I won't compare my standard auto watches to cosc either, no matter how accurate they are, they will never be cosc! I would rather say they keep great time. If I bought a cosc then I would want it to be within specs.
quartz movements make a watch tell time and affordable...that's it!
Auto's and mechanicals are works of art, beautiful to look at, feels great on the wrist, knowing the balance wheel and escapement are beating, the rotor and gears turning, a great feeling you can't get from a quartz.

Well said and just how i feel Ron!

- The only non-mechanical that I will probably get will be a digital ... maybe a HEQ, like a Sinn UX, but that is just about it.

My collecting has changed a bunch over the past 6 years. At one point movements did not matter to me as I knew nothing much about them. Then I learned a little and it became TOO important to me. n I DO enjoy seeing a movement at work, genuinely. And of course if its pretty that adds to the enjoyment but its not necessary for me. I use quartz watches in circumstances where I am concerned about harm to an auto but that is rare. I swim and dive with a quartz SA because it cost $43 and is WR200m, Sapphire, etc., etc. and if something were to go wrong with it I'd be POd but not really upset. I have many Chronos because I actually use them daily at the clinic as they are intended to be used. So, the movement is not a make or break for me but I want Auto and prefer to see it but don't have to. Have owned 2 COSC and that was important at the time, but only have 1 now and its not a go-to watch.

Good question. My movement philosophy has been evolving over time. I'm nearly all auto-but nice to have 1 quality quartz in the stable for sure. I keep track of all my movements and it bothers me if they don't keep near COSC or COSC time. I now have an appreciation for the lower beat movements like the 21600VBH workhorses that aren't as smooth but last forever like Seiko 6309. If a watch I like keeps killer time I like it twice as much.

My real preference is for mechanicals.But when its time for service,I'd rather they suddenly turn into quartz watches then revert back after service.