: Is it that quartz "aved" the watch industry, or that it
: fomented the decline of mechanical watchmaking? My sense of the
: quartz Heuer versions is that they were strictly born of
: desperation--I have to defer to your superior knowledge of the
: products, but from my vantage point they seem vastly inferior in
: terms of detail, finishing, and aesthetics. That they are scarce
: can be explained by limited production and demand, and perhaps
: attrition due to poor quality.

The detail and finishing on the quartz Carreras is comparable to the contemporary mechanicals. You'd hope it would be given that it cost as much to buy a Carrera Twin back then as it would a 110.253. There are even nice details like the hour markers getting shorter the further down the dial. I find that aesthetically appealing, as well as the red contrasts on the black-dialled Twin, but aesthetic appeal is of course subjective. At the time, the watch houses were serious about quartz - it was the new technology rather than the cheap alternative to mechanicals. And yes, the Japanese were able to produce them cheaply, but that shouldn't be mistaken for bad design or lack of attention to detail, something the Japanese continue to be proud of. The policy of adopt and adapt that started with western radios and cars carried through into watches and electronics. Open a PlayStation 3 and an XBox 360 next to each other and see who scrimped to save more money - hint, it's not Sony!

There was an interesting article in 00/24 magazine last year about the growth of serious watchmaking in China, rather than producing copies and knock-offs. They are producing tourbillons at ridiculous prices - ok the quality isn't there to match the Swiss yet, but that's not to say it never will be.

: The pin lever and other bad mechanical movements are certainly
: aberrations in terms of mechanical watchmaking--the cheapest
: ETAs and Seagulls are still engineering marvels.
Perhaps, but the cheapest ETA 7750s certainly show signs of being engineered down to a price. The finish doesn't bear the close inspection that a Vj 72 would have done back in the day.

: BMWs are also mass produced, but like Rolexes they are a fine
: product.
And they work long and hard to make sure they are still perceived as premium products despite their mass production. Nor do they always get it right - ask a Mercedes engineer about interior fit and finish on a W210 compared to the W123 and 124; it's not a comfortable conversation for them. And Porsche thought equaly long about how to maintain its image as an exclusive manufacturer of sports cars, yet producing 100000 of them a year. It will be interesting to watch the juggling act as they are drawn into more platform sharing with Volkswagen. I suspect taking the VW small mid-engined platform and whacking a 356 badge on it won't cut it with some hardcore fans, but I bet you it would sell.

I guess the point is that our beloved classic Heuers are from a snapshot in time, Heuer's Golden Age if you will. And we'll probably always hold them up as the paragons, but that doesn't mean I don't wear a TAG-Heuer Carrera when I don't want the worry of wearing a classic. The only thing I really don't understand about Jeff's Citizen is what he did to make the winding crown so dirty!!