zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

I'm the proud owner of a Casio "G-Shock" digital watch ($30) with excellent accuracy, day, date, alarm, stopwatch, reverse timer, and a nifty blue light, shock resistant and water resistant to 200 meters. I've never owned a "fine watch." And, since most "fine watches" seem to function no better (and often considerably worse) than an inexpensive Wal-Mart special, I'm unlikely to ever buy one.

However, my fiancee wants to buy me a nice watch as a wedding present. My first big decision is whether to get an automatic or quartz. I understand that a quartz is likely to be more accurate, but a few seconds here or there aren't a deal-breaker for me. My bigger concerns are durability and maintenance.

Is an automatic going to require periodic service or maintenance to keep it running well? If so, about how often? And how much can I expect to spend on such "scheduled maintenance"? And, over the long haul, will a well-made automatic pretty much run indefinitely (so it could be passed down to children or grandchildren)? If an automatic is going to require meaningful effort and expense to keep running, I'll probably lean towards a quartz.

Any advice would be appreciated (including recommendations of brands or models that may have better reputations for durability and low-maintenance requirements).

Thanks.

Scott