Re: Quartz vs. Automatic....even more Thoughts
Yes, quartz movement watches are more accurate. However, eventually the quartz movement will "break". IE-the battery may leak if it remains too long in the watch fouling the entire movement or another part such as a tiny resistor may fail. When that happens, a watchmaker usually tries to replace the entire quartz movement IF such an exact match is still available. How about 50 years from now? I doubt it! On the other hand, a high quality Swiss (or German) automatic or manual mechanical watch movement is built to last several lifetimes if properly mantained (serviced every 3-5 years, not every year as you state). Keep the mechanical movement watch hidden in a drawer for 30 years and it will nearly always run after a service (sometimes without a service!). This is usually not the case for a quartz watch which may exhibit battery corrosion or other parts that have drifted in value). I personally consider the majority of quartz watches to be eventual throwaway devices. My father's 1937 Hamilton Brooke (USA, manual movement) I inherited is a beauty to behold and will continue to run long after I'm gone as long as it is periodically serviced. I don't have the same confidence that a quartz watch would be able to maintain its original movement (or be able to find a replacement movement) 72 years down the road as my Dad's Hamilton has. So go on and enjoy your quartz watch(es) but in my eyes, a quartz watch will never hold the same value nor sentimentality for handing down to the next generation like a fine mechanical movement watch.
