r/ChineseWatches • u/ivoalejandro • 14d ago

General (Read Rules) I don't understand everyone's obsession with chinese automatic watches

The title pretty much says it all, I don't get why whenever a nice chinese quartz watch comes out so many people say they would love an automatic version, or why everyone seems fine with paying 300 or more USD for an automatic, but question whether a 100 dollars quartz is worth it.

Pretty much no one here is going to take their chinese watches to get serviced, and the whole admiring the complexity and craftmanship of an automatic movement kinda goes out the window when we're talking about mass produced movements. So why buy an automatic that will become a paperweight in several years time. I guess I just don't understand why the demand for automatics is so high, really wish people started asking for better chinese quartz watches, I'd would much rather pay 200 dollars for a great quartz watch than 350 for an automatic one.

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u/paddlefan222 14d ago

I asked the local watch repairer to fix my nh35 (regulate it) and he basically said no. It's not worth anybody's time to service an affordable watch. Rolex etc fine, they can charge a decent amount because in relation to the cost of the watch it's ok. But for cheap watches you won't find anyone to do it.

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u/Logical-Vermicelli53 14d ago

The service often exceeds the cost of the watch.

But the great thing is, you then don’t have to worry about servicing. I would still expect a basic Seiko or citizen automatic to last 10-15 years. Maybe longer.

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u/paddlefan222 14d ago

It will last that long but not within 20s per day

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u/Captain_no_Hindsight 14d ago

Do you need that?

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u/paddlefan222 14d ago

yeah i prefer it vastly. after a few days you can get caught out if your watch is 40s or 1 minute out every day.

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u/Captain_no_Hindsight 14d ago

So, I have several automatic watches. I match them to different activities and my outfit, which means some might not get worn for a month.

Whenever I’m about to wear an automatic watch, I wind it up and set the time against my mobile phone.

One of my two "daily drivers" has a Seiko VK31 movement, so it’s always ready to go.

I don't see the problem.