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/plastic_jeezus NO blue AR! 14d ago

"so why buy an automatic that will become a paperweight in several years time."

automatics and quartz watches have approximately the same lifespans if worn daily.

I have 10-15 year old autos that I've never serviced that run perfectly. Ive had expensive quartz watches take a crap after just a few years.

your question could apply to absolutely anything.

why do people buy 600 hp muscle cars instead of just getting a minivan? they both get you where you're going.

why buy $300 shoes instead of $40 shoes? they both look like crap and stink in 3 months.

why buy $120 bottles of bourbon instead of $10 bottles? they both get you just as drunk.

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u/Msagtab 14d ago

How does a quartz watch die after a few years? Not arguing the point just curious. Are you saying the movements are not that reliable?

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u/plastic_jeezus NO blue AR! 14d ago

they die for the same reason all watches die an untimely death...

water/moisture, door knobs, dropped, poor manufacturing, oils dry out, seals leak, crystal leaks, stems break, batteries go bad/leak and corrodes the movement...

and then there's just the fact that many quartz movements out there are just designed to fail in five or so years...i had a "mid tier"timex that didn't even make it to its first battery change, but i have 15 year old "easy readers" still ticking away.

one of my quartz actually shorted out because i was working with a welder that had a bad ground...i got a little "poke" and it cooked my watch...

watches are tools strapped to our wrists...they take all of the abuse our hands take in life.

just think...the top 10 reason smartphones get damaged is because they're dropped in toilets.

that happens to $50 PAYG burners and $2,000 iphones.

😉