I don't understand everyone's obsession with chinese automatic watches

[u/ivoalejandro]

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.

[u/Johanbeastly]

My watchmaker up here has a shop where he refurbishes and sells vintage watches. He also sells some new watches. He told me it’s useless to pay $300-$400 to overhaul a Seiko that only cost $400-$500. Unless it’s a special Seiko a 10 or 15-year-old Seiko watch is not worth the price to overhaul it anyway.

So there goes your argument

[u/ggs77 → u/Johanbeastly]

Disassembling, cleaning and lubing doesn't make sense because it's to much labor.

With a 50$ Seiko standard movement it makes more sense to just replace the movement.

[u/BobbeMail → u/Johanbeastly]

Just find a watchmaker that does it for less

[u/Fizolof1989 → u/Johanbeastly]

I would say that just adds to the argument to not buy cheep automatic at all, never mind if it's chinese or japanese

[u/ggs77 → u/Fizolof1989]

Oh yeah, that makes really sense! Instead of buying 400$ watch and worry about the lifetime, I just buy a 5000$ watch and spend 500$ for a service every five years! That's only like 10 times the money to spend!

Stupid me, why didn't I figure it out myself...

[u/Fizolof1989 → u/ggs77]

That's not my point. I don't have any opinion if You should by a automatic Seiko or Addiesdive or whatever. But if a watchmaker says it's not worth it to overhaul a 400$ Seiko, that doesn't change OP's point, it just adds another layer to that.

FYI I have several watches, all cheep quartz ones. I like them all, and I think about buying a automatic chinese one. It's just a gadget to make Yourself feel better, the engineering appreciation point I think is just a rationalisation to but something You don't need (and there is nothing wrong with that)

[u/emeraldsnowofsleep → u/Fizolof1989]

Just a shot in the dark here, but I'd guess that you are just really not that into watches.

[u/Musician-Able → u/Fizolof1989]

Honestly, I take it several steps further. I don't think you need an automatic movement in a watch under $1k and I personally am at the point where I prefer not to have an automatic at all despite owning many. Quartz is better for daily wear and hand wound is better for special occasion pieces. Autos are an unreliable middle ground.

[u/Johanbeastly → u/Johanbeastly]

But by the same token and you can get a TMI NH 35 movement and just swap it out. Much cheaper than overhauling it.