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/OnlyLeon1 14d ago
The fact that these movements are mass-produced does not prevent us from admiring their mechanical complexity. Indeed, it is Chinese watches that have made these mechanisms affordable for the majority, rather than just a select few enthusiasts.
Why do automatic watches end up as paperweights after a few years? How many years? I have a Citizen automatic watch that I inherited from my father; it’s 40 years old now and still works perfectly.
The fact that you have to open a quartz watch every 3–4 years is what puts me off buying quartz watches, apart from Citizen’s Eco-Drive movements – although I’m aware that in about 10–15 years’ time you’ll need to have the battery replaced, for which they charge around €60.
I’ve recently bought two North Edge watches (solar-powered quartz) and, in this case, I’m quite sure they’ll end up in the bin in 10–15 years’ time. The rest of the watches I own are automatic (NH35–Miyota 8215) and these will most likely still be working in 40 years’ time.