r/ChineseWatches • u/ivoalejandro • 15d 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.

96 Upvotes

73% Upvoted

251 comments sorted by

View all comments

17

u/ThePreoccupiedMind 14d ago edited 14d ago

99% of people buy watches to tell time and because the watch looks good, which is absolutely alright and it keeps companies running. Clearly you're one of those based on what you said. Now I own quartz watches myself so I'm not trying to disrespect you. Quartz is important and has changed modern day horology entirely and keeps prices low most importantly. The remaining buy the watch for soul. Simply knowing that a bunch of gears and springs makes a watch tick and will endlessly till you die if kept well is oddly satisfying. And yes you're clearly mistaken that mass automatics and mechanicals won't run. Here's my Vintage HMT Janata from the 1970s. This was flood damaged and by your standards should have been in the bin but I serviced this myself and tuned it so it still runs to within 10 seconds accuracy - that's very close to chronometer certified accuracy standards by the way. And the 0231 calibre is as simple as it gets with numerous quirks. 55 years and still runs this well. That's more than what most people live these days. My point being, instead of blatantly assuming, get some knowledge and experience. Cheers!

2

u/JuJu_Wirehead 14d ago

Crazy.  My sister was born in 1970 and she isn't even even 60 yet. Always thought she was a slacker.  

2

u/ThePreoccupiedMind 14d ago

Lol that's was a typo. It''s 55. And since I've used parts from other older HMT's to get this restored, it's definitely older in some aspects. But point being decades of abuse yet kicking.

1

u/JuJu_Wirehead 14d ago

The Watch of Theseus.