Why Every Collector Needs a Quartz Watch - How They Work & Everything Else You Should Know

I've only been into watches for a few months and this is what I have gathered.

$20,OOO can't buy me the most accurate watch but it can buy the name Rolex

$20-$50 can buy a more accurate quartz watch that looks like Rolex but is frowned upon because it isn't a Rolex

$100 can buy me an atomic watch that is the most accurate and will survive a war, it doesn't read Rolex and doesn't look like a Rolex, it's a G Shock Casio.

Since you are only seeing the outside of your watch mostly, I think the design and finish quality are of the utmost importance. Quartz watches are often of inferior quality finish because they compete for low prices. The beauty of high end watches is not just the movement but the quality case, band, and finish. If more watch companies would make great watches with quartz movements, especially solar powered, I think there’s a market for them. One big advantage of quartz is thinner, smaller diameter watches that have a lot of appeal for many people.

How long can a quartz watch last? Can it last a lifetime and even be an heirloom like a mechanical/automatic?

The problem is that quartz watches open the door for these stupid fashion watches like MVMT that cost $50-500 and literally made from garbage but gen Z and millenials will buy them bc they don't realize they're disposable trash that actually looks bad to anyone with a modicum of knowledge in the area. It's like the equivalent of wearing glasses frames with no lens. Certainly some quartz watches are good watches of quality, but they are the exception while very few mechanical watches are garbage.

Quartz watches are superior. Ergonomic, prices, precision

quartz are so underrated

To me accuracy is king. That is why I am a quartz snob!

Given the accuracy and reliability of inexpensive Japanese quartz movements, what is the upside of going with the more expensive Swiss quartz movements?

Hey Teddy, you should do a review of the Certina DS 2 Chronograph models. These are some of the best quartz racing chronographs out there. Heck I own one.

For all you snobs, Breitling, Tag Heuer, Tissot, U-Boat, Movado, Cartier, Omega, among many others make quartz watches. James Bond always wore Omega Seamasters watches. Need I say more? 💥💥💥

What about automatic quartz, like Seiko kinetic? Best of both worlds? How about a best automatic quartz watches video?
I wear a Seiko, a high school graduation gift from my parents, for twenty years now, and have only learned that it is a quartz watch about four years ago. It's the best watch ever. I was never concerned about its accuracy or running out of power due to not wearing it for weeks at a time, until I recently got more into the watches and got a second watch, which is mechanical automatic. She is like a jealous other woman, to my dependable wife of a Seiko - running out of power any time I don't wear it for longer than two days (even though it's an 80 hrs per reserve on paper). When your watch stops for the first time in 10 years, it's like your pet fell sick... well, I now have two mechanical automatic watches, and am pretty much a grizzled war vet, with at least one of my three watches "dying" on a daily basis. It's now just a big inconvenience.

My biggest issue with quartz watches is allignment. The tick of the secondhand does not line up with the markers on the watch.
A lot of companies know that enthusiasts don't buy quartz, so the QC is often not that good. I've bought quartz pieces in the $500 range, and the second hands are always a little bit misalligned. The only way to avoid this is to buy a frictionless or high tick-rate quartz watch.

Still something cool about a piece of quartz crystal oscillating within a watch case to tell you the time.

Quartz is junk

My grand seiko 9f is just stunning.

Black on black ain’t good of an idea

for quartz, I like Casio G-shock and oceanus.

When you get into the high end mechanicals there's possibly a case for dismissing quartz but at entry to mid level not so much. I got rid of all my quartz watches then realised they're actually handy to have around and bought a couple of multiband gshocks. This led me onto the high end Casios hand assembled on the premium product line at Yamagata and I ended up with a gshock MTG which hasn't been off my wrist since I got it.

I 100% agree with Teddy's point of view. It's great to open my drawer of watches, choose one and put it on instantly, apart from the fact that I love my watches for both their build quality and their aesthetics and a quartz watch offers me almost everything I look for in a watch. Of course, as a purely collector's item I prefer a mechanical movement.

I've had automatic watches, they only gave problems, we humans are strange, we pay more for something that causes more problems and is less effective in what it has to do, which is to give time... then, in addition to these, I always had 2 cases for everyday life, a g choq and a Edifice with BT with solar charging(how to fuck this is so cheap and accuracy), I've had it for so many years, super effective, I didn't even change the battery or anything. I gave up this thing of showing others that I have an automatic watch and spending crazy money, I prefer to have one that works and that does its job that at the end of the day that's why I bought the watch that went to see hours

Citizen Ecodrive and Casio Quartz is all I rock. 🤙🏼

Oh and a Spagetti Scameti on the way.

Yeahhh but, no soul inside. Let's be honest, we don't need them to tell time anymore..

I was thinking of getting my first mechanical recently because I find the movements fascinating. But I swung away when I started thinking if the maintenance costs. I'm not sure why people think of mechanical as lasting a lifetime when any maintenance on a quartz watch will be much more affordable and probably easier to service through the generations as well given that there are fewer unique parts that are more likely to be sourced in the long term.

Also, mechanical watches use discrete time intervals as well. That "sweeping" second hand isn't actually smooth. Why don't more quartz watches simply employ a higher frequency for their base gear timing to sweep the second hand like a mechanical if it's so appealing?

Tesla vs. Hand-built AMG

i am a casual collector at best and most of my daily wear are quartz albeit with some complications such as mecha quartz and solar.

i have 4 mechanical watches and they see less wrist time. i like how functional quartz are.

The benefits are undeniable, but a mechanical watch satisfies something deep within.

I love mechanical watches but find myself loving quartz for daily drivers, just because they are always ready and do love the accuracy. Ironically, my first watch in 20yrs was a Seiko SRPD79. I already knew I wanted a nice entry level mechanical watch and that was the first one. The analog watch was a rejection of technology which ironically I am in the tech industry. I thought I might add a Longines Conquest or Tudor Ranger as a second and started to develop the Quartz snobbery, but then next thing you know I have 9 watches in 7 months and only two are automatics. Quartz allowed me to be diverse and learn what I like at an affordable price. I have my wish list including Omega, Longines, Rolex and a couple others but I am enjoying the watches I have now. Quartz has allowed me to be more wise about my luxury watch purchases as I now know what fits well and what styles I like most.

There is a lot of snobbery and down right irrational people in the watch community. A certain YT creator, who I won't name, made a whole video on the subject of quality over quantity, sugessting that you are waisting $$ if you have a lot of $100 to $500 watches or quartz movements because your collection is basically worthless. If you like something, then get it. Watch enthusiasts should keep in mind that the only opinion that matters is your own. Trust me, no one is going to notice what is on your wrist except you...and a few watch nerds you may run into every now and then. Most collectors think in a hive and don't have any authentic or original opinions, and their tastes are just as subjective as anyone else's. So if you're looking at a quartz and it does it for you, then pull the trigger! At the end of the day, we should all remember that a watch is antiquated at best and at worst is completely useless in today's technological terms. So we're ALL a little crazy!

Hi Teddy! If money wasn’t an issue in getting the 35mm PRX, can you help me choose between the quartz & powermatic 80. I am a Nurse and am gonna use it on a daily basis at work.

Just something about the engineering and craftsmanship that goes into a mechanical that makes me prefer them

Honestly quartz watches are just superior just due to their accuracy.

I've never been a watch guy and really only own 4 total watches.. a Citizen my father gave me a long time ago, and another Citizen and a Movado my soon to be wife gifted me. My last watch is one I purchased for an outdoor lifestyle. A Casio G-Shock. I'm a landscape and wildlife hobbyist photographer so most of my disposable income goes towards that passion.

My G-Shock has done its job as tool but its rather bulky and comes with features I never use. I think if I were stranded on a desert island this would be the perfect watch until rescue. Recently I've gotten the itch to add a rather sleeker, sexier, but still hopefully a durable watch that looks a bit more pleasant on the wrist.

I did a little bit of research and decided that for an outdoor beater watch, quartz is all I really needed. I wanted a watch that looked good but also came at a price that I was willing to not worry about any potential damage during my time in the field. When standing in front of a waterfall on slippery rocks, or pushing my way through overgrown bushes, my main concern is making sure my camera is safe. I don't have time to worry about my wristwatch.

So my first watch purchased was a Vaer C5 Tactial. It came with 2 straps (a rubber and silicone) and I ordered a Nato strap to try out as well. I guess this might be my gateway buy as I think I might buy another field style watch for a less adventurous daily wearer... maybe a Hamilton Auto???

I love my Seiko quartz watch. It's 25% thinner and 30% lighter because it is made of titanium.

Don’t get me wrong. I love ALL of my watches equally. They are like my children:

- 3 are quartz
- 1 is automatic
(w hand
winding)

Every morning, I wake up and behold my 3, well behaved quartz watches, happily and accurately ticking away, almost as if they were choreographed to dance in unison. They make me a proud daddy.

Now, what about my automatic? Well, you see, it has a mind all of it’s own! It just can’t help itself. But because of that, I am eventually forced to having to babysit it by adjusting its time, just so it stays in sync with its siblings. Additionally, since it’s a dress watch, I wear it only once or twice a week with a suit. So…I am also forced to having to hand wind it EVERY DAY, otherwise it will die on me. And once it is dead, then the time consuming process of having to reset it would start all over again. I don’t look forward to that.

Like I said…don’t get me wrong. I love ALL of my watches equally. But my automatic watch is the most needy and time consuming of the bunch. So it’s a good thing that 3 of my 4 watches are quartz because I’m a busy guy.

Mechanical watches are beautiful but Quartz is best for timekeeping. I think the Grand Seiko Spring drive is the best of both worlds and why I plan to buy one soon. I think part of the reason also why people look down on Quartz watches is due to the bulk of them been cheap watches with cheap plastic quartz movements in them vs the high end movements in high end watches that then suffer from this cheap perception.

I know watch enthusiasts love G-Shocks. These Casios have their own wildly enthusiastic followers. I do love both quartz and mechanical watches and have a number of both. My favorite quartz watches tend to be somewhat dive or field oriented. At the head of my list are Citizen Eco-Drives, Bertucci titanium field watches and Luminox Navy Seals. So, I bought first one, and then another G-Shock. I have worn them a bit. I don't want to disparage those who love G-Shocks, but I just don't get the fascination. Perhaps it is because the DW5600E-1V and DW290-1V I have with faces that are so crowded/busy and difficult to read at night and during the day, and buttons that are extremely challenging for me to press, leads me to just not wear them. However, I must be missing something. Help me out G-Shock enthusiasts. No flaming please. I am truly serious. What am I missing?

The beauty of a quartz watch, even on the higher end models, is that you can service it yourself. There are not many moving parts to clean and you can easily swap out the entire movement, or the electronic module, for at most a couple of hundred. Try that with a manual or automatic.

Just viewing this video now.... I recently purchased a Tissot PRX quartz while travelling through Sydney... I had both the quartz and the powermatic versions in front of me and ultimately made my decision due in part to cost effectiveness (not to mention I didn't want upset my wife buying yet another watch). I almost immediately regretted my decision because the offering of the automatic version is so much nicer... But I've got to say one thing, the quartz version sure can keep accurate time and for that I appreciate it.... Thanks Teddy!

Very fair comment . Cheers
No automatic 4 me again

As someone who owns a Rolex submariner 126610LN and a Tissot PRX Quartz. It makes life stress free. I normally wear a Apple Watch ultra. It gets annoying when I decide to wear the sun as I’m walking out the door realizing I need to set the date/time. With my PRX I can just throw the watch on and leave the house.

Really, the only quart watches I would care to own are from Cartier or a watch that lacks a second hand, unless it's a very high end quartz (think Grand Seiko). Most quartz watches have a seconds hand that is always off kilter from the actual markings on the dial, never actually landing on the marking, and that bugs the heck out of me.

I have the top row of my watch case dedicated for quartz and the bottom row dedicated for mechanical watches. Love both of them, but I tend to lean (a lot) towards mechanical.

Is Tissot prx a good quartz watch to own or is there an even better option?

The only I prefer auto more than quartz is because of battery run out problem, of course unless it's solar charged battery then that's totally on my radar. Normal battery tended to have leaking problems that could destroyed whole IC but Li-ion in Solar does not leak, can run forever if using correctly, and while auto needs no change of battery.

This video cleared my decision on picking the Quartz Tissot PRX blue dial. After careful consideration I believe the powermatic 80 is over priced for that dial and movement. I have a Tonino Lamborghini with a Quartz movement I’ve had for 15 years and changed the batter twice. It’s durable and beautiful. My collection includes quarts and automatic/mechanicals. Very helpful video. Thank you.

This video cleared my decision on picking the Quartz Tissot PRX blue dial. After careful consideration I believe the powermatic 80 is over priced for that dial and movement. Thanks for this Video. Very helpful.

If someone trashes a quarts Watch, they don’t really like the Hobby of Horology. Some are great timepieces. It’s all about the Hobby.

Thanks Teddy for another great video. I can only get cheap batteries where I live that only last a shot while and I don't think that they benefit the watch. Where can I buy a really good battery from please, your store? Thanks very much.