Episode 125: Making Quartz Great Again!
Watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0n4ivlrE7s
Quick Pour
Say "quartz" in a room full of watch collectors, and somebody will react like you just put ice in a very expensive Scotch.
Mechanical watches get the romance. Quartz watches get dismissed as cheap, soulless, battery-powered impostors.
But are collectors being a little dramatic?
In Episode 125 of The Springbar Podcast, Mike and Joe make the case that quartz watches deserve a whole lot more respect.
The Debate in One Sentence
The watch-snob argument: If there aren't gears, springs, and a little mechanical magic, where's the soul?
Mike and Joe's counterargument: A great watch doesn't stop being great because it runs on a battery.
Fast Takeaways
Why some collectors hate quartz
Mechanical movements feel alive.
The ticking seconds hand isn't everyone's favorite.
Battery-powered watches have a reputation for being cheap.
Quartz removes some of the winding and setting ritual collectors enjoy.
There's less machinery to admire.
Why Mike and Joe think quartz deserves another shot
Grab it and go. No winding required.
Quartz generally offers excellent accuracy.
Mecha-quartz chronographs can provide satisfying mechanical-style operation.
You can get interesting complications without paying mechanical-watch prices.
A great design doesn't need a traditional movement to have personality.
Watches That Came Up at the Bar
Mentioned in the conversation
Bulova Super Seville Precisionist
Bulova Surfboard Chronograph
CWC Quartz
Casio G-Shock
Hamilton Khaki Field Quartz
Timex Marlin Chronograph
Dan Henry 1975
Brew Metric
Frederique Constant Moneta Moonphase
Not exactly a boring lineup for a technology supposedly lacking personality.
The Biggest Quartz Arguments
1) "Quartz watches have no soul."
Here's the romantic argument.
A mechanical watch needs its owner. Wind it, wear it, move around, and you become part of what keeps it running.
Quartz? Install a battery and move on with your life.
Mike and Joe have some fun exploring that distinction, but it raises a legitimate question:
Does a watch need your participation to have character?
Or can the history, engineering, design, and memories attached to it provide plenty of personality on their own?
2) "I can't stand the ticking seconds hand."
Fair enough. Not everyone loves watching that seconds hand jump once per second.
But quartz doesn't always mean a simple once-per-second tick.
Consider:
Bulova Super Seville Precisionist: a high-frequency quartz movement with an unusually smooth sweeping seconds hand.
Mecha-quartz chronographs: electronic timekeeping combined with mechanical-style chronograph operation.
Casio G-Shock: proof that an analog sweep isn't necessary for a watch to earn a devoted following.
Sometimes the movement is more interesting than its reputation.
3) "Quartz watches are cheap."
Let's separate two words that don't mean the same thing.
Affordable isn't the same as poorly made.
A CWC quartz field watch focuses on practical utility.
The Hamilton Khaki Field Quartz offers classic military-inspired design without the mechanical fuss.
And the Frederique Constant Moneta Moonphase demonstrates that quartz can look perfectly at home in a dress watch with an elegant complication.
There's a place for beautifully engineered mechanical movements.
There's also a place for a watch that just works.
Best Point of the Episode
Here's what makes the quartz argument so interesting:
Watch collectors will celebrate engineering all day long - until the engineering happens to involve a battery.
A watch can be:
Accurate
Reliable
Beautifully designed
Historically interesting
Genuinely fun to wear
And still be dismissed because of what's powering it.
Seems a little unfair, doesn't it?
Where Mike and Joe Actually Landed
Quartz deserves a place in the collection when:
The watch offers something interesting.
The movement suits its purpose.
The design and quality justify the purchase.
It delivers functionality without unnecessary cost.
You actually enjoy wearing it.
And mechanical watches still have their magic:
Intricate movements are fascinating.
The ritual of winding and setting can be part of the appeal.
Traditional watchmaking craftsmanship deserves appreciation.
Sometimes you want a watch for the experience, not just the time.
The point isn't that quartz is better than mechanical.
It's that neither one should automatically win just because of the movement.
Final Pour
So, why do watch collectors hate quartz?
Some love the romance of mechanical watchmaking. Others don't care for the ticking seconds hand. And plenty have simply decided that a battery doesn't belong in a serious collection.
But Mike and Joe make a pretty convincing case for giving quartz another look.
Because a good watch is a good watch.
Whether it's powered by a mainspring, a battery, or enough electronic wizardry to make a traditionalist nervous.
And if your watch keeps great time, looks fantastic, and makes you smile when you put it on?
Maybe the only thing missing is the snobbery.
Pull Up a Stool
Time for a little honesty.
Do you own a quartz watch you're secretly obsessed with?
Have you ever dismissed a watch simply because it was battery-powered?
What's the one quartz watch you'd recommend to a mechanical-watch purist?
And the big question:
Does a watch really need a mechanical movement to have soul?
Tell Mike and Joe what you think in the comments on Episode 125.
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