Quartz watches are much younger than mechanical ones, so they are hardly of interest to connoisseurs of history and traditions. And yet, for many, accuracy, reliability and ease of handling take precedence over aesthetics. If you are guided by these qualities – choose a quartz watch!
Quartz is more accessible than mechanics, that’s a fact. Nevertheless, it is a mistake to think that such a watch looks pale on the hand. The CONSUL catalog contains luxury quartz watches from TAG Heuer , Baume & Mercier , Phillipe de Cheron , Corum , Casio , the design of which does not lag behind the error-free movement.
Pluses
Accuracy. The error of the course does not exceed ± 5 seconds per day (4 times less than the average indicator of mechanics).
Strength. No watch should be thrown out of the window and played hockey (if not Casio G-Shock ). And yet, quartz is much more resistant to the negative influences of the external environment – hardy sports and military models mainly run on a battery.
Undemandingness. The watch does not need to be wound or worn all the time so that it does not stop. The only thing that is required of the owner is to enter the service on time and replace the battery, which usually lasts for 2-3 years.
Availability. Quartz watches are usually much cheaper than mechanical ones. In general, the price line starts from ten dollars and there is no limit to it – Breitling , Montblanc , Omega, Rolex, Piaget , Patek Philippe and other titans of the industry have models with a battery .
Minuses
The battery needs to be changed. The power supply will last 5 years at best, and 2-3 years as standard. The battery will inevitably have to be replaced and this must be done wisely. Negligence threatens to break the tightness of the case, and if replaced with a cheap Chinese battery, the mechanism will fail. Trust only authorized structures – for example, the CONSUL service center .
The mechanism is practically not repaired. Failure in the filling may require a complete replacement of the mechanism, especially if the necessary parts from the manufacturer can no longer be found on the market.
“Just a watch.” An ambiguous point, which, like the need for manual winding, can be both a plus and a minus. Quartz watches tell the time first and foremost, and for those who don’t need more than that, this is the best feature. For the same reason, quartz is unlikely to be of interest to connoisseurs of history and unique technology.
Watch functionality
It is worth choosing a watch by functionality, having decided which of the functions will be useful to you. For a dress watch, three hands and a date are enough for splendor. The chronograph successfully complements the classic set. An interesting solution can be an open balance, as in the Frederique Constant Heart Beat collection .
The requirements for the functionality of the sports model are different. For example, a watch with a pedometer that can upload activity statistics to a smartphone is suitable for a good run – for example, the Casio G-Shock GBA-800 . The number of functions does not matter, focus on those that are useful to you.
How to choose a Swiss or Japanese watch
Which watch is better to choose – Swiss or Japanese? As with any eternal question, there is no exact answer. Swiss watches are the experience of generations and jewelry execution. In collections from the cantons of the “time zone” (Bern, Vaud, Geneva, Solothurn, Jura), one can feel a noble pedigree and admire the skillful workmanship of every detail, from the case to the hands. Japanese watches have been known for less than a century, but they confidently compete with the giants. The Land of the Rising Sun takes on manufacturability, practicality, functionality and affordability. Decide what is closer to you.
Hour terms
Telling how to choose a watch, one cannot do without clarifying some watch terms, with which confusion often arises.
The collection is a wide range of models released by the brand. An example is the TAG Heuer Carrera .
A series is a narrower line that comes out within the collection. An example is the eCommerce series in the Maurice Lacroix Aikon collection .
Collaboration is a specific model or collection created jointly by brands. Collaboration does not necessarily take place within the exclusive watch industry – watch brand collaborations come out with clothing brands, show business and pop culture figures. The Casio brand is known for numerous collaborations .
Limited edition (limited) – a limited edition of one or more models, sometimes in a single copy.