shape
carat
color
clarity

Affordable automatic watches - yay or nay?

kalomeli

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 25, 2012
Messages
461
I recently graduated with my M. Sc. (Tech.) and my friends got me a very thoughtful gift - a gift certificate to a nationwide jewelry chain here in Finland. I'm not really loving their jewelry (any PSer will likely understand why) but their watch collection is fine and they're willing to order me any watch from their selected brands.

I'm a good little PSer and did my research and kind of fell in love with the idea of an automatic watch instead of "normal" quartz watch. I do realize that my budget isn't big (I was thinking of Certina or Orient) but the little engineer in me just loves the idea of having an automatic watch.

So anyone more knowledgeable in this subject - are affordable automatic watches any good? Any other pros or cons I should know about?
 

JewelFreak

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
7,768
What wonderful friends you have! I must be horribly out of it, but I have no idea what an automatic watch is. :oops:
 

kalomeli

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 25, 2012
Messages
461
JewelFreak|1404936567|3709945 said:
What wonderful friends you have! I must be horribly out of it, but I have no idea what an automatic watch is. :oops:
I might have cried a little when I got the gift. I love those guys. I had a shared graduation party with one of my friends and both of us got very thoughtful gifts that really showed that they know us so well. :halo:

An automatic watch is a mechanical watch in which the mainspring is wound automatically as a result of natural motion of the wearer's arm. Before I started googling this subjec I hadn't even heard about those but as I told the little engineer in me just loves the idea. :naughty:
 

baby monster

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 2, 2007
Messages
3,631
What a nice gift from your friends. I don't really know much about the brands that you posted so I'd suggest you head over to the watch forum timezone.com.

I have a Cartier automatic watch. No issues as far as reliability. It does need to be serviced every 3-5 years. And, obviously, it needs to worn daily it for it to work. Battery watches are easier to live with in that regard as they can sit unworn and still work.
 

MMtwo

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 20, 2009
Messages
4,445
kalomeli,

I used to hang out on Timezone :) I'm a relentless nerd for old watches. I also own several modern automatic watches. I "get" that swoony feeling over an automatic watch. Before the space program and computers, a watch was the finest precision instrument known to man. All of the things that go into swoon worthy high quality jewelry go into good quality watches. Even jewels. The "jewels" in watches are pivot points made of sapphire. metal on sapphire generates less friction than metal and metal. I feel a rant coming on...If you want to see breathtaking engraving, look at some old watch movements!

http://www.ebay.com/cln/ourbransonshop/Watch-Movements/82335906016

Okay deep breath. An automatic watch is a fine machine> if you want to have some fun, watch this old movie about how mechanical watches work...circa 1949. Not much has changed between then and now. The small machine is amazing. An automatic watch is just a mechanical watch that is self-winding. Enjoy this kitchy movie from Hamilton:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWZ--9Uu5yc

:)


kalomeli|1404937298|3709955 said:
JewelFreak|1404936567|3709945 said:
What wonderful friends you have! I must be horribly out of it, but I have no idea what an automatic watch is. :oops:
I might have cried a little when I got the gift. I love those guys. I had a shared graduation party with one of my friends and both of us got very thoughtful gifts that really showed that they know us so well. :halo:

An automatic watch is a mechanical watch in which the mainspring is wound automatically as a result of natural motion of the wearer's arm. Before I started googling this subjec I hadn't even heard about those but as I told the little engineer in me just loves the idea. :naughty:
 

MMtwo

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 20, 2009
Messages
4,445
See the red sapphire pivots? This watch was made in the teens (est) and made to wear on a ribbon on the wrist. It still runs. I had it serviced a couple of years ago. Also notice the engraving that is impossibly fine on the dial. I know it is not longer beautiful, but I love it's mechanical longevity and the fact that things from back then were made to last. The case has a 25 year guarantee written in. I think it has fared very well, seeing that guarantee may have expired about 1945. So yeah, I get excited about the way things work too.

EDIT: Sorry about my tangent. Seiko and Orient should be a good buy for an automatic watch. You can also get them with a full view back to watch the movement.

20140618_192630.jpg

20140618_192649.jpg

20140618_192545.jpg
 

Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 3, 2004
Messages
33,852
JewelFreak|1404936567|3709945 said:
What wonderful friends you have! I must be horribly out of it, but I have no idea what an automatic watch is. :oops:
They are watches with a rotor inside that will spin and winds the watch automatically when your wrist is in motion.

Here are two of my mechanical watches...

The one on top is an auto wind, notice the rotor which covers half of the movement?
The one on the bottom is a manual hand wound watch, notice there are no rotor on the movement?

_20057.jpg

_20058.jpg
 

texaskj

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 31, 2010
Messages
1,197
Yay!! More photos of DF's watches!

This site is also helpful:
http://www.watchuseek.com/home

True confession time: I've got a Seiko5 automatic and let it sit all the time. After about 12 swings back and forth it takes off and runs fine. I've got about six watches and all the batteries seem to die at the same time, so aggravating.
 

Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 3, 2004
Messages
33,852
kalomeli|1404936377|3709941 said:
I recently graduated with my M. Sc. (Tech.) and my friends got me a very thoughtful gift - a gift certificate to a nationwide jewelry chain here in Finland. I'm not really loving their jewelry (any PSer will likely understand why) but their watch collection is fine and they're willing to order me any watch from their selected brands.

I'm a good little PSer and did my research and kind of fell in love with the idea of an automatic watch instead of "normal" quartz watch. I do realize that my budget isn't big (I was thinking of Certina or Orient) but the little engineer in me just loves the idea of having an automatic watch.

So anyone more knowledgeable in this subject - are affordable automatic watches any good? Any other pros or cons I should know about?
Orient and Seiko are very popular among the watch crowd.
 

JewelFreak

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
7,768
I used to have one. Didn't know that's what they are called. I have no idea what happened to it, boo hoo. Forgot all about that watch. Cool stuff, moneymeister & DF, thanks!

--- Laurie
 

ksinger

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 30, 2008
Messages
5,083
Dancing Fire|1404948587|3710054 said:
JewelFreak|1404936567|3709945 said:
What wonderful friends you have! I must be horribly out of it, but I have no idea what an automatic watch is. :oops:
They are watches with a rotor inside that will spin and winds the watch automatically when your wrist is in motion.

Here are two of my mechanical watches...

The one on top is an auto wind, notice the rotor which covers half of the movement?
The one on the bottom is a manual hand wound watch, notice there are no rotor on the movement?

Kalomeli - don't get breathless over DF's watches. He looks for any opportunity to show off with them. Most of us mere mortals can't afford DF's stuff. He's rich after all. ;))
 

MMtwo

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 20, 2009
Messages
4,445
DF <3 Ohhhh myyyyy......what fine watches :appl: :appl: :appl: :appl: :appl: :appl: :appl: !

This is my daily wear automatic Bulova automatic. It is a moderately priced watch, not "cheap" and I would say the movement is comparable to what you would find in a Seiko (Seiko 5 for the automatic) or an Orient. Those two are always mentioned when someone is looking for a budget automatic.








20140709_204907_0.jpg
 

Sky56

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
1,040
I hope I am not too off-topic, but I love Citizen Eco-Drive watches. They run on light. I keep my collection of them on a table where they always get light. Some of them are pretty old. None of them have ever needed servicing. I view them as perpetual motion machines.
 

OoohShiny

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 25, 2014
Messages
8,228
I love watching automatic seconds hands sweep round :)


IMHO, Seiko > Orient.

Seiko have a great selection of reasonably priced stuff and they are pretty much bombproof, as I understand it. I have heard stories about them still running well after 30 years of not being serviced!
 

Dancing Fire

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 3, 2004
Messages
33,852
Ame bought a very nice Seiko Automatic from Seiya Japan.
 

LaraOnline

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Feb 24, 2008
Messages
3,365
Sky56|1404971945|3710290 said:
I hope I am not too off-topic, but I love Citizen Eco-Drive watches. They run on light. I keep my collection of them on a table where they always get light. Some of them are pretty old. None of them have ever needed servicing. I view them as perpetual motion machines.

Am I out of the loop? Because I am a massive fan of citizen eco-drive.
Is there any important reason why they are not seen as 'special' watches, apart from the size of their production runs?
I have bought a super-nice titanium Citizen eco drive for my husband for Christmas (couldn't go fancier, as he is not a jewellery person and may not ever wear it....but I figure he may just appreciate the gesture of being gifted a nice and reliable watch).

ETA:razz:raps I should start a new thread on this... please excuse my bump.

ETA: Here tis: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/citizen-eco-drive-cool-or-pleb.207328/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/citizen-eco-drive-cool-or-pleb.207328/[/URL]
 
Be a part of the community Get 3 HCA Results
Top