Addressing my anxieties over the cost and possible damage (when the watch is in transit) for servicing an automatic watch, a process that often involves mailing the watch overseas, Ulysses writes:
It's interesting isn't it? Nobody ever really talks about servicing quartz watches. OK, they're not reliant on a balance wheel, but there are other gears that must suffer from wear and tear after a while. Despite that, i've never had to send one in for service other than when an incompetent watchmaker damaged a movement.
Japanese mechanical movements are known to be quite durable and many get by just fine without ever being serviced. It's not as though it will suddenly explode after five years - it just might not keep time as well as it did, in which case you could skip a full service and just get it regulated and if necessary, lubricated.
Arguably, quartz watches are superior time-keepers and are more durable than their mechanical counterparts. We cling on to archaic technology because of how it makes us feel, not because it is necessarily the best choice, and it doesn't matter if it is mechanical watches or old sports cars that can't be driven a couple of miles without breaking down.
Herculodge Response
As a watch obsessive, I find myself climbing the ladder of luxury and asking myself, "Do I really want to buy a high-end quartz watch? Does quartz even "have a soul" like an automatic? You'll see this matter of "soul" on this Rolex forum regarding the purchase of Omega quartz watches.
Ulyssess' words hit home. Part of me is tempted to sell my 4 autos (keep my SRP637 because it's so "cheap") and get an Omega Seamaster wave 41mm quartz. Or I could get another Ecozilla and put on a Super Engineer II. If that were the case, my collection would be thus:
1. Seiko SBBN017 quartz Tuna on Super Engineer
2. Seiko SBDL021 solar quartz Fieldmaster on Shark Mesh
3. Citizen Promaster Sky Black solar quartz
4. Citizen Promaster Sky Silver solar quartz
5. Ecozilla original (solar quartz)
6. Ecozilla on Shark Mesh (solar quartz)
7. Seiko SRP637 (automatic that I "would ride into the ground")
8. Benarus Moray Dart
9. Orient Saturation Diver
10. Citizen Grand Touring
Possible Future Watch
Omega Seamaster Wave Dial 41mm quartz or Ecozilla on Super Engineer and then my collection would be complete. Or a Seiko SRP307. And then my collection will be complete.
It's weird making this list. It's like I let practical concerns compromise my Watch Quest. I would miss the intoxication and craziness of it all. That's the "feeling" that Ulysses is talking about.
To lose that "feeling" would be to experience a sort of death.
I think boredom is a major part of watch obsession - it is something to do, something to fill the void. As Ernest Becker might say, it is another form of death denial.
That said, Jeff, I think you took one aspect of what Ulysses said and ran with it, and ignored the other aspect - which is that servicing might be less domineering than you think. As he said, it isn't like at 5 years your watch will stop working. Chances are that, over time, the accuracy goes down, but that's probably all you'd notice - at least at 5 years.
That said, while I agree with Ulysses that many watches don't need servicing at the factory recommended interval (which is usually quite conservative), from what I understand, watches that go too long without servicing are at greater risk of more serious damage - sort of like not changing the oil on your car. Jiffy Lube recommends 3,000 miles because that's how they make their money, but most mechanics say 5-7,000 is OK - as long as you check your oil levels every once in awhile. Not sure what the watch equivalent would be, but I've heard about Omegas that have gone 15+ years without servicing and run just fine.
Posted by: jonnybardo | April 15, 2015 at 11:26 AM
I do tend to "run with it" at times no matter what the subject is. The tendency is anxiety-driven, a subject I've tackled for a YouTube video. You make good points.
Posted by: herculodge | April 15, 2015 at 11:54 AM
Collecting things, or having a hobby in general, is supposed to be fun rather than causing endless anxiety. If it causes more pain than pleasure, maybe it's time to try something else.
Since you rotate your automatic watches, I doubt that they'd need service in 5 years. Maybe they can go 10 or more. If you had a more expensive watch like a Rolex or an Omega, it might be advisable to service it closer to the manufacturer's interval in order to maintain its value. With a $700 Citizen, it probably doesn't matter nearly as much.
Posted by: Gary | April 15, 2015 at 12:20 PM