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Who Watches the Watchmen (Our Chit Chat Thread)

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 993 ✭✭✭Time


    I neither enjoy looking at exhibition casebooks (in fact i have no watches other than the Solas Starlight with one) or discussing the finer points of movements, not that i know enough about them to do so anyway.

    I won't argue that a Quartz watch can't be as comfortable or as functional, of course they can be, and are arguably more functional. None of that changes the fact that by their very nature mechanical watches are far more interesting. Look at the repeater; invented in 1687 but never actually a necessary or particularly useful function in the grand scheme of things., but theres no denying that it is a fascinating achievement, made for achievements sake, and quartz watches simply don't have that.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,599 ✭✭✭Cyclingtourist


    That's fine. You find mechanical movements interesting and that's an important aspect of watches for you.

    I think there's no reason why a quartz watch can't have a repeater function.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,573 ✭✭✭scwazrh


    what would be the point of having that complication on an electronic watch?Complications such as that are in part to show the watch makers abilities and craftsmanship. Putting it on a battery powered by watch would be pointless.



  • Registered Users Posts: 993 ✭✭✭Time


    It can, it's just that theres no complexity in implementing it, they can even have complications that would be impossible on a mechanical watch. But theres also plenty of boring mechanical watches out there, they aren't always more interesting, but as a category i think they are when compared to quartz for the skill and ingenuity that goes into designing them.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,599 ✭✭✭Cyclingtourist


    If it's only value is to demonstrate the watchmaker's skill then yes obviously putting it in a quartz watch using a programmed micro chip or whatever would be pointless. The point I was making is that it could be done not that there would be much point in doing it other than maybe as a curiosity.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,573 ✭✭✭scwazrh


    @Cyclingtourist not that there would be much point in doing it other than maybe as a curiosity.

    That’s a good enough reason for most high end watch complications



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,599 ✭✭✭Cyclingtourist


    Yes and they can be done electronically also, so it's down to the consumer whether it's more important to have it done mechanically and if they are prepared to pay the premium.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,525 ✭✭✭Fitz II


    Smart watches have really killed the classic quartz watch...fully programmable and more useful...most people I see with a watch have a smart watch of some sort. Mechanical watches going strong it's the quartz that's in trouble.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,573 ✭✭✭scwazrh


    anyone else here wear a Fitbit on one arm and real watch on the other ?



  • Registered Users Posts: 993 ✭✭✭Time


    I used to and it drove me mad having something on my left wrist so i stopped. If i want a wearable i just use my apple watch.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,573 ✭✭✭scwazrh


    I wear a Fitbit on my right arm .Have done so for about 18months now.Brilliant tool to help with weight loss which is why I started wearing it but couldn’t bring myself to stop wearing a real watch.I’ve the smallest Fitbit available so not bulky to wear.



  • Registered Users Posts: 16,303 ✭✭✭✭banie01


    Yep, have a miband on my right wrist. Great battery life and activity tracking and fairly unobtrusive to wear.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,358 ✭✭✭Ryath


    Wear a Fitbit Inspire myself on right wrist. It's not much bulkier than one of those silicone charity bands that used to be popular. Barely notice I'm wearing it and battery lasts over a week and 10minutes on charge will top it up by a few days.



  • Registered Users Posts: 356 ✭✭Ian OB




  • Registered Users Posts: 1,923 ✭✭✭C0N0R


    Wear an Apple Watch while working or exercising, proper watch outside of that. Apple Watch is great, but it’s nice to leave behind the greater feeling of being “connected.”

    The idea of two watches at the same time doesn’t appeal



  • Registered Users Posts: 8,661 ✭✭✭893bet


    what’s the model number of the smallest fit bit? Might give it a whirl



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,599 ✭✭✭Cyclingtourist


    No, I wear a watch and ride a non-motorised bicycle. It keeps me a bit fit.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,573 ✭✭✭scwazrh


    the fitbit luxe I use now and it was the fitbit inspire I had before , battery went crap after a year which is why I changed. I wear mine with "head " part under my wrist so it just looks like one of the rubber bracelets as someone else said earlier .Its not big enough to feel like you're wearing two watches.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,525 ✭✭✭Fitz II


    I see a lot of people double fisting a smart watch and a mechanical watch, and the advantages of a smart watch over a quartz is undeniable. These fixed function quartz watches are in real trouble, very retro now. Like having a calculator and being impressed it has a graphing function. I think there is a quartz crysis but not mechanicals against quartz....its quartz versus smart watches. Any advantage you can level for a quartz against a mechanical you can level 10 fold to a smart watch over a quartz, mechanicals have positioned themselves outside the ring for this fight.



  • Registered Users Posts: 544 ✭✭✭RMDrive


    Despite my wife's assertions that I look like an eejit, I wear an apple watch and a mechanical watch every day. I need the apple watch to movitate myself towards some level of fitness, and I need the mechanical watch because they are cool (way cooler than quartz 😀).



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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,599 ✭✭✭Cyclingtourist


    Any cursory glance in a high street jeweller's window would tell you otherwise. Passed Duggan's in Fairview the other day and it was all quartz.

    Yes the younger gen are either going bare wrists or Smart but there's still a lot of quartz fashion brand wrist jewellery watches being sold. Mechanical watches are a niche and luxury male thing.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,525 ✭✭✭Fitz II


    Any cursory glance into a Golden Disks would have you thinking CD's are going strong too. You dont buy a smart watch in a jewellers, have a look in a PC world. Agree that  mechanical watches are a niche and luxury male thing, but by the same token old style fixed function quartz watches are becoming a niche thing too. Smartwatches are far more popular in this non luxury space.

    https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/5/21125565/apple-watch-sales-2019-swiss-watch-market-estimates-outsold



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,599 ✭✭✭Cyclingtourist


    Sorry I was referring to the mechanical v quartz debate and I did mention that Smart was the coming thing.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,573 ✭✭✭scwazrh


    @Fitz II there is a quartz crysis but not mechanicals against quartz....its quartz versus smart watches

    That’s spot on.I’ve some g-shocks that are Bluetooth connected to an app so act as a smart watch so they are starting to merge already. Battery powered watches can be a cheap bit of fun but I wouldn’t be spending more than a couple of hundred on any of them.Any that I currently have are shared with my son which if he wasn’t as interested in them I probably wouldn’t still be as keen on them. They don’t have the “soul” for want of a better word that mechanical watches have.

    Really don’t get the “godtier “ waffle that pride and pinion are pushing with basic Casio’s .I see they have a clothing line being released with the branding as well now.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,599 ✭✭✭Cyclingtourist


    I'm a subscriber to the AquaTerraMan YT channel and his latest video is a size comparison of the AT 8900 41mm with a few other watches including notably the Omega Seamaster Professional 300 black dial quartz.

    Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 8900: Why is it so comfortable? Comparison to similar sized watches - YouTube



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,525 ✭✭✭Fitz II


    I suppose the same thing applies. You go into a shop that sells mostly quartz watches you will find lots of quartz watches. Dont know that smart is the coming thing, seems to be well here already. Hell maybe these are all different things that are not really comparable as they fulfill different requirements for a non homogeneous group of people, and its as pointless hold the opinion that your quartz is great cause its more accurate and handy than a mechanical as it is hold the opinion that fixed function quartz is rubbish cause it doesnt have phone connectivity and healthy tracking.

    The Godtier thing is genius. In my limited experiance of youtube and social media, unless you are very positive about watches with large fan bases you get eaten alive. Punching up is fine, but punching down is a no no. Nico can ramble on about how much he loves God tier casio, throw on a few and give away a few and it insulates him from being called a snob. Its the watch equivalent of cancel culture, and being watch woke is like armour. As a man with a shop selling very expensive watches its easy see where his actual tastes are, but then he can sell shirts and hats to people who are not in a position to buy his watches. Its like Ferrari selling hats and jackets far and above their car sales figures. Nico and his team know how to play the social media game, but you are right that it could be seen as condescending and disingenuous not to hold a consistent opinion, but you watch enough youtube and read enough forums and you see that its rare find a person with the strength of their convictions over long periods of time....most just float like corks in the river of opinion. In a way the "microbrand" scene is more genuine. Vintage the same.



  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,014 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    Aye the godtier spiel is spot on. The vast majority of those who would follow his social media/youtube stuff are not the guys buying his eleventy thousand quid watches, but it's a way of engaging them to keep attention going. Ages back I followed the link to his sub on reddit and outside of a tiny handful of Rolex stuff, much of it in long ownership/family heirloom, the rest of the pics of his fan's watches were fashion watches and Casio fare. And fair enough, but that's much of his audience on youtube.

    And let's face it, if we were looking fo a "godtier" Japanese watch brand it would be Seiko by a country mile, several country miles. Not talking GS or any of that, just their long and deep history of innovation along with huge sales and popularity makes Casio look like a corner shop outfit. Their biggest innovation and public eye watch - and it was a good one - was the G-Shock, followed by their 80's calculator watches.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



  • Registered Users Posts: 16,303 ✭✭✭✭banie01


    I don't know about Godtier 😉

    But! I've just pulled the trigger on a watch that may well turn out to be marmite, but if it is? I hope I acquire a taste for it because if I don't, I imagine it will be hard to shift on 🤣

    Bought another Sinn, this time it's a limited edition 103 Destro. I may have an unhealthy attraction to German utilitarianism. The lume really suckered me in tho🥺

    Fingers crossed that An Post are having a generous or inattentive day when it lands here 🤣





  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,573 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    Nice one Banie, are you left handed? Have you somewhere stateside that it can be shipped to first? Lovely clean dial for a chrono.

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 16,303 ✭✭✭✭banie01


    Thanks 😊 not left handed but destro's are worn on the left. Pushers are then accessible if gloves are worn. That said, just as easily worn on the right.

    It was the dial layout that caught my eye too tbh, then the lume. Noone in the states to send it to 1st. Will roll the dice with delivery but I negotiated a decent price with the expectation of VAT.



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