It is rather shocking to see mechanical movements – no, not the human-robot kind of awkward and clumsy ones; I mean the mechanical watch movements – vanishing from men’s wish list faster than you can say “How?” The trend is going after more than you can handle in a wrist-wear; since mechanicals do not accommodate as much (not talking about the insanely high-priced Swiss marvels) as a quartz Fliegerwatch. I’m not against these utilitarian watches; heck, I LOVE them. Still, I can’t think of wearing one when I’m cleaning my hog or giving my dog a bath. I know, they are made to resist nature’s shocks and shakes; keep water out for another 100 years; still – and how much ever goosy it is – I can’t help that ticking at the back of my mind. This is not where I like my Citizen Eco-Drive; my Seiko Automatic Diver fits in here better.
You might ask “Why?” Do those small gears, jewels, miniature screws and paper-thin springs falter any less than the quartz crystal and the techno-assortments? Don’t mechanical watches require more frequent maintenance than their quartz cousins?
Not quite; some of the multifunctional quartzes are built even tougher. Yet, if they conk on duty, bringing those inexpensive mechanical wristwatches (provided it’s from a brand like Seiko; not Hamilton) back to life doesn’t feel like an ordeal. However, it’s not to say that non-mechanicals make you pay through your nose; some are as good. These, for example.
I already hear noises against the accuracy of mechanical watches, but hey, I think 99.9% is something I can gladly do with. Why? Because I like rubbing the gleaming metal a few more times. Even if my Seiko is lagging 5 seconds behind, it gives me 5 extra seconds to polish the shine for one-more-final-time. I think I can do with it running 1 minute and 27 seconds slow per day; I don’t need to get into the rat race for the kind of accuracy radio-control brings. I like wearing them to work, where every second counts. But then again, my Fridays are laid back even during work hours, so a mechanical doesn’t pose a very big problem. However, for formal invitations on a weekend, I’ll slap on a Hamilton. But for a boys’ night-out, I will always prefer some chunky toughness with lots of tech (even some I will need maybe once a year). That keeps the chest-thumping going. Besides, you need an alarm to remind you it’s time to go home.
Thanks for the nice article. Running that late you might consider to oil or replace the precision screws inside. Sometimes that helps! Anyway, i prefer clocks that have titanium parts. Guess that comes with an allergy against stainless steel.
Mechanical watches are a thing of beauty. The intricacies have an elegance to it. Advancements in watches have come over the centuries and you are wearing a piece of history. Human engineering at it’s finest. It is amazing to be able to wear something with that many tiny gears and springs all working in unison on your wrist. Wearing a mechanical watch is less about telling what time it is but more about wearing something special. I always have my mobile phone on me and it tells the exact time, so I don’t need a watch, I choose to wear one.