Seiko Watch

It varies. Quartz watches are often perceived to have a short life span (less than fifteen years), in comparison to long-lasting mechanical watches. This viewpoint should be tempered by a number of factors.

• Many believe that electronics develop so quickly that the parts needed to maintain a quartz watch will be quickly unavailable. This is not likely to happen, because quartz technology is fairly stable (neither progressing nor obsolete).
• Mechanical watches require maintenance every two to four years, creating a need for mechanical watch specialists. This simply doesn’t exist for quarts watches: with long-lasting batteries and low manufacturing costs, quartz watches are designed to be low-maintenance objects. You won’t find repair shops skilled in cleaning and repairing quartz mechanisms, as the cost of repairing one is higher than the cost of replacing it. Thus, mechanical watches are perceived as long-lasting objects and quartz watches are seen as disposable.
• The relatively short lifespan of earlier digital watches or quartz watches may be due components other than the quartz timekeeping parts, such as fragile LCD displays. In addition, quartz watches can be manufactured cheaply with costs driven even lower using cheap materials. A low-quality watch case will mean poor resistance to environmental factors, so shock, corrosion, and leaky batteries are more likely to kill your quartz watch than its electronic components dying.

The lifespan of quartz timepieces differs from watch to watch, but one that is well-made can last over thirty years, with the only maintenance being battery replacement.

An issue with mechanical watches is that they are less accurate than a quartz analog or digital watch. This is an issue that affects both automatic and manual watches. However, with a few simple steps, it is easy to regulate a mechanical watch to be accurate yourself. If the mechanical watch is particularly expensive, though, it may be worth taking it to a professional jeweler. Lastly, if it is a new watch, wait at least two months before regulating your watch. This is because the lubricant and gears have not been moving in the shop and require that long to settle and redistribute before an accurate regulation can be attained.

Things you will need:

• Case blade
• Watchmaker’s ball, or duct tape, or rubber jar opener
• Toothpick or jeweler’s precision screwdriver

1) Synchronize the mechanical watch with a quartz or atomic clock. Set it aside for a day to measure how much time it gains or loses during that period. Be sure to wind up the watch enough for the day. If it gains or loses less than eight seconds, there is no need to regulate, or it may be simply the position of the watch. Mechanical watches tend to gain or lose time depending on what position they are placed in. If the time gained or lost is greater than a few minutes, there is a problem and you should take it in to a professional. However, anything between those two periods can be adjusted easily.

2) Flip the mechanical watch over and examine the case. If the back is screwed in, use the watchmaker’s ball, duct tape, or jar opener to carefully unscrew the back. If it is a snapdown case, use the case blade to open the case. Plastic cling wrap may be used to cover the case before opening it to prevent scratching the back. Be careful not to use excessive force, especially if inexperienced with the tools.

3) Examine the open case carefully, look for a tiny “+” and “-“. There will be a tiny notch between these two symbols. This is the regulator. Use a toothpick or a precision screwdriver to carefully nudge the regulator. Move it towards the “+” to gain time, or the “-“ to lose time.

4) Set the watch aside for about two hours to figure out how much time it now loses or gains. Multiply this by 12 to figure out how much it would change in a day and make adjustments accordingly.

A mechanical watch is perhaps the ultimate symbol of antiquated craftsmanship. Instead of running on electronic components like other watches, a mechanical watch runs solely on the power of a wound spring, with tiny moving gears and parts being used to show the time. Although the basic design and construction of mechanical watches have not changed in 50 years, they are still a popular alternative to digital or analog watches because of their elegance, aesthetic, and craftsmanship. Many enthusiasts prefer the charm and complexity within a mechanical watch that they find lacking in other watches.

In the end, choosing between a mechanical watch or a quarts or an electronic watch comes down to personal preference. However, many high-end brands such as Jaeger-LeCoultre and Patek Philippe deal in mostly mechanical watches. Thus, there is a certain prestige and class that goes along with wearing a mechanical watch that is absent when wearing a quartz-powered or battery-operated watch. A good tip when buying a mechanical watch is to look for one made in Switzerland, although some brands come from Japan, such as a Seiko watch.