Quartz watches are amazing- they put an end to mechanical watch dominance. But....mechanical watches are beautiful- especially considering how they are made (I refer to the expensive ones).
I agree that mechanical watches are beautiful if executed well. I have a Heuer Carrera I bought for myself in 1970 new that I wore for years and years. (Pre-dating TAG Heuer.) Self winding, water proof, date, and a stop watch. I did a lot of navigating with that watch and grew to rely upon it in the most demanding of conditions. It had a very steady rate of 1 second per day (one minute per month.) Some might have considered it a little in-elegant but it was the first automatic chronograph on the market. It is no longer my daily watch as I value it too greatly (sentimental value) to risk destroying or loosing it, but when I do wear it it inevitably gets compliments from horologist fans.
I have long wanted a Zenith Primero a but there is no practical reason for me to acquire one.
About those Rolex -- I was on board a race boat as navigator at a big regatta. Serious stuff. Six very experienced and capable sailors on board and the owner came to win. About a half hour before the start the professional helmsman asked who had a stop watch to time the start sequence?
Out of six of us my humble Iron Man was the only stop watch available -- because everyone else had a Rolex on their wrist!
We nailed the starts by the helmsman's skills and my timing. We found the marks in the thick fog on day two by a hand held GPS with no maps and my Iron Man watch. We won the division we were in. And we won top performance in the regatta! Guess what the prize for that was?
A Rolex watch!
Of course that went to the owner and I went back home with my Iron Man -- but I didn't mind. You can win the Rolex at the regatta, but you can't win the regatta with the Rolex! ;)
Peter
I agree that mechanical watches are beautiful if executed well. I have a Heuer Carrera I bought for myself in 1970 new that I wore for years and years. (Pre-dating TAG Heuer.) Self winding, water proof, date, and a stop watch. I did a lot of navigating with that watch and grew to rely upon it in the most demanding of conditions. It had a very steady rate of 1 second per day (one minute per month.) Some might have considered it a little in-elegant but it was the first automatic chronograph on the market. It is no longer my daily watch as I value it too greatly (sentimental value) to risk destroying or loosing it, but when I do wear it it inevitably gets compliments from horologist fans.
I have long wanted a Zenith Primero a but there is no practical reason for me to acquire one.
About those Rolex -- I was on board a race boat as navigator at a big regatta. Serious stuff. Six very experienced and capable sailors on board and the owner came to win. About a half hour before the start the professional helmsman asked who had a stop watch to time the start sequence?
Out of six of us my humble Iron Man was the only stop watch available -- because everyone else had a Rolex on their wrist!
We nailed the starts by the helmsman's skills and my timing. We found the marks in the thick fog on day two by a hand held GPS with no maps and my Iron Man watch. We won the division we were in. And we won top performance in the regatta! Guess what the prize for that was?
A Rolex watch!
Of course that went to the owner and I went back home with my Iron Man -- but I didn't mind. You can win the Rolex at the regatta, but you can't win the regatta with the Rolex! ;)
Peter