Mechanical or Quartz? Why Quartz Is Better Than You Think

When most people start looking at vintage watches, they naturally gravitate toward mechanical pieces — the traditional choice, powered by gears and springs rather than a battery. It’s easy to see why: mechanical watches carry centuries of history and a certain romance that quartz can’t match on the surface.

But here’s the thing: quartz is far better than its reputation suggests. For decades it’s been written off as the “cheap” alternative, when in reality it changed the watch industry forever and still offers some of the best value in vintage collecting today.

If you’re starting your journey into vintage watches, here’s why I think quartz deserves a closer look.

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Mechanical vs Quartz 101

At its most basic, a mechanical watch is powered by springs and gears. Inside are dozens of tiny parts working together to keep time, and while the idea is simple, the execution is anything but. Mechanical watches come in two main forms:

• Manual wind: You wind the crown by hand to tighten the mainspring, which stores energy to run the watch. 
• Automatic: A small rotor winds the mainspring as you move your wrist, making the watch self-winding. 

Quartz watches, by contrast, use a battery to send an electrical current through a quartz crystal, which vibrates at a precise frequency to regulate time. The result is remarkable accuracy with very little upkeep.

Both have strengths — mechanical for tradition and craft, quartz for accuracy and convenience. The problem is that quartz has often been dismissed unfairly, and that’s where I think it deserves a closer look.

✅ Takeaway: Mechanical watches carry tradition and craft, while quartz delivers accuracy and ease — understanding both helps you decide what matters most to you.

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Quartz Changed Everything

In 1969, Seiko released the Astron 35SQ — the world’s first quartz wristwatch. It was accurate to within about five seconds per month, something no mechanical watch of the time could match. Overnight, quartz reset expectations for what a watch could do.

The impact was huge: quartz movements were cheaper to produce, easier to maintain, and far more precise. Suddenly, the centuries-old dominance of Swiss mechanical watchmakers was under threat — a period now known as the “Quartz Crisis.” Brands that had relied on traditional movements struggled, while millions of affordable quartz watches flooded the market.

The silver lining is that quartz forced the Swiss industry to adapt. Some brands leaned into quartz themselves, while others doubled down on mechanical craft, pushing innovation in design, finishing, and engineering to a new level. That split is why we now see mechanical watches celebrated as luxury and heritage pieces, while quartz became the reliable everyday choice.

✅ Takeaway: Quartz didn’t just arrive quietly — it transformed the watch industry, reshaped Swiss watchmaking, and set the stage for the collecting landscape we know today.

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The Reputation Problem

So why do collectors look down on quartz? Mostly because of perception. Mechanical watches carry a sense of romance, linked to centuries of horology. Quartz, on the other hand, is efficient and practical, but less romantic on the surface.

Mass production in the 80s and 90s didn’t help — floods of inexpensive quartz watches hit the market, cementing the idea that quartz equals disposable. But this view ignores the many high-quality quartz models built by brands like Cartier, Omega, Seiko, and even Rolex.

✅ Takeaway: Quartz got its “cheap” image from the wrong end of the market — not from the watches worth collecting.

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Why Quartz is Excellent Value (and Where to Look)

Here’s where quartz shines:

• Accuracy: A healthy vintage mechanical might run within ±30 seconds a day, which is considered excellent. By comparison, a quartz watch can stay within seconds a month.
• Set and Forget: Place it down for a few days and when you pick it back up, it’s still ticking — no winding, no adjusting.
• Lower Costs: Mechanical overhauls can run into the hundreds. A quartz watch typically just needs a battery change every few years, with service that’s simpler and more affordable.

For new collectors, quartz offers peace of mind. You get vintage style without worrying about whether the watch is going to stop overnight or run minutes fast by the end of the week.

And there are plenty of overlooked gems worth considering:

• Cartier Must de Tank Quartz: Elegant, timeless design at approachable prices.
• Omega Seamaster Quartz: Classic dive styling with the reliability of quartz.
• Seiko Quartz Chronographs: Funky 70s–90s styling with bulletproof Japanese movements.
• Rolex Oysterquartz: A cult classic that proves even the biggest names took quartz seriously.

Because quartz is still underappreciated, many of these watches remain more affordable than their mechanical counterparts — making them excellent entry points into vintage collecting.

✅ Takeaway: Don’t overlook quartz — it’s one of the most accessible and best-value ways to enjoy vintage watches today.

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Final Thoughts

Mechanical watches will always have their place in collecting. They’re a marvel of engineering — part of the magic is knowing that an automatic designed decades ago can still run on nothing but human movement.

But quartz deserves far more credit than it gets. It changed the industry, it keeps time better than almost anything else, and it delivers style at a fraction of the cost.

At The Curated Dial, I want to shine a light on quartz as much as mechanical, because both have stories worth telling, and both deserve a place on the wrist.