Are Automatic watches a lifetime asset?

Just my opinion, but if you want / like a digital watch you buy one. The same for automatic/mechanical.

Going from wait lists and the amount of start up micro brands making mechanical watches I'd say for the foreseeable future their still in high demand

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I prefer mechanical watches I love the tinkering and adjusting I find them very engaging, you also can’t beat the colour/dial engraving etc combinations that you can get they’re fascinating. I don’t think they’ll ever not be around us due to digitalisation, I also love quartz watches analogue and digital models so I suppose I’m a timepiece fan.

I pretty sure because of the love and the established business of horology mechanical timepieces will keep flourishing!

For me the advancement in all tech is to be embraced but personally I do not like smart watches at all, they’re just mobile phones on your wrist, why do I need one when I have a mobile phone in my pocket….

Thanks...

Mechanical watches aren’t going anywhere. It’s still a multi-billion ££ industry across the globe. And growing..

I don't think smart watches will have too much of an effect on people who already liked watches, I fell foul and went to the Apple Watch dark side but it was a bit meh and only used it for a couple of years.

Those people who previously only used their phone to tell the time may have got a smart watch, liked it, got bored and then explored other options like quartz & mechanical.

The biggest revolution was in the 70s where quartz really kicked things off and the industry has survived that and I find it hard to believe that mechanical & automatic watches will ever disappear, there's still a big market for then even if smart watches are a gateway in.

Is there an affect... yes. Just like when quartz first came into the picture, the mechanical industry was affected. Unfortunately in the next few generations, the idea of a watch will be changed and it will impact this field.

I think mechanical watches and smart watches should be treated as different animals. Despite various complications, it would be hard to compare the functionality of mechanical watches to that of smart watches'.

IMHO, smart watches will go out of style (or be replaced by newer models with more advanced functions) over time, whereas mechanical watches can last for a much longer time.

I believe it's absolutely just a matter of taste. It's just what you like and prefer. Luckily I believe that smart watches, even though they make an impact overall, will not effect the watch industry greatly like quartz did back in the 70s. It's just taste... Watch lovers will get mechs or quart and tech lovers will get smart watches. While smart watches, I definitely think have their place and have carved out their own niche in the industry, mechanical watches aren't going anywhere because theres just to much love out there for them and I'm greatful for that. To me there is just no substitute for a beautiful mechanical sitting on your wrist ticking away, is it as accurate as a quartz... No. Does it have all the fancy smancy apps like a smart watch... Nope.

And yet for many of us we couldn't care less. Owning a mechanical is a statement by the owner saying I LOVE THE NATURAL ORGANIC AND MECHANICAL BEAUTY OF TIME TELLING! Its a statement of dedication to the appreciation of the history and artistry that is watch making. I own a smart watch and I own quartz. I never wear my smartwatch and although I have some beautiful quartz watches that I wear often, there is just something extra I get from my mechs that nothing else offers. JUST MY OPINION.

Smart watches have a finite life. At some point they will stop being updated/supported and/or the electronics will just break down and they're toast. Automatic watches are a lot hardier and, if kept in good condition and not trashed or driven over by a tank will theoretically last forever as they can be repaired.

An automatic can last your whole lifetime with care. A smart watch won't make it past this decade.

I think I look at things as there’s a time and place for everything. Currently, on days when I absolutely know communication with my teams are of high importance, my Apple Watch can be a huge asset. Ditto for simple things like alarms, notifications, etc. I also find my AW to be particularly helpful when I’m actively traveling, ie in the airport.

My timepieces are, to me, a luxury item when I can afford them. This includes the when, where, what of a situation. When I’m not banging around the house, where I am if it wouldn’t be rude to be notified to check a text or email. What am I doing; am I at a business event, or a wedding, or at the gym.

There’s enough room for both. The idea of timepieces as a tool has for the most part come to an end. They can be a mechanical backup I suppose in a digital world. But to me they are truly a luxury item. Their purpose is to give me pleasure, or joy, but mostly satisfaction. My AW is there to make me more efficient, help me understand my health or sleep, or keep me more accountable to others. Timepieces are for me and me alone (except when my wife swipes one of course). One day will my kids feel the same? Despite what PP says, I don’t really care. They are for me, they tell me a story, sometimes they help me write my story, they are my little piece of a life well lived.

Obsolescence (oops, mechanical watches have been obsolete for like half a century already) merely shifts some items into collectability and for a good long time the weirdos and their multiple purchases offset the relative invisibility to the general public. Fountain pens and double edge razors are still going strong. It's hard to kill a good idea. At some point new generations lose interest, but who knows how long that will take. It is clear that without the internet, this cult survival would be seriously impaired.

I've had smart watches/Quartz and Automatic, i'd have another smart watch like the Ultra from Apple, but the overall quality and longevity of an Automatic or Quartz would be my first choice.

When it no longer becomes a symbol of wealth the industry will die.

Companies like Rolex are and will do everything in their power to make sure that never happens.

Just look at pocket watches for example. Some of them are still incredibly valuable, but in comparison to the number made, it's a very small percentage. If you had told a wealthy gentleman his pride and joy pocket watch was only going to be worth the scrap value of the precious metals in it, he would have laughed at you and told you it's going to be a family heirloom that would be passed down through the generations.

All a smart watch will ever replace is last year's smart watch.

I don't own a smart watch and probably never will. I do own a Seiko Sportsmatic 6619-9000 that was made in January of 1967 and I've owned it since 1975 - it is my oldest possession! Long live the mechanicals!

Are automatic watches a lifetime asset? Is digitalization impacting the mechanical era of the watch industry?

Yes, they are lifetime assets. Servicing makes very little difference. The truly expensive brands (Rolex, Patek Phillippe, etc.) will continue to increase in value as they age, because of their brand recognition, combined with their "vintage" (and later "antique") status. Being in good repair might affect the monetary value somewhat, but many collectors might not care; there is a segment of collectors who treat historical objects as display pieces, rather than as practical objects. Those collectors WANT the rust, the petina of the base metal, the water damage, etc. They want the object preserved in its present state, un-modified in any way. I am not one of those people; I believe that objects should be restored to working order, and put to use for their intended purposes.

SIDEBAR: I collect airguns. I bought a vintage, 1971 Benjamin Franklin air rifle at a trade show. It was in non-working condition. One of my collector buddies told me, "Just leave it as it is. It's worth more that way." I was unable to comply; I sent it to a specialist, and not only had it restored to full, working condition, but I also had the wooden stock sanded and re-stained. It looks beautiful. And it shoots like a champ now. (9 pumps = 895 fps. I am not strong enough to pump it that magical tenth time, lol. 🤣) My buddy told me I was crazy. My response was, "Yeah, but now it's useful. And it's beautiful. And I can pass it on to my son, because it's not a plastic piece of cr%p. It's wood and steel, a true work of .22 caliber art. With a little TLC, this thing will last forever." 😎

The same goes for watches; collectors who feel as I do will want to have the watch restored to full, working order. But if the watch is broken, that won't necessarily prevent them (or me!) from buying it. Especially if the price seems right. Because when I look at something like that (i.e., a non-functional, vintage piece) I think: "I wonder what it would cost to restore it?" If I can then come up with a feasible and satisfactory answer, I will still buy it. LONG STORY SHORT: As I said before, servicing makes very little difference. Whether it's working or not, a collectible watch is a collectible watch.

The cheaper watch brands are assets as well, in terms of collectibility, maybe even moreso, because their lower monetary value makes them even more appealing to collectors. How many WatchCrunch users (I'm looking at you, @Porthole 😎) love to find an old, vintage, non-working watch on Ebay for 25-30 bucks, and then completely restore it, making it into a beautiful, fully-functional addition to their collection? Still others might choose to flip such a watch, but the point is, the watch remains a desirable object, and continues to find and fulfill its purpose over time.

As for smart watches, they DID (and continue to) have an impact on the watch world. They have their own, special place. But because of their PLANNED obsolescence, they will never replace conventional watches (whether automatic or even quartz);

When you hitch your wagon to the technology curve, you have to accept the consequences of always having to upgrade every few years. And I wouldn't compare it to servicing a watch, because the whole mechanism must be replaced, because there comes a point where the processor will not be powerful enough to run the modern software (first and foremost, the OS) that is required. For example, iPhone 5 phones are obsolete, because they can't run anything past iOS 10. So now, those devices are relagated to being storage devices for music and pictures, in the best-case scenario. But the truth is, most of those phones have been discarded / recycled by now.

Not so with conventional watches. An automatic watch, if it's in working order, simply needs to be wound. A quartz watch simply needs a new battery. Batteries tend to stick around. Even the old, LCD watches from the 70's run mostly on batteries that are still available today.

I hope this answer helps! Cheers! 🍻

That's good stuff, especially the last sentence. I have 30 watches, 1 on the way, and a total of 3 were bought in a brick and mortar store.

I can't figure out how vinyl records came back.

They never left! I’ve always been buying them (even from fairly new and obscure bands). When in doubt, go to the hipster neighborhood and you’ll find whatever archaic thing you think went out of style quite thriving haha

They pretty much did leave when the CD was introduced. You could still find them, of course, but a huge amount of new releases had limited vinyl release or were CD only.

I always loved records, but the CD perfectly solved the two problems records had - surface noise and wear, and they weren't playable on the go or in cars. I keep seeing that records are back, surpassing CD sales, yet I know a lot of music guys, and they're not buying them. And why should they, at $29.95 a pop?

So now it seems like we listen to recorded music one of two ways. Either on one physical vinyl record at a time holding about 40 minutes, or we have thousands of songs on a tiny drive. The best I can work it out is that people want vinyl records in the same way they want quartz and (especially) mechanical watches, as charming anachronisms. But they also want their whole music library in their pocket. A CD is digital like the music library, but it only holds about 80 minutes. And a CD is physical, with graphics and artwork like a record, but the record and the graphics are bigger and the playback of a big black vinyl record on my Dual CS508 turntable is visually a more satisfying physical experience than playing a CD. A few might argue that vinyl has better sound quality than the CD but I don't think that's a big factor.

The vinyl record appeals to people's old physical and mechanical side, and streaming your whole library appeals to the digital high tech side. The CD is some of both but its physical side is not as good as vinyl and its digital side is not as good as streaming. So it's neither fish nor fowl.

I still buy vinyl records. Do they sound as good as digital?...No.

I still buy mechanical watches. Do they keep time as good as digital?...No.

It's all about what you like and the connection you have with the physical product. In the case of vinyl records I enjoy larger artwork, the feel of the sleeve, the ritual of putting it on the turntable, and the engagement it brings knowing that it takes an effort to skip to the next song. I also enjoy supporting the artist and getting something physical in return. With watches, I can appreciate the skill and effort that went into making a precision timepiece. I like the appearance, sound, and feel on the wrist.

If you have a record collection or a mechanical watch, you're an owner as well as a caretaker. That requires a degree of involvement that exceeds what's necessary to look at the time on your phone or to stream a file.

Oh hello…

I may have said this before, but I am amazed to see what you can pick up for cheap, and yes, sometimes a little investment in a service and you end up with a sweet little runner.

I may have written about what to look for as well, but that’s enough shameless promotion from me…

I don’t see them as investments though - not in the category and price bracket I’m usually rolling around in. The limitation on bid price is actually part of the fun… I’m watched-out if I am honest. I have pieces that are “investment worthy”, I have classics, I have monstrosities, and I have a Trinity watch. Tastes and collections change, but similarly, purchases also change you. I bought my Trinity watch when I was 30. It was not a planned purchase either, it was a happy accident - it was in a jewellers 5 minutes from my house, sitting in the back of a cabinet, and quietly shining away. The price was good; popped the back and the movement was a sight to behold, it came home with me. When you climb the mountain, where do you go next - Antarctica if you follow Sir Edmund Hilary - the Rolex itch was scratched soon after (sometimes it happens, unexpectedly). I’m trying to remember what triggered my current sojourn into 1940s/1950s vintage military-inspired field watches, but I don’t think it matters, it’s what excites me now. I picked up a battered Bentley with an AS 1130 Wehrmactswerk for £8, working extremely well - that’s insane whichever way you look at it.

This arrived today:

It cost me £17. I can spend more than that at breakfast.

Only one way to describe that watch: rugged beauty. Its battered appearance is quite exquisite. It looks as if it is brimming with history! 😀 Bravo! 👌

Automatic movement watches are Toolry now. Watches are as much jewelry as rhey are a tool

I personally think mechanical watches will become more like a decorative accessories rather than fulfilling its original purpose as a device to track time. Btw I don't like smart watches, I think it's more than enough with my phone

There will always be a market for well made time pieces.. everyone needs some form of luxury one way or another. smart watches are the new tool watch, cheap, useful and disposable. For the price of a service of a luxury piece, you can just get a new smart watch to replace one that gets eventually destroyed or outdated.

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