Hot Take: Had Quartz been invented 100 years ago, every major brand would’ve switched to it almost exclusively.
In terms of efficiency and durability we know Quartz is the best. Had Quartz been invented in say 1924, all the top brands would’ve seen how cheap production costs would be and just focus on marketing and getting these out there. The Bond Sub would’ve been Quartz then as it would’ve been the most efficient and durable option for a spy (Goldeneye with Omega makes the most sense now). Daytonas of Newman’s era would’ve Quartz as well. Getting banged around from the vibrations of a race car wouldn’t effect the movement. When Quartz first came out in 69 it was expensive and seen as a the ultimate luxury watch. Forever making mechanical pointless in terms of accurate timekeeping. You know the rest. What do you think though? Had Quartz been invented 100 years ago would it dominate the industry today?
I love tool watches, from beaters to luxury. Love this community and want to learn and share as much as I can!
Quartz watches dominate the industry now...
As a quartz enthusiast, I’d say no, it wouldn’t dominate. We are humans and their is an intrinsic value and deep appreciation for quality, craftsmanship and tradition. Some of these folks are artisans. Mechanical watchmaking and design can be very technical and with advancements in industrial sectors along with machining and manufacturing/production and materials, well here we are with parachrom hair springs and gauss rates entire movements and cases that can go to the ocean floor. There are other components and explorations of watchmaking than efficiency.
Watchmaking is as much an art as a craft, so the mechanical watch would survive just as oil painting and composing chamber music has. There may have been some very interesting quartz creations, though, given the aesthetics of the age.
Probably. All WW2 Watches would have been quartz. The first watch on the moon, on top of Everest and just about every other event we like to link to watches would have been with quartz watches. We like our history and none authentic and "inferior" mechanical watches probably wouldn't have the same appeal. 🤷
Quartz totally dominates as it is. However, if you're saying that mechanicals would be a rare thing today then I doubt I'd have been interested in collecting.
An observation. Was at the NZ Derby day and whilst I may be biased it was encouraging to see the number of younger people not wearing smart watches and wearing mechanical and quartz watches. Once they get away and over from slapping a “ watch” on a charger overnight they’ll enhance the progression to quartz and maybe just maybe automatic
like saying if they'd persevered with the clepsydra we'd all be wearing HYT's. 🙄🤣🚿
They all said this during the Quartz Crisis of the late 1970's. Even Rolex had quartz watches. Hayek, Sr., was "comissioned" to save the Swiss watch industry and the result was Swatch, the brand and the group.
If your proposition is correct, then explain the merchanical renaissance? 😎
As others said it already dominates. I think it'd be more of a niche thing as opposed to luxury associated tho
Quartz for the win
Yep, the electric wristwatch was a HUGE deal on theare 1950s and early 1960s.
Then quartz made the electric watch better.
Remember, quartz come close to killing the vast majority of the Swiss watch industry.
Sure, Rolex, Patek, VC, AP, and probably JLC would have survived but many others wouldn't have without SWATCH and a lot of the survivors would be majority quartz.
If quartz came along in 1959 or 1949 it would absolutely have dominated the industry.