Does the type of movement of a watch influence your buying decision or is the look and aesthetics more important?

If is has anything other than an ETA 2824 (and clones), a Miyota (and clones) or a Seiko movement, there needs to be a very good reason to buy it. Quartz watches are complicated story.

I really prefer standard movements for long-term affordability.

I think judging the importance of the movement is sort of complicated because I think it implies that people are looking for the same things out of a movement. Maybe I'm wrong.

I think movement is fairly important to me, but my daily wear is just a sw200-1. I like that it's common, established, and serviceable anywhere for a reasonable price. However, when I see a poll like this one, it feels like choosing the options that care about movement suggests that I would be after some fancier, in-house movement and would turn down a watch for having something like a sellita. On the other hand, I do think fancy, unique, and hyper capable movements are cool, and I'd like to own a fairly refined movement some day. I just don't want whatever watch I buy to be containing a garbage movement, an unnecessarily obscure movement, an untested movement, or a wildly cheaper movement when compared to the rest of the watch and price tag.

Yes. When I bought my Grail I wanted the most accurate reliable toughest movement I could afford because it's going to last the rest of my life (hopefully 20+ years) so I bought an OMEGA. Aesthetics came second.

My priorities are:

1. Build quality

2. Dial and case finishing (aesthetics)

3. Movement

Very good point. I absolutely like your thinking 👍

Looking at future chronograph purchases I'd say movement first (like Seagull ST1901 and Seiko NE88, dislike Valjoux 7750 for the layout and several solar/mecaquartz movements with a useless 24h subdial).

If we're talking three handers, I go for looks first. For the Citizen NB1060 on my shortlist, for instance, I couldn't care less if there's a Miyota, LJP, Ecodrive or Precisionist movement behind the gorgeous dial (to keep it within the theoretical Citizen options).

With some AliExpress brands you even really have the choice of movement after having settled for a design. I like that concept.

Very cool, makes totally sense. Having choice of movement is undoubtedly nice.

Don't mind Seiko and Orient movements, but NO Sellita nor ETA movements. My Doxa, Hamilton, and Glycine watches all had to be serviced after a year or two.

To me, (1) the movement is the first thing to look at when considering a watch. So if the movement is not up to the standards then I won’t consider. (If I really want a watch with a movement that is not really dependable then I search for a SEIKO movement (preferably) that will fit. (2) then comes the purpose. Why do I want this watch? If it was purley for the design then I have my answer. If I need it for an actual purpose, then I research for all the watches that I can get in my budget (even when there’s a design in mind) and start the filtration process. (3) I keep in mind the modifications that I can do to it that can make it be dressed up or down depending on the occasion/mission that it will be used for.

So I believe that if you didn’t fall in love with a watch and you are sure about it then it is a combination of elements that come after the movement inside.

Which watch are you considering?

Very well written, thanks. Not so much about a particular watch more with the background in-house movement vs. industry standards with the likes of ETA, Seiko, Sellita or Miyota

Thanks man!

To be honest I have seen SEIKOs put in conditions that no human being would bare and servived. I own 2 and 6 watches with SEIKO movements inside and the 7th is on the way.

It never let me down.

It really depends upon the watch in question. By that I mean a watch that knocks you dead aesthetically but has a common movement is equally desireable as a more restrained design with an outstanding movement. Take a BRM for instance. Mine is drop dead gorgeous but has a common movement, I believe a SW200 but don't quote me. Aesthetics ruled. My Tudor BB Panda Chrono is equally as desireable but in this case, the "manufacture" movement was the deciding factor to purchase.The movement ruled.

To get them both in one, that explains me acquiring a Bell & Ross BR-X5, Ice blue dial, about a year ago now. 😀 It has the looks as well as the movement.

So, it all depends upon the watch.

Now an ugly watch with a crappy movement.... 😂😂

If I’m looking for functionality such as a tachy or true GMT, movement is important. If I am looking for aesthetic, design is important Ultimately, for me, watches add to the complete look of an outfit, no matter the movement.

It's a combination of looks, movement, and ergonomy.

Nice. What exactly do you understand as ergonomy in a watch?

Ergonomy means ease of use. In a watch, that is basically

- how comfortable it is to wear (how it sits on the wrist, WEIGHT, and how it works with sleeves, stap/bracelet character is important here)

- how easy it is to read the time in various light conditions,

- how easy is to set the time or use the functions (crown size and surface, pusher resistance)

- and all other features which influence how easy it is to live with it, such as power capacity, its replenishment, and also accuracy (manual vs automatic vs battery powered vs solar).

Makes totally sense, thanks for sharing. Really gives a great new spin to the topic of that whole post.

Maybe it's because I'm still pretty new to all this, but I don't see why movement is all that important for anything other than practical reasons (e.g., how easy it is to service, power reserve).

I do somewhat get the mystique of a handmade or very small outfit-made movements (e.g., Nomos where something like one old lady does the adjustments for every watch), but for as much as Youtubers and watch writers go on about "in-house" movements it just seems to mean very little in most brands' (especially large ones) cases, and personally means even less in terms of whether a watch makes me smile on a given day when I look at it

I tend to prefer quartz and solar quartz if I can get it, and atomic solar quartz is grail level!. So I am probably in the minority. I have a couple of mechanical watches and only one that I will wear very often and I only bought it because I could not find one close to it that was quartz.

Solar quartz is on my watchlist. What is an atomic solar quartz?

Atomic refers to watches that receive a radio signal from one of six "radio" stations around the world that emit a signal several times a day. The watch has a small antenna inside that receives the signal at least one a day. It updates the time and date on the watch. So even when Daylight savings comes and goes the watch updates automatically. Keeps the watch accurate to within a millisecond all the time and the date is always right.