Are Quartz watches long lasting?

A #quartz watch can last the user for 20 – 30 years, as the electronic components of the watch will eventually wear out. A well-maintained #mechanical watch will outlive the original purchaser. High-end mechanical watches can be heirloom pieces, passed down from generation to generation.

Thanks a lot man. This really helps

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Swiss quartz brands can last a very long time but all quartz can suffer problems. Most Japanese brands are under 15 bucks in parts to replace. A lot of Swiss brands are under 30 bucks. Swiss automatic movements are over 200 bucks if you can get them. Citizen and Seiko also have ones that have a sweep second hand. I just got a Seiko one for 8 bucks. Solar is not bad but they suffer condenser problems. Most all use plastic parts which are self lubricating so if you want quartz go Swiss for the better quality.

Definitely will consider. Thanks

The best quality quartz watches & movements are made by Grand Seiko & Citizen, not the Swiss

A Citizen chronomaster A060 quartz movement has 23 jewels and is a thing to behold ( if you like quartz that is). So i suppose the answer to your question is it depends on the quartz.

Grand Seiko is a high end brand and will have better quality. Being expensive they will also get repaired and not thrown out. All quartz suffer electrical issues but Swiss movements usually have better build quality. Citizen have a lot of coil and capacitor issues later on. Higher end ETA movements use multiple jewel bearings like the Grand Seiko which brings it back to being a price point issue. A 50 cent Chinese quartz movement can be more accurate than a Rolex but then again you get what you pay for when it comes to longevity.

Quartz wear out & the motors can be wrecked by magnetic fields.

Got a 1976 Omega Mariner 1 (first mass produced Quartz Omega) & the movement is irreparable and irreplaceable,unless an equally as old & less knackered movement can be sourced - I've opted for a new ETA quartz replacement (not fussed about originality

I have two 70s quartz Seikos. A QR and QT from memory. Both are still working fine. They will fail eventually. Quality electronic components have also greatly improved since the 70s so I wouldn't be surprised if a modern quartz lasted even longer. Capacitors are often the first things to malfunction/fail, I believe.

Reading trough the comments… I have to say “nothing lasts forever, guys” 😅

Yea nothing really more to input besides I have a few citizen Promaster quartz pieces from the 80s that are running strong.

The Grand Seiko 9F movement has a service interval of every 50 years! The movement is completely hand assembled and completely in house, completely serviceable and entirely metal,

There are cheap plastic quartz movements that have never been serviced even if they could be and are still working form the 1970's

I have zero doubts in my mind that the Grand Seiko 9f will last 100 years plus and still be keeping better time than any mechanical and it be due it's 2nd service :)

I have 2 GS 9f watches and I have every intention of them being handed down and working well after I am gone.

A quartz movement is under far less stress than a mechanical watch that is under tension from the main spring and being stopped and started by a lever essentially smacking against the escapement every few milliseconds.

Gee wiz…I bought this Casio in 1988 and it’s still going strong. If you mind anything properly it will last a long time (unless of course it’s a fickle wife using you as a stepping stone).

The notion that mechanical watches will outlast quartz is a common misconception. There are quartz watches from the early 1970s that still run fine without any service, with only a battery change.

The comparison between quartz vs mechanical is based on an unfair basis. We assume that a quartz watch can't be serviced but a mechanical watch will be repaired at regular intervals. If mechanicals were not serviced like quartz, they would break down much sooner.

Think about it. A mechanical watch has over 600 moving parts. They will inevitably break down, even with the latest lubricants. But a quartz watch is integrated circuits with hardly any moving parts. And the truth is that a quartz watch is easier to service and repair than a mechanical. The service interval for a quartz watch is often 10 years or more. It's often nothing to simply replace the movement. One option is to send it to the original manufacturer for a replacement. If it's a sentimental piece, it might be worth the cost.

The real issue for watch collectors is that since quartz watches are so dependable, it removes our usual excuses for buying new watches.

Some links for reference:

Can quartz watches be repaired? | The Watch Lab

Can Quartz Watches be Repaired? (wickedcoolwatches.com)

Can Quartz Watches Be Repaired? (Quick Answer) (dispositivoswearables.net)

10 Common Quartz Watch Issues and How to Fix Them [2022] (toolswatchrepair.com)

What kills a lot of older quartz movements though is battery leaks, the acid destroys the circuitary in them.

That does happen of course. However, there are far more points of failure on a mechanical watch. They are only 'reliable' if they are serviced every 5 yrs.

From what I’ve seen, it really isn’t about a quartz watch being able to last a really long time. The issue is that the power source or battery may not be available. That’s one issue with going out and getting a really old one now. You have to make sure you can find a battery.

Bingo. If you maintain a quartz watch by replacing the battery when it runs out or at the very least pullingthe battery out when it runs out or you know it’s going to sit for a long time, the watch can last a very long time, if not indefinite. I have an almost 30 year old Tag F1 that’s still going strong.

A mechanical watch, on the other hand, will be just fine if it sits in a drawer for 20 years. Just a service will can bring it back to life.

Also, as others have noted, whenever the quartz mechanicals/electronics do wear out, it’ll likely be tough, if not impossible, to get a replacement in 20-30 years.

With a mechanical watch, on the other hand, there’s always a possibility of a watchmaker being able to bring it back to life if something breaks. One watch YouTuber even said he knows of watchmakers that can service a Swatch Sistem51 movement, which is supposedly disposable. It might cost an arm and a leg - and could cost a ton more than the movement cost initially - it’s at least possible.

I have a 25 year old OMEGA Seamaster Professional 300M Quartz and I had to get a full service a couple of months ago. Just like a mechanical watch, proper maintenance will keep it long lasting

Nice watch

Quality quartz can last a looong time! There are still quartz watches that are from the 60s and 70s still ticking. Get the watch serviced once in a while if it's a serviceable movement. Never leave an empty battery in watch for long before getting it out or swapping it. That is the killer....

This one has 44 years on the clock and is still going strong. It does need a new motor because the old one broke, but that was more because I was rough with it than it having any sort of weakness.

This one is probably of similar age. I found it a plastic bag destined for the dustbin. All it needed was a new battery and it's going strong.

Passed on to me from my Father after 40 years of ownership..

Still keeps better time than my Rolex. 😂

Will it outlive me? Not if I can help it!

#grandseiko quartz is not normal quartz. Their quartz movements are designed to be ultra-precise and very long-lasting.

Think about it. A mechanical watch has over 600 moving parts.

They do not have that many parts. I take them apart and reassemble them as a hobby.

Here is what I typically see:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBkcXVmXovc

When planet of the apes becomes reality in 10000 years the casios behind the dusty glass cases In abandoned shopping malls will probably still be viable if you popped a fresh battery in one :)

I would prefer an automatic to a quartz #grandseiko

I think pretty much we all would, but quartz is always more “affordable” or should I say less expensive

I agree with you 🍻