Are QUARTZ watches BAD? History + 7 killer Quartz

The history and evolution of Quartz watches and 7 best quartz watches.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:10 History of the Quartz Watch
01:22 First Quartz Clock - Bell Labs
01:44 First Electric Watch - Hamilton 500
01:56 First Tuning Fork Watch - Bulova Accutron
02:08 The Quartz Crisis
02:55 First Quartz Watch - CEH Beta 1
03:54 Rolex Quartz Watch - OysterQuartz
04:26 Citizen Cryston Mega
04:44 ETA Creates SWATCH
05:26 First Grand Seiko 9f Quartz
05:36 First Grand Seiko Spring Drive
06:02 How Spring Drive works
06:40 7 Best Quartz Watches

[Oak]

Eco drive: Solar quartz by Citizen is my favorite quartz technology on watch.
I recommand it to everybody.

[michaelcreech]

Gotta be honest when a tool watch is being used as just that.... I only trust quartz. Solar quartz all the better.

[guitarjamforu]

GS Is my favorite Quartz watch, the 9F movement is beautiful!

[MrFelixParfum]

Bulova Lunar Pilot. Awesome quartz watch and pretty cool movement

[javierlopezruiz]

I work as an MRI radiographer, I bought a Seiko 5 and was a pain in the ass to take it off for a whole week and the setting day/date/time for a Saturday night. Now I’ve got a quartz prx and is great to have it always ready to go and having that build quality for ~$400

[richardkrochmal]

If you care about horology and are interested in accuracy, you can’t help but admire the evolution of the watch industry. Quartz watches were an absolute revolution for the average person interested in obtaining a remarkably accurate watch at an affordable price. Certainly there are people, like myself, who admire and own hand made high end watches. In my mind there is an analogy with those people who admire and drive manual transmission autos. There’s room for those who admire high level, hand made, watches and those who admire affordable, accurate quartz watches.

[dexterm]

Im into solar quartz watches right now. I picked them over mechanical/automatic counterparts.

[MrEliwankenobi]

Hey Adrian, you forgot to mention the Bulova Precisionist Movement. Their Limited Edition Lunar Pilot Meteorite is BEAUTIFUL!, I also like the Marine Star Series C - 96B434 diver watch very much!

[Jgom]

Bought the Citizen Forza a month ago and hasn’t came off the wrist since. Absolutely love the thing!

[Ghuraify]

Citizen Caliber 0100 deserves a mention as the most accurate watch in the world with an insane 1 second per year accuracy!! Not to mention it's an Eco-Drive as well

[allensmith]

I run a Longines VHP GMT as my daily. I have to agree with a lot of people who say it doesn't have soul. But it's brilliantly accurate and looks great. I'm able to switch between a certified beater and the Longines so to me I have the best of both. Adrian please keep producing your articles they are great. 👍

[jamesfirth]

I work in the horticultural world, I work outdoors often, in all weathers. I’ve worn a quartz Bertucci field watch for the last decade. It’s beaten up, gone through three batteries and as many straps, but it remains reliable and accurate.

Don’t get me wrong I’ve also got a collection of beloved mechanical watches but cheap, reliable and tough quartz watches are perfect tool watches. I put it on and forget about it until I need the time.

[Tsweezey]

My latest watch purchase was the Bulova Super Seville with precisionist 262kHz movement. I love it and thanks to this incredible quartz movement it sits flush with the integrated bracelet against my wrist. Brilliant design and execution

[ItsNeverTooHotLeather]

My cheap $30 Casio with tough solar from over a decade ago (still running at full charge btw) does the same thing as that F.P. Journe, so let's not act like the Journe's technology is so spectacular.

[Monkeyboy]

Vintage Seiko chronographs from the 80's are super cool. I have a Speedmaster replica. 7a38 7070, 40mm dial, diver's bezel, tachymeter, day/date, 1/10 seconds subdial, split time, 100m water resistant, 10.5mm thick, accurate to 5 seconds per month. Fully rebuildable and adjustable 15 jewel metal movement with no plastic parts. Had it serviced recently, full disassembly, case, movement and bracelet cleaned in ultrasonic tank, reassembled and lubricated, all new pusher gaskets and bezel and caseback seals, adjusted and pressure tested and new crystal for $500 by a vintage Seiko specialist. It is a 1982 model. Should be good for another 40 years now.

[light]

Adrian. You missed Longines VHP quartz with its perpetual calendar and sleep mode!! PLUS accurate to 10 seconds per year, but in reality tighter, with its Swiss Thermo compensated quartz movement. Also any of the Breitling Thermo compensated movements are pretty special with five jewels on the drivetrain, which is not seen in the Longines.

[olivierblomme]

This is an interesting one. To say the least. I was a total “mechanical boy” for years until recently got into the quartz world and it’s a fascinating one. The eco-drives, the atomic clock adjustment stuff, the accuracy, .. is mind-boggling on some of these pieces. This video makes sense. Well narrated as always but it just makes sense. True collectors do understand “quartz”. Part of history in watchmaking. Just a small point, contrary to what most people think, Swatch does actually not stand for “Swiss Watch” but “Second Watch” which was a brainchild of Mr Hayek Senior as he had the idea that most people who have a nice mechanical watch, should also own a “second” all terrain watch (gada piece). This was a strategy to of course increase sales in the group but it was part of his idea. Everyone should own a “second watch” = SWatch. I’m not making this up. Got this info from a conversation with Mr Hayek Junior. Anyway, that’s my 5 cents. Loved the video Adrian, very interesting and well put. The quartz history in less than 15 min is impressive.

[inlandwatchreviews]

My omega aqua terra 38.5 mm quartz is obnoxiously accurate, I love it.

[satyendrasingh]

The very first quartz watch available to buy was marketed by Seiko on Christmas day 1969. The first Swiss quartz watches were launched in the following March at Basel, featuring the Beta 21 movement, which was developed jointly by some of the biggest names in Swiss watchmaking – including Rolex, Patek Philippe, IWC, Omega and Piaget. But in 1971 Girard-Perregaux launched their movement, developed with Motorola, and it changed everything. Not only was it smaller and less power hungry than the Beta 21, but it also ran at 32, 768 Hz instead of 8, 192 Hz. Almost all quartz watches since have adopted the more accurate and efficient 32, 768Hz standard, but Girard-Perregaux were the first.

How did you miss this??

[rodg]

I have both quartz and mechanical. I love my choices for both. If you limit your choices you limit your enjoyment. 😊