A while ago I wrote about my new Longines mechanical watch. As much as I loved it, it seems like my only fear came true - the watch cannot keep accurate time. Since I've bought it it has been in for repairs twice now. Both instances it started running slow. I am not talking about 15 seconds per day slow - more like 10 minutes in a week. If you are to rely on your watch for accurate time, clearly this is a huge issue.

Trouble is most watch aficionados detest quartz watches with a passion. They create this perception that a watch has to be mechanical to have any value. Luckily I don't give a shit what other people think.

Most watch manufacturers will have both mechanical and quartz watches in their lineup. This makes it easier to find a combination of a well made watch with the accuracy inherent in a quartz movement. Personally I think these watch assholes are just full of it. Don't get me wrong - I love the idea behind a purely mechanical watch. Technically such a watch can last forever as long as it is well maintained. Most quartz based watches will fail after several decades due to the crystal and other electrical components not being repairable. That said, unless you intend to pass down this watch to your descendants, I see no reason why this should make quartz watches inferior. Just as I would not drive the same car for the rest of my life, I will get tired of my watch long before it stops working.

Moral of the story is this - buying a quartz or mechanical watch is a personal choice. Neither is inherently better than the other. You wear a watch for you, not for other people. And even if you did - nobody will notice your watch. I have proved this.