The Waldan Heritage Professional , powered by an Arizona-manufactured Ameriquartz movement .
BALANCED PERSPECTIVE
aving followed the return and evolution of the mechanical wristwatch for quite some time , I ’ ve developed what I
H consider to be a more cosmopolitan approach to the topic . Like many enthusiasts I went through my “ mechanical or nothing ” phase , but in time grew to realize that the lowly quartz movements not only have their place in watchmaking , they are worthy of our attention and retain their rightful place in the pantheon of watch collecting .
Recent fans of watches may not recall that when these electronic usurpers first came onto the scene they were in huge demand , with customers paying dearly back in the 1970s for these amazing devices . Their accuracy improved wrist timekeeping exponentially , not simply incrementally as had been happening for hundreds of years with mechanical timekeeping .
Compared to the fight for seconds-per-day in mechanical watches , quartz-controlled movements achieved accuracy of seconds per month , with customers willing to fork out $ 500 or more ( that ’ s close to $ 3,500 in today ’ s dollars ) for the most basic LED display . And , that was for a watch with a battery life of only six to twelve months .
As we all know , this nascent interloper changed the watch industry forever , as the silent hum of its 32,768 vibrations was an unheard death knell for dozens of independent watch brands .
RIVALS & REVIVALS Two decades later , the mechanical watch awoke from its electrically induced coma . Perhaps quartz saturation and a massproduced race to the bottom set the stage for the return , but I also believe the troika of Swatch , Fossil , and G-Shock ( all launched in 1982-83 ) created a renewed interest and enthusiasm in style , which had been sorely lacking in the accurate but stale 1970s digital designs .
While the offerings of Swatch & Fossil were quartz-controlled , both used analog displays and exciting designs that ignited a renewed interest in style on the wrist ; the best of both worlds at the time . I firmly believe that the return of hands on the dial planted the seeds for the return of the mechanical watch almost decade later .
Looking at the variety of options today , I love my mechanical watches for what they are , and appreciate what they are not . The same goes for the oft-maligned quartz watch . From the ultra-thin Concord Delirium , to the multi-function G-Shock , I ’ ve come to realize that just like their mechanical brethren , a quality quartz watch can be part of a complete watch collection – no apologies needed .
Keep Watching – with both eyes .
4 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | FALL 2021