First Cameras, Now Watches?

[shyoon]

Came across this article on an Australian news website the other day, discussing the resurgence of mechanical watches over the past year or so. Quite interesting and eerily similar statements to the never-ending film vs. digital argument that so plagues the interwebs.

A few choice excerpts from the article:

"Rather than just having an electronic, battery-operated something, they wanted something that really had a heritage and a mechanical basis to it."

"There's something quaintly mechanical about a watch that I think appeals to a certain generation of young people."

"They're admiring the longevity of mechanical things versus electronic things," Mr Kenney said.

"Electronic things are very accurate but they don't last long.

Link to the full article here.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I received a Digital Watch when I graduated High-School in 1975. It used LED's, and was totally cool.

After it siezed functioning, I switched back to Seiko Chronographs. Been wearing the same one since 1984. But- they do use batteries for operation.

 

[dave lackey]

Not only the younger generation but I, too, have ditched all things digital for a mechanical watch without a battery. Restored my first watch from my darling bride (1971 Bulova) and been wearing it now for three years.

It is much cooler with the ostrich band and I enjoy winding the watch periodically, not to mention knowing what time it is out of the corner of my eye without even looking/thinking about the time.😎

 

[benno]

I'd love a used and slightly scarred 1959 Rolex Submariner to match my 1959 M3 and 1958 VW Beetle.

 

[David R Munson]

I normally wear a Timex sports digital watch with a million functions, primarily because on a given day I'm likely to use the stopwatch, countdown timer, and alarm functions for photographic and athletic purposes. On days when I don't need that, though, I wear a non-digital Swatch that I adore. There's something pleasing about the simplicity of the Swatch that the Timex just doesn't possess.

 

[dave lackey]

I'd love a used and slightly scarred 1959 Rolex Submariner to match my 1959 M3 and 1958 VW Beetle.

Man! My 1971 Bulova has been working great since I restored it and put on an Ostrich leather band, but the Submariners are soooo cool. Wonder what one of those runs these days and where in the world would you buy one and know that your are NOT getting a fake?😕

 

[benno]

Man! My 1971 Bulova has been working great since I restored it and put on an Ostrich leather band, but the Submariners are soooo cool. Wonder what one of those runs these days and where in the world would you buy one and know that your are NOT getting a fake?😕

I've no idea. When I have a spare 5-10k to drop on a watch (never, I suspect) I might look into it, but until then it'll just be a dream 😀

 

[Vince Lupo]

Gents -- this is a proper photographer's watch. Nothing else will do.

 

[kshapero]

One of my favorite watches.

 

[seany65]

And precisely, what, young man, is "30 O'clock"?

 

[raydm6]

I wear mostly mechanical, a few quartz, and a few digitals. I rotate through them depending on situation and mood. It's all good.

 

[Archiver]

I've come full circle lately. As a kid, I longed for a digital Casio - anyone remember the blue marlin logo? Eventually, I was given a very indulgent Christmas present of a steel digital Seiko in the mid 80s. I continued to wear quartz watches until the early 2000s, when I discovered mechanical watches. Many Seiko divers. Swiss and German watches later, I learned in 2018 that Casio made a fully steel G Shock, and I was hooked. I just don't wear mechanical watches any more; putting on a G Shock revealed a barely conscious fear of damage or loss to an expensive mechanical watch that only an indestructible G Shock would negate. I wear my G Shocks anywhere without fear. It's weirdly liberating. I still wear mechanicals from time to time, but these days, it's G all the way.

 

[wlewisiii]

Picked up a Seiko 5 automatic earlier this year. Nothing very fancy or overly expensive, but it scratches the itch for me and I wear it daily.

 

[Archiver]

Recently, I was at a gym and noticed the owner was wearing a lovely blue Seiko diver, the SLA043. This is a Iimited edition watch based on a classic 60's Seiko design, the 62MAS. I said he had awesome taste in watches, and it turned out he owned a bunch of expensive models, including a white gold Rolex Yacht-Master that he was selling for about AUD $36,000. He said he just wasn't wearing it enough to justify owning it. And funnily, he got a lot more comments about this Seiko which sells for around 1/6th of the price of his Rolex.

 

[wlewisiii]

Pretty, though I can't justify even that price tag on my budget. I do think evil thoughts about the ~$400 GMT watches from Seiko though.