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> keeps time pretty spot on for what it is. This is a damning with faint praise. Yes, mechanical watches are amazing if you think of them as tiny devices pack

by jerlam 4y ago

> keeps time pretty spot on for what it is. This is a damning with faint praise. Yes, mechanical watches are amazing if you think of them as tiny devices packed with gears and rotors and jewels and springs. This is what drew me to them in the first place. But in an absolute sense, they are simply poor timekeeping devices. The "elite chronometer" certification on high-end watches means that a mechanical watch is required to be +/- 2 seconds/day. A normal quartz watch is +/- 20 seconds/month, which is significantly better. There are high-accuracy quartz watches which are +/- 5 seconds/year. There is nothing preventing you from owning a quartz watch for decades just like a mechanical watch. It's just going to cost you - a small fraction compared to mechanicals. Replacing a battery every few years will cost you less than a full mechanical rebuild every decade. > daily elements and some (a 30 bar designation is no slouch) A silly flex. More WR comes with more weight/size. Divers mostly use diving computers now.

bayindirh 4y ago
> This is a damning with faint praise. Well, considering a lowly Seiko 5 can always point to the correct minute within some (+/- 15) seconds without adjusting it ever is a remarkable achievement if you ask me. A top of the line server has more drift than that gearbox. > But in an absolute sense, they are simply poor timekeeping devices. If you want sub second accuracy to time F1 races, yes. For catching your metro, no. > A normal quartz watch is +/- 20 seconds/month, which is significantly better. There are high-accuracy quartz watches which are +/- 5 seconds/year. Yet, their batteries tend to go flat on the most inconvenient times, and without warning if you're not using a higher end movement. > Replacing a battery every few years will cost you less than a full mechanical rebuild every decade. Every 2-3 years to be precise, unless you use an entry level Casio digital wristwatch, which will last a decade. > A silly flex. More WR comes with more weight/size. Divers mostly use diving computers now. It's not a flex. A 30 bar watch will just last. It's not about just WR. You don't need to like automatics, that's OK. If I want utmost precision, I'd wear a GPS enabled Casio. However, for some of us out there, using these things are about appreciating the craft and engineering going into these things. Like vinyl, fountain pens and mechanical keyboards. No need to be frantic about some seconds unless you're synchronizing server farms for TLS, TOTP or other stuff. Even life is not that rigid about timing. That rigidity is something we enforce on our lives. Use what you enjoy, get your favorite hot drink and relax. :)

by jerlam 4y ago

bayindirh 4y ago

> This is a damning with faint praise. Well, considering a lowly Seiko 5 can always point to the correct minute within some (+/- 15) seconds without adjusting it ever is a remarkable achievement if you ask me. A top of the line server has more drift than that gearbox. > But in an absolute sense, they are simply poor timekeeping devices. If you want sub second accuracy to time F1 races, yes. For catching your metro, no. > A normal quartz watch is +/- 20 seconds/month, which is significantly better. There are high-accuracy quartz watches which are +/- 5 seconds/year. Yet, their batteries tend to go flat on the most inconvenient times, and without warning if you're not using a higher end movement. > Replacing a battery every few years will cost you less than a full mechanical rebuild every decade. Every 2-3 years to be precise, unless you use an entry level Casio digital wristwatch, which will last a decade. > A silly flex. More WR comes with more weight/size. Divers mostly use diving computers now. It's not a flex. A 30 bar watch will just last. It's not about just WR. You don't need to like automatics, that's OK. If I want utmost precision, I'd wear a GPS enabled Casio. However, for some of us out there, using these things are about appreciating the craft and engineering going into these things. Like vinyl, fountain pens and mechanical keyboards. No need to be frantic about some seconds unless you're synchronizing server farms for TLS, TOTP or other stuff. Even life is not that rigid about timing. That rigidity is something we enforce on our lives. Use what you enjoy, get your favorite hot drink and relax. :)