Which Cartier watch is better: mechanical (hand-wound & automatic) or quartz?

Hello.

This is Seno from Belle Montre.

In today's video, we discuss which is better, a mechanical or quartz Cartier watch?

I will explain what this means.

This time, I'm not going to cover all brands of watches, but rather I'm going to limit it to Cartier watches, so I think it's a slightly different perspective from my other videos, and I hope you'll enjoy it.

I will try to explain things in a way that is easy for women to understand, so I hope women will listen to the end.

So let's get started right away.

About the movement system of a watch

Watches can be broadly categorized into three types based on how they move the hands: "hand-wound," "automatic," and "quartz."

Manual winding means turning the crown yourself to wind the mainspring.

Automatic winding works by using the swing of your arm to turn a rotor located somewhere in the movement, which turns the mainspring.

Quartz is a battery-powered watch.

It is as follows.

What about for men?

What about women?

I will also talk about this, so I hope you will find it useful to think about this part.

Now let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Advantages and disadvantages of hand-wound watches

The advantage of a hand-wound watch is that the movement is completed by combining individual mechanical parts, so you can feel the mechanical beauty of the movement.

The Côtes d'Genève finish, which features vertical lines, and the Perla Rouge finish, which features a continuous circular pattern, are decorative in nature, but they also serve the purpose of making the watch less susceptible to rust.

Also, the biggest advantage is that because it is powered by mechanical parts, it can basically be used for about 100 years with regular overhauls, unless some part is broken due to a major impact.

In reality, the most you can get your hands on now is a watch from the 1940s, but the movements in those watches should still be working in another 15 years.

So, what are the disadvantages? Since it is made from individual parts, the price is quite high.

That said, mass-production facilities are now in place, which has helped to keep costs down, so the price is no longer so high that it is impossible to buy.

Also, although this varies from person to person, there are some people who find winding the crown to be a hassle.

Many people, especially women, find it troublesome to wind the crown once every two days.

There may also be cases where they have their nails done.

However, men instinctively like tinkering with machines, so it has become a part of their lives, just like brushing their teeth, and they even find the ``click, click, click'' sound quite pleasant.

Now let's look at automatic watches.

Advantages and disadvantages of automatic watches

The advantage of an automatic watch is that it basically winds the mainspring for you just by moving your hands.

This means that it requires much less effort than hand-winding, and since the mainspring is constantly wound, it is also attractive that it can maintain a high level of accuracy.

As such, since there are very few situations where the crown needs to be wound, the watch is extremely water resistant.

That's why Rolex watches are so waterproof.

As for Cartier watches, the Santos de Cartier LM is an automatic watch and is therefore water resistant to 100m, but since Cartier watches are not designed for diving, most are only water resistant to around 30m.

Well, I don't think anyone expects a Cartier watch to be waterproof, so I guess that's fine.

Now let's look at the disadvantages.

The disadvantage is that the spring cannot be wound unless your arm swings slightly.

Also, since the mainspring is wound using the rotating force of the rotor, ladies' watches tend to be smaller, so the rotors are small and the winding force is also small, making them less suitable for use.

Also, since it is a movement that has a rotor, the watch will inevitably be larger, making it difficult to make it compact.

If you look at old Cartier Santur watches, you will see that only the models with automatic movements have a bulge in the back cover, which is proof of this.

As for size, larger watches are preferred these days, so such a disadvantage cannot be considered a disadvantage.

Advantages and disadvantages of quartz watches

This is a quartz watch created by the Japanese company SEIKO in the early 1970s, and the biggest advantage of quartz is its stable accuracy.

It is also resistant to invisible threats such as magnetism and electromagnetic waves that emanate from computers and home appliances.

By the way, the reason why automatic and manual winding watches are weak is because the metal parts of each watch are affected and go out of sync.

And, the biggest advantage is that it can be mass-produced at low cost because production costs are low.

The downside to this is that it has a shorter lifespan.

Rather than being powered by mechanical parts, it is more like an electronic appliance inside a watch, so it has a lifespan.

However, the parts that break are generally limited to coils and the like, so by replacing those you can continue to use it for a fairly long time.

I'm not sure if the second point can be considered a disadvantage, but compared to mechanical watches, quartz watches are cheaper, so the impression is that mechanical watches are superior and quartz watches are inferior.

Of course, you can also look at it the other way around and say that you can now purchase your favorite brands within reach, so it can't really be said to be a disadvantage.

Now, from here on, I would like to talk about how the Cartier brand and quartz are a good match.

What is the appeal of the brand?

Let me preface this by saying that I like Patek, Rolex, Breitling and Omega, and each has their own unique appeal.

With that in mind, this is just my opinion so please take it as a reference only, but when it comes to quartz watches, I don't think that other than Cartier and Seiko, the two brands that go well with quartz.

This has a big impact on emotional wellbeing.

As explained earlier, quartz was created by SEIKO, a Japanese watch brand, so it makes sense that it is SEIKO's mission as a pioneer to perfect quartz.

As for Cartier, since it is a jewelry brand first and foremost, the essence of the brand is not the movement, but how beautifully it looks, so I think it is not a problem that they use quartz movements.

In addition to the beautiful exterior, the brand's value has been further increased by focusing on the movement.

The exterior surpasses other companies', but the movement is also amazing!

It is a feeling.

It is also a brand that is popular among women, so it's easy to see why they choose quartz.

The quality of the movements is not yet widely recognized due to the company's short history, but I believe that Cartier is the only company that uses quartz movements without it having any particular impact on the brand.

Now let's look at the driving methods from a male and female perspective.

How to think about driving from a male and female perspective

First of all, I'm a man, but I like both movements, each of which has its pros and cons.

If I actually apply this to my daily life, I feel like I shouldn't wear a mechanical watch when I'm writing articles or making videos like this.

With the latest watches, even mechanical watches, this issue has been overcome, but it's still a matter of preference, and I feel more comfortable with a quartz watch.

I can understand men's preference for mechanical watches, and I also love the beauty of mechanical movements and wear a mechanical watch when I go out.

I think the feeling of winding the crown before putting it on is a pleasure that only men can understand.

On the other hand, quartz may leave you feeling a little unsatisfied.

I think that women don't really care whether it's mechanical or quartz.

To begin with, women are not instinctively interested in machines, and if anything, they would place more importance on the beauty of the exterior.

As I mentioned earlier, the reason there are not many mechanical ladies' models is because they do not go well with mechanical watches in terms of both comfort and functionality.

I'm sure there are a certain number of women who enjoy the action of winding the crown, but if possible, I'd prefer to just put it on my hand and have to make other preparations...

It would be.

When it comes to automatic watches, there are limited situations where women who mostly work in office jobs can wear them.

This makes it difficult to wind the mainspring, which makes it difficult to function.

In that case, I think quartz is the obvious choice because it is convenient and you don't have to worry about anything else.

I also think that the reason why Cartier watches are the most popular among women is because even though other companies use quartz movements, they cannot compete with them in terms of design.

summary

So far I have analysed and explained from my own perspective Cartier's thinking on the drive system of their watches. What do you think?

There's really no need to think this deeply about it, and the best way to make a purchase is to just choose the model you like, but I would be happy if this article has helped those who don't understand the concept behind Cartier's watch movement to gain a better understanding.