Your argument is entirely bogus, if not original. I don't buy anything for
my heirs - I buy for myself. TV's, VCRs (oops DVD players), cars,
refrigerators - all are "disposable" - they are designed to a pricepoint and
to have a certain useful life. By the time they break, they are often
obsolete anyway because the newer models have superior features. Sure, if
they sold for 10 times more, they could be made to last five times longer,
but it is not economical to do so. Watches are not an exception. BTW,
watches are fashion items that go in and out of style. Today large watches
are fashionable. Small sized watches from the 50's are mistaken on ebay for
"boys watches" but were originally sold for grown men because the fashion at
the time was for a small watch. Chances are that by the time you die, your
ungrateful heirs will dispose of your ugly, out of style watches at the
first opportunity and curse you for not having invested your money wisely.
They will be cheated by the pawn shop and then they will use the money to
buy crack to smoke and for bus fare so they can come and dance on your
grave. And the required cost of overhauling and repair a mechanical watch
every few years is often more than the cost of completely replacing a quartz
watch. If you are attached to the case and dial of a quartz watch, it is a
relatively cheap matter just to throw in a replacement movement if the watch
goes bad. All that being said, I love mechanicals and their little
"heartbeats" but I do not delude myself into thinking that it is a rational
economic decision. I pity you for having fallen for the Madison Avenue crap
that Patek dishes out in its ads. You probably think "a diamond is forever"
too.
Quartz watches are no different than mechanicals - all will need replacement
parts eventually and in the long run it is difficult and expensive to get
parts for any old watch. Manufacturers (even if they remain in business,
which they often don't) often destroy parts inventory after a certain number
of years and stop supporting the watch, partly because it is expensive to
keep in stock rarely demanded parts and partly in the hope you will buy a
new one. However, substitutes are often possible in the case of things like
batteries - there are adapters made that allow you to fit modern batteries
in an Accutron for example.
In the case of the kinetic, IIRC the correct fix is to replace the capacitor
with a rechargeable battery. I believe that there is an adapter made for
this purpose. There was a web page up on this at the Seiko forum but it was
down when I tried it yesterday.
Post by Michael K.Post by Who CaresI have a Seiko Kinetic 5m43-0819 that needs the capacitor replaced. I
need to know what model of capacitor to put in it. I have been told
that the ones they have been putting in as replacements have been
discontinued ...
I sincerely hope Richard finds suitable replacement capacitors.
However, Richard's problem illustrates a very good reason for never
buying any quartz, electronic, or electrical timepiece...unless you
are willing to accept that, whatever the price level, such a watch is
a disposable.
A fully mechanical watch, if properly lubricated and serviced, will
last hundreds of years. (Patek-Philipe is not kidding when they
advertise that: you never actually own a Patek but, rather, take care
of it for your heirs.) Many 19th, and even 18th, century watches are
still being used.
A quartz, electronic, or electrical watch will, however, inevitably
fail...often in a relatively short number of years. The first thing
that will happen will be a capacitor failure. The next most likely
event will be a corrosion failure of the circuits. And then there is a
certainty that the particular type of battery required by the watch
will be discontinued. This has already happened to all those watches
the required mercury cells that, for environmental reasons, are no
longer produced. Whereas Patek will make a part for any of their
watches, in the rare case that the replacement part is not stocked, no
one will ever reproduce an obsolete battery for you...much less for
your heir.
Now I agree, electronic watches are both cheap and accurate. There is
a real market for such things; and many people see nothing wrong with
a disposable world. However, I kind of like the thought that someday
my children, and then my grandchildren, and then their children will
have and value my Pateks, IWC's, Omega's, and LeCoultres...and through
those enduring beautiful timepieces remember that I existed.
Regards,
Michael K.