At the lower end of the quartz market I think it's pointless to worry about the movement. They're all pretty much identical in terms of accuracy and nowadays the reliability is so good it's a very rare occurrence so see one crapping out. If they do, they are practically free to replace...
Up to a point of course. There IS a difference between say an F06 and a 12 cent Chinese movement.

 

Maybe you need to define "low segment"? Are you speaking under $500 or under $20? My favorite low cost quartz comes in the lower end Bulova's that have the 262kHz movement... smooth sweeping seconds hand and very accurate. I got this watch a few years ago under $200. I don't think you can find them for that now.

Note: Bulova is owned by Citizen

 

Maybe you need to define "low segment"? Are you speaking under $500 or under $20? My favorite low cost quartz comes in the lower end Bulova's that have the 262kHz movement... smooth sweeping seconds hand and very accurate. I got this watch a few years ago under $200. I don't think you can find them for that now.

Note: Bulova is owned by Citizen

I recently picked up a like new Bulova Precisionist from eBay for just over $100. This specific model is no longer in production but shows up from time to time. The sweep is almost as smooth as my GS spring drive and it's a lot of watch for the money. I've been impressed.

 

To me good quartz is a worry free watch. Had a nasty situation when battery just died and I was late for important appointment.
So, good quartz for me is solar. Eco Drive with perpetual calendar and GPS sync ( aka Citizen Satellite Wave) is my favorite ( on the right)

 

Assume no end of life feature on said watch? I was one the understanding that the seconds hand would jump several seconds at a time to give warning. Reckon not on all quartz watches. That sucks!

 

You need to be a little clearer on what you consider “low end” because it doesn't take a deal of effort on a manufacturers part to turn out really good quartz movements.

 

Low price doesn't have to mean low quality.
This Seiko 7N43 has been running since 1991 at a rate of +5 seconds per month and has had several battery replacements (once every 5 years or so) and that's it for maintenance.
It's a movement that still is sold new for about $20.

It goes up from there for both Seiko, Casio and Citizen.

 

When we talk about mechanical watches you have Japanese movements and ETA movements.
We all know mechanical ETA movements have different level of stability and accuracy in comparison to Jap movements.
So, my question... what is the difference in low end swiss f06 and let's say Seiko 6n52?
For what purpose ETA255 use extra jewels in quartz?

 

No difference. That's why you can't find information about it.

 

 

Look at some HAQ models.

If you want a good quartz, get one that really does the job right, IMHO.

 

Hello hello! Great question! Relatively new to the watch hobby, but have looked into this as well and have given it some thought.

I often hear Japan quartz movements are best value for money.

Could someone explain which one is a better choice in low segment?

You're right on the money with Japanese quartz being a really good value for money. Besides Seiko and Citizen which you mentioned, I'd also throw Casio (and Casio G-Shock) in the hat .

Probably Casio is the best bang for buck if you can find a design you like. Gshocks have the famed "casioak" to choose from too if you like that rugged "lasts forever" design and like the digi-analog movement.

Between Citizen and Seiko, I think Citizen has some better priced options in this category. Especially if you like solar quartz, their EcoDrive line is said to be top notch.

Seikos are good value for money too, but between these three would be the pricier ones because.... heritage? seiko design language?

Either way, with any of these watch companies you cannot go wrong.

From what I've seen, regular/normal Quartz for the most part, are about +/- 15 seconds a month.

I understand grand Seiko or more expensive Citizen with excellent accuracy, but they are high end with thermocompensate function and in case of Seiko 50 years of use.

yes, high accuracy quartz, or also referred to as HAQ. These bad boys are something else. Citizen and Seiko have them, and the prices are in the thousands. Now, the accuracy for these guys are +/- 5 seconds a year. That is an amazing feat if you think about it.

Also, in this price range you get better finishing and polish. High end stuff on most models. Some more than others, some much much more than others (which raises the price even more).

Could you please share what you think?

I can't say much about ETA or Swiss quartz movements. Probably others can comment much better than I.

With regards to Japanese HAQ vs regular quartz, it depends on what you're in the market for.

If you're just interested in value for money, of course go for regular Quartz. +/- 15 seconds is nothing to sneeze at.
I'd find a case design you like, and also find if you like solar charging as well and compare the three japanese companies out for design and functionality you prefer and weigh options (which only you can do because only you know what you like).
But solely talking about the quartz movement or module itself, you cannot go wrong with either of these companies.

With regards to HAQ, again, boils down to what you prefer in terms of design.
I personally think that Grand Seiko finishing and case design very much comparable to any high end luxury swiss brand. I personally love the way they look.
Would I pay "grand seiko" prices if I just wanted a super accurate HAQ movement? No. But that's just me.
If I were in the market for a Quartz movement, but I also wanted a Grand Seiko case/design, dial, and finishing and all those frills, I would totally splurge for one.

I hope this didn't ramble too much and help see different opinions!

 

Hello hello! Great question! Relatively new to the watch hobby, but have looked into this as well and have given it some thought.

You're right on the money with Japanese quartz being a really good value for money. Besides Seiko and Citizen which you mentioned, I'd also throw Casio (and Casio G-Shock) in the hat .

Probably Casio is the best bang for buck if you can find a design you like. Gshocks have the famed "casioak" to choose from too if you like that rugged "lasts forever" design and like the digi-analog movement.

Between Citizen and Seiko, I think Citizen has some better priced options in this category. Especially if you like solar quartz, their EcoDrive line is said to be top notch.

Seikos are good value for money too, but between these three would be the pricier ones because.... heritage? seiko design language?

Either way, with any of these watch companies you cannot go wrong.

From what I've seen, regular/normal Quartz for the most part, are about +/- 15 seconds a month.


yes, high accuracy quartz, or also referred to as HAQ. These bad boys are something else. Citizen and Seiko have them, and the prices are in the thousands. Now, the accuracy for these guys are +/- 5 seconds a year. That is an amazing feat if you think about it.

Also, in this price range you get better finishing and polish. High end stuff on most models. Some more than others, some much much more than others (which raises the price even more).


I can't say much about ETA or Swiss quartz movements. Probably others can comment much better than I.

With regards to Japanese HAQ vs regular quartz, it depends on what you're in the market for.

If you're just interested in value for money, of course go for regular Quartz. +/- 15 seconds is nothing to sneeze at.
I'd find a case design you like, and also find if you like solar charging as well and compare the three japanese companies out for design and functionality you prefer and weigh options (which only you can do because only you know what you like).
But solely talking about the quartz movement or module itself, you cannot go wrong with either of these companies.

With regards to HAQ, again, boils down to what you prefer in terms of design.
I personally think that Grand Seiko finishing and case design very much comparable to any high end luxury swiss brand. I personally love the way they look.
Would I pay "grand seiko" prices if I just wanted a super accurate HAQ movement? No. But that's just me.
If I were in the market for a Quartz movement, but I also wanted a Grand Seiko case/design, dial, and finishing and all those frills, I would totally splurge for one.

I hope this didn't ramble too much and help see different opinions!

One interesting question is between the highly accurate grand seiko quartz vs radio controlled ecodrive which one is more accurate?

 

Like mechanical watches, the question of what is and isn't a good quartz movement can vary depending on how you look at it.

I have a Classic watch purchased and assembled in India that runs a cheap-as-chips Chinese Quartz movement. Haven't put a fresh battery in it for nearly 5 years, but the last time I did, it still ran like a champ
I had a Seiko Kinetic that died after 6 years running a Japanese kinetic quartz movement. But my dad has a similar Kinetic that still runs.
I have a Tag Heuer Carrera that runs a Calibre S quartz movement that costs more than 3x the combined cost of the above three watches. One would assume that as a Swiss quartz movement, it is a better movement than the others above, BUT it is also prone to more drift by nature of the design of the movement so it requires re-calibration by the user.

What is and isn't 'better' really comes down to what you value as an owner - there are a lot of variables to consider, and different people apply different weight to them.

 

I'm pretty sure it's a quantifiable fact that Japanese quartz movements are the best value for the money. Automatic movements as well.

Its like comparing a Honda to SAAB.

 

“good quartz” 😂

Add that to the list of typical oxymorons like “jumbo shrimp” and “working vacation.”

 

As opposed to what exactly? And please don't say a movement that is going to be significantly less accurate, dies after a few days of non-use, and costs significantly more for significantly less utility.

 

Good day,

I often hear Japan quartz movements are best value for money.

Could someone explain which one is a better choice in low segment?

For example eta fo6.111 or Seiko Caliber Caliber 6N52? In terms of reliability.
Also, do I understand right, that most Citizen eco-drive movement are actually the same as 6N52, except eco-drive technology and radio-control extra modules?

is it worth to have quartz with 5 or 6 jewels? Like ETA 255.461 or ETA E64.111.
What do they actually give you?
The first one actually used in Omega , but no accuracy advantage.

I understand grand Seiko or more expensive Citizen with excellent accuracy, but they are high end with thermocompensate function and in case of Seiko 50 years of use.

Could you please share what you think?
Many thanks in advance!

a couple of thoughts:

-some of my heavier grade dive watches have 'high torque' quartz movements. they're no more or less accurate than other quartz watches; i think the 'high torque' is helpful because the handsets are larger and more heavily coated with lume paint for legibility reasons. I can't discern any difference between the Seiko 7C46 in one (a Seiko Tuna) and the ETA F07 (in a Marathon dive watch).

-many Citizen eco-drive movements don't have the radio-control feature. My oldest watch, over ten years old, is a citizen with an eco-drive movement. it's still running on time on the original rechargeable cell. Eco-drive is a great technology if you want a quartz movement that is durable and needs minimal attention.

-You don't need to spend a large amount of money to buy a watch with a basic high accuracy thermocompensated quartz movement. ETA precidrive (ETA Cal. F06.411, F07.412, for example) is accurate to within +/- 10 seconds per year in watches that cost well under $1,000, street prices in the $400-500 range. I wear one of these, a Certina watch. I just checked, and it's +3 seconds against the atomic clock, haven't set the time on it (adjusted the date a few times for short months) since February '23. i think this movement has 3 jewels (no, i don't think the number of jewels makes any difference).

-Shinola's Argonite 1069 is a rebadged Ronda 1069 quartz movement. It has six jewels. Shinola calls it high-accuracy quartz; it's not, the specification for a Ronda 1069 is -10/+20 seconds per month. that's still more accurate than a COSC or METAS automatic movement, but high accuracy quartz is generally measured in a small number of seconds deviation per year, not per month. Replacements cost about $20. Still, quite durable and runs within specification. battery life can be a little shorter on these.

 

I agree that Ecodrive is a fantastic technology. I've got two of them that are still running strong after 20 plus years. It's always amazed me that so few seem concerned about the issue of a normal battery dying at a critical moment, or about the likely compromise of water resistance if you have to take the back off a dive watch to change the battery.

 

Likely an easier question to answer would be “what is a bad quartz” since quartz is very good in most respects.

I think you’ll have a hard time beating a Swiss Ronda 715 though, it’s been around for decades and has proven to be accurate and reliable. Is it the most accurate - probably not, does it fill up the caseback - nope, does it come with bragging rights - nah. But it’s solid, reliable and ubiquitous. If you need to replace one you can get a Harley Ronda for cheap, or a Swiss Ronda for more, but the likelihood is low anyway.

The best thing about it is that most manufacturers use it — so, you only have to stock one battery for the bulk of your collection — and stores’ that sell button cell batteries will almost always have it in stock if you run out, they don’t always have those less common batteries.

Food for thought.

 

The biggest differences are the features you get. Some quartz will have low battery indication, HAQ, chrono, GMT, etc.

 

Most quartz are good assuming by that you mean they run basically trouble-free and keep "good" time. If you are asking about a HAQ then that's another matter. I suppose there are people here on WUS who demand (and are willing to pay) a watch that runs within one second a year or whatever. Me, these days I set my watches by the time on my microwave oven.

 

Good day,

I often hear Japan quartz movements are best value for money.

Could someone explain which one is a better choice in low segment?

For example eta fo6.111 or Seiko Caliber Caliber 6N52? In terms of reliability.
Also, do I understand right, that most Citizen eco-drive movement are actually the same as 6N52, except eco-drive technology and radio-control extra modules?

is it worth to have quartz with 5 or 6 jewels? Like ETA 255.461 or ETA E64.111.
What do they actually give you?
The first one actually used in Omega , but no accuracy advantage.

I understand grand Seiko or more expensive Citizen with excellent accuracy, but they are high end with thermocompensate function and in case of Seiko 50 years of use.

Could you please share what you think?
Many thanks in advance!

Many years ago (~1990) I took a flooded SMP quartz to a jeweler for some emergency TLC (flushing out the salt water to prevent it rusting before I could get it to the AD) and he commented that it was a really nice movement. Even then, I thought this was an odd statement - it's quartz - aren't they pretty much all the same? Apparently not...

 

If I'm buying quartz, I want something special out of the deal, other than just an engine that turns the hands.

Solar, HAQ, long battery life, IAHH... something.

Examples: Citizen Chronomaster (HAQ, solar), Grand Seiko (GMT, HAQ), Marathon Navigator (Precidrive, battery hatch), Certina Podium GMT (Precidrive, GMT).

For a while, I had a thing for Seiko 8f56 watches. 10 yr battery, perpetual calendar, GMT with IAHH... lots to like about it. The calendar re-set shenanigans? Not so much...

 

If I'm buying quartz, I want something special out of the deal, other than just an engine that turns the hands.

Solar, HAQ, long battery life, IAHH... something.

Examples: Citizen Chronomaster (HAQ, solar), Grand Seiko (GMT, HAQ), Marathon Navigator (Precidrive, battery hatch), Certina Podium GMT (Precidrive, GMT).

For a while, I had a thing for Seiko 8f56 watches. 10 yr battery, perpetual calendar, GMT with IAHH... lots to like about it. The calendar re-set shenanigans? Not so much...

Or maybe one with 7 analog complications?

 

Love mine.

 

 

Sorry. Didn’t read through the thread…
Breitling Superquartz or Grand Seiko Drive.

 

Get a Grand Quartz not a good quartz.

 

To me, getting a radio watch was a game changer. While I can see the value of a watch independently keeping excellent time, I really enjoy how a radio/GPS watch is always perfectly on time with no intervention from me.

I share this sentiment whole heartedly.

If I get a GS HAQ, that's great, but also a huge price tag. I wouldn't pay a huge price tag just for the quartz. I'd get a GS HAQ because of finishing, design, and the technology behind the HAQ.... and I'm not there yet.

If I wanted accuracy, I'd go with a quartz option that won't break the bank and give me accurate time, Radio Quartz all the way.

I've been nerding out quartz and radio quite a bit because I'm planning on purchasing a Gshock GMW-B5000-1 or GMD-B5000D-1...

Plus they say they are indestructable. Probably exaggerated, but I bet they are quite durable.

(images not mine, ripped from a quick google image search)

 

If

Good day,

I often hear Japan quartz movements are best value for money.

Could someone explain which one is a better choice in low segment?

For example eta fo6.111 or Seiko Caliber Caliber 6N52? In terms of reliability.
Also, do I understand right, that most Citizen eco-drive movement are actually the same as 6N52, except eco-drive technology and radio-control extra modules?

is it worth to have quartz with 5 or 6 jewels? Like ETA 255.461 or ETA E64.111.
What do they actually give you?
The first one actually used in Omega , but no accuracy advantage.

I understand grand Seiko or more expensive Citizen with excellent accuracy, but they are high end with thermocompensate function and in case of Seiko 50 years of use.

Could you please share what you think?
Many thanks in advance!

Whether it is Japanese or Swiss, modern quartz movements are very reliable and accurate. You can definitely find reasonably priced HAQ watches, check Certina, Tissot, and Bulova. More expensive options from Seiko and Citizen offer exceptional accuracy with more refinement. I am a big fan of solar-powered radio controlled watches, plenty of models to choose from, affordable prices, no battery changes and after initial setup watch stays extremely accurate.

 

A good quartz, like anything, is one that does what it's told