Quoted from aobrien5:Thanks. I generally see "quartz movement" or "Japanese quartz movement." I'm assuming that means "cheap, generic movement." Are there any keywords to look for to know you're not getting a junk movement, or are those generally ok for a starter automatic?
I'd suggest reading up some on it before you pull the trigger, but here is a quick run down.
There are two types of watches. Quartz and Automatic.
Quartz: Extremely accurate, battery operated, newer tech, robust and bomb proof.
Automatic: Contain a "movement" that is spring wound with tiny parts that often are shown through a window on the front or back of a watch. They must be serviced and cared for, and are the main target of collectors. They are not as accurate, often losing seconds per day, they are fragile (compared to a quartz watch) and they have a soul. They are either wound through kinetic movement (the swinging of your arm) or by hand winding and sometimes both.
I would encourage anyone who is looking to start a collection by finding an Automatic by Seiko. It will outlast you and it is something you can proudly give to your kids. Quartz watches are nice, I have a few in my collection, but it is the equivilant of comparing a true pin to say a virtual screen version. Different animal. That being said, despite some high end Autos, the watch that gets the most wrist time on my wrist? A casio G Shock. I would never wear it to dinner or social function though. But they are great watches.