Quartz Vs Solar Quartz - The Pros And Cons

What's happening good people in this one I'll be going over the pros and cons of both a traditional quartz vs a solar quartz. We're all pretty familiar with the old style quartz but solar is a different kettle of fish, so hopefully this video can shed some light on the ups and downs of both.
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Quartz Vs Solar Quartz - The Pros And Cons

[@WesWatchRoom]

Hey guys, hope you enjoy the video topic today where I'll be going over the pros and cons of both a traditional quartz and solar quartz watch. Thanks and enjoy your weekend.

[@lostinspace6399]

Out of my 50+ watch collection almost half are solar,Casio Citizen Seiko and more recently Oceanus,I think solar is the way to go so long as you give them plenty of light and not leave them in dark for weeks,I keep all mine in a glass wall display cabinet in a well lit room.Just to add I’ve never had any problems with my solar watches or normal quartz for that matter,I do change batteries myself and found it’s a lot easier if you get the correct tools for the job.Great video by the way

[@WesWatchRoom]

Thank you, appreciate your insight and you're spot on, both are amazingly good value if you can do everything yourself.

[@dunderhay9169]

I have a Citizen eco-drive that is more than 15 years old without needing a battery change.

[@WesWatchRoom]

They're awesome, and 15 years is very impressive. Thanks

[@JulianM_Col]

Solar everytime if it is possible... Unfortunately is not always possible, as you pointed out, quartz have a greater design variety. I love mi casio field solar MTP-S120, it is the watch I grab from the box almost everyday, and then I remember that the other watches also deserve a wrist day. Thanks for sharing!

[@WesWatchRoom]

Deffo, and yeah its not, hopefully they'll start experimenting and giving us some new solar quartz movements with different complications. Cheers

[@wildwalkeruk]

I have 3 solar watches, and they have been brilliant, had them for around 7 years now (all Citizen) They keep amazing time and I just leave them in a watch box on the window sill. From what I have gleaned from other peoples comments that the battery/capacitor gives up around 10 years, but can be changed. The Citizen Eco Drive you have is very similar to one of mine, I also have the one that sets it own time etc which is amazing, I don't have to worry about how many days in the month, leap years etc :)

[@WesWatchRoom]

You're right, mine lasted just over ten years and it spent a few in a drawer when I was moving house, so it could have last even longer given more use. But I'm after a new solar watch for work, just can't decide which yet. Thanks

[@WATCHingJames]

Great idea to compare these two.

[@WesWatchRoom]

Glad you think so! Cheers mate

[@XjohnjohnX88]

Great job bro! it's a very interesting video 👍

[@WesWatchRoom]

Glad you enjoyed it Thank you

[@user-fc4yn1xi7d]

My dad gave me his old Citizen ecodrive 9 years ago, he had it for 11 years prior. Still working perfectly. A bit lare, but thanks for the vid!

[@Andesu]

Love the accent and the video. Just got my first solar quartz watch! A Timex!

[@TimeToGoTravelAndTimepieces]

Thanks Wes. A couple points in there I hadn't thought of.

[@WesWatchRoom]

Appreciate you watching Bob and hope you're keeping well. Thanks

[@onraj9mm]

I have the exact timex and its a fantastic set and forget beater with the sapphire.

[@WesWatchRoom]

Thanks for the comment and for watching

[@johanvandersandt8904]

You make some super solid points man... I guess I need another solar powered watch! 😂👌

[@WesWatchRoom]

You should! I'm buying a new one for work - thinking a casio solar because I need it to be instantly legible and accurate. Cheers

[@johanvandersandt8904]

@@WesWatchRoom I bought a Casio but not a solar... Oh well, guess I need another one hahahaha!

[@marcelovasconcellos6067]

Lots of excellent points. Am a quartz guy, so having learned to change the batteries myself makes having more than a few viable. Btw, my oldest has an ETA movement in it, and is from 1994. Gains about 3 secs a month. Agreed pop off casebacks suck!. Thanks for the video and looking forward to your next ones.

[@WesWatchRoom]

Thanks for watching mate and it makes things far more affordable if you can do it all for yourself. That ETA sounds impressive too, insanely accurate.

[@denisripley8699]

On subject of battery cells - always use good quality silver oxide (sometimes Lithium for certain cells), they are more dependable and less likely to leak. The cell chemistry of silver oxide has a lower internal resistance too when compared to cheap 'poundstore' alkaline cells so will last longer. Good quality cells have a 'manufactured date' and they should be used within about 2-3 yrs max of that date, but ideally, buy a fresh battery when needed, it will last longer. Worth noting too that some 'Solar Watches' use capacitors rather than traditional battery cell to store energy; these cost considerably more than normal watch cells.

[@WesWatchRoom]

Thanks for the info, I'll certainly keep this in mind when buying new batteries for my watches. And you're right, capacitors are way more expensive and a hassle to replace. Luckily they seem to be getting phased out now in favour of batteries.

[@watchsixto]

Definitely a great comparison mate definitely better to go solar for long-term use

[@WesWatchRoom]

Totally agree and the technology is just getting better and better all the time. Thanks mate

[@predragjo5977]

I love Casio 10Y battery watches. I have purchased Casio MTP1228 back in 2010 or 2011 and the first battery lasted for 11 years straight. The watch was cheap, back then it was about 50 EUR. The interesting thing is that I have no idea how long did it sit in the store so it might be a bit over 11 years :D Replaced the battery when it started skipping seconds and it still works.

[@WesWatchRoom]

Same, they're awesome, shame that not many models have it. Casio needs to roll it out to more imo. Thanks for watching

[@MaxLT100]

I want to know about the sweeping solar quartz from Seiko. I've been looking for that for a long time. What model is it?

[@P_Ezi]

I will never buy another quartz watch unless it is solar. I have had very good results with both Casio and Citizen solar watches, with several models still working well past 15 years. One of those being an analog chronograph that would have chewed through several battery replacements with all the features actually being used. I have also bought a couple of second hand solar (Eco drive) Citizens that are about 35 years old that are still functioning. If one only has one or two battery powered watches, then changing vatteries every few years us not a big problem. But if one has several watches, then keeping up with all the batteries is a real hassle.

[@mariojr377]

I preffer quartz but I try to buy the 10 year battery like Casio, Victorinox, Timex. I replace their battery, extremely cheap and I wrote down the date thus I replace the battery 3 months before it will run out.

[@gorillasinthewrist]

I think your opening shots highlight the need for some AR coating… I like solar watches, I have a monstrous g shock solar and it’s great, however I am not convinced that the difference in price is justified, and the battery costs are very different. I normally pay pennies for quartz batteries (we get through a lot as we sell on eBay) which lasts couple of years, but the solar equivalent is 100 times as expensive. I disagree with you on waterproofing, if you replace the rubber gasket, there is no reason why the resistance would be diminished. Good work m8

[@WesWatchRoom]

Absolutely, the weekender would benefit from some, but its cheap, so no complaints. I see where you are coming from there, the point I was angling towards if for average consumers that don't know how to change a battery themselves and have to rely on stores to do it. But yeah, if you can do it yourself, then quartz is cheaper. As for the waterproofing, imo, as soon as you remove the caseback the WR is compromised, even if you place the seal correctly, its never the same as it was from factory. But more than likely you'd not have an issue unless you really like pushing the boundaries. Thanks

[@pol5561]

Hallo,as long as the cost is under $250 and do not reach the jewelry category , the solar is a much better buy even than mechanical watches in this price range because of what you mention [watertightness, accuracy service cost etc] otherwise after 10 years you will have new favorite watches to wear anyway,cheers man nice video.😊

[@WesWatchRoom]

Agreed, if you get a solar watch that is cheap enough, in the long run they are way better value for money than just about anything else. Cheers.

[@tanhockjun]

While I was shopping around online I found out a Seiko solar watch model SNE525P1 I am thinking of wanted to buy it for myself,maybe you can check it out?

[@WesWatchRoom]

I've added to my list mate, but I'm having to cut back on the videos because of work, hopefully when I'm more in control of my hours, I start making more content again. I have added to my list though, cheers.

[@tanhockjun]

@@WesWatchRoom 👍

[@TomasWatchReviews]

that non solar one is one of the most beautiful watches ever. But my table shakes when it ticks..

[@WesWatchRoom]

Yeah it is a loud one, but for me, its part of the charm. Thanks

[@predragjo5977]

Btw I am kinda curious. You said Citizen is working on a battery that will last 30 years. Can a quartz watch actually work that long? I mean they have some gears inside and most are not suitable for servicing. I suspect gears will wear out before the 30years mark :D

[@WesWatchRoom]

It's something I read on a forum, but not sure if that is viable or not. Maybe a few years down the road yet, but if anyone can do it, Citizen can. Cheers

[@z3kent778]

I would have bought the 41mm solar one with if it wasn't that bulky... I'm still have a crush on the 36 mm one but it's Out of Stock were I live :(

[@WesWatchRoom]

Yeah the 36mm sounds like it might be the sweet spot, have you looked into importing it?

[@scatterbrain9490]

Solar rules!!

[@WesWatchRoom]

100% mate 👍

[@gtracer6629]

Who would wear a 60 lb watch?

[@gtracer6629]

It seems like all watch reviewers seem to be UK-centric. As if no one else likes watches. For such small insignificant country they seem to quote all the money in British money. The standard exchange for money in most of the world is the US dollar.

[@WesWatchRoom]

You could always do a quick google to run an exchange rate check