Built in obsolescence in wrist watches

[hondated]

I like to take mine off and wind it up in the middle of meetings full of 'smartphone geeks' it helps to stave off the dreaded sleep during PowerPoint presentations. - simple pleasures

PP presentations OMG that reminds me of all those I had to attend when I was working and how like you I would sit there bored out of my mind.
Whats the latest initative method and its acronym they are recommending
these days.

[al_yrpal]

Bullshit Bingo relieved the tedium...

Al

[MarkF]

I haven't come across many lads on site,ie;brickies,plasterers,joiners,plumbers,sparkies,etc,wearing £250 watches.
That said I've been retired now for ten years so things may have picked up a bit .
The recessed face you mention still could get scraped up IMO,but I suppose we'll have to differ on that one.

I hardly ever meet anybody who is "into" wristwatches. I am.

It was a £120 watch, I am happy to wear it on-site, after all, that's what I bought it for. I'll get pleasure from wearing and looking at a nice automatic timepiece that takes hard abuse and can withstand deep immersion in liquid. I'd still expect it to last for decades though because it's standard ETA 2824 movement is infinitely repairable. I'd be able to sell it now for more than I bought it for, how is a cheap digital watch more cost effective?

Any watch face can get damaged I know that only too well.

[reohn2]

I hardly ever meet anybody who is "into" wristwatches. I am.

As I said,whatever strums yer strings

I'd be able to sell it now for more than I bought it for, how is a cheap digital watch more cost effective?

Good luck to you,but it's only worth that when and if you were to sell it,as it is it's just a watch that tells the time.
As is anyone else's whether they be expensive or not .

[MarkF]

As I said,whatever strums yer strings

In "real" life I meant, I meet 1000's on the net.

Good luck to you,but it's only worth that when and if you were to sell it,as it is it's just a watch that tells the time.
As is anyone else's whether they be expensive or not .

I buy & sell them all the time, more so now that interest rates are so low. "It's just a watch that tells the time"? Thankfully, an opinion not shared by everybody, the amount of horological forums and the recent decade long upsurge in Swiss automatic sales, proves that. Each to their own with hobbies, no need to denigrate one.

[Mike Sales]

Each to their own with hobbies, no need to denigrate one.

I (the OP) was a little stung to be called a cheapskate, or a muggins for buying cheap end but perfectly functional watches. I contrasted this reasonable behaviour with those who buy flashy, expensive status symbols in retaliation.

[MarkF]

I (the OP) was a little stung to be called a cheapskate, or a muggins for buying cheap end but perfectly functional watches. I contrasted this reasonable behaviour with those who buy flashy, expensive status symbols in retaliation.

Well......decent quality straps don't fail, not in my experience anyway, so I think it was a reasonable and fair assumption tbh. Nor have I said anything negative about cheap but functional watches, I am all for them, I own a Casio (But wouldn't expect it's strap to have great longevity). Furthermore, I have never bought a flashy expensive status symbol. Would like to tho', a Pinarello would be nice

[reohn2]

I buy & sell them all the time, more so now that interest rates are so low. "It's just a watch that tells the time"? Thankfully, an opinion not shared by everybody, the amount of horological forums and the recent decade long upsurge in Swiss automatic sales, proves that. Each to their own with hobbies, no need to denigrate one.

No offence meant and I'm glad you're able to make a living from them.
The horological fans are similar to any hobbists groups,they're geeks/anoraks in their field,it's the same with some cyclists
IMO ultimately a watch,like a bicycle fulfils a function,if the watch tells the time acurately then that's all I require of it,when I don't require it's function then I remove it.
It's the same with bicycles,but for some it's the owning rather than the using/function that's the attraction.
The "better"(for better read style/make) it is the more it defines the article,sometimes it's primary function becomes secondary or even none exsistent altogether.
The OP was asking about his watchstrap breaking sooner than he would like,which is a breakdown in function,that's all.
The discussion at some point spiralled off into "mine's better than yours" by Al-yrpal:-

I wear an £80 titanium Seiko that I purchased at Nairobi airport in 2002. It has a titanium metal wrist band. The battery has only been changed once. It's very light and totally reliable. I cannot understand why anyone buys cheap watches that don't last? Isn't it obvious that plastic straps will fail quickly? As the OP observes, built in obsolescence, or is it built in early failure? "Please buy yet another crap watch muggins...."

My response was to that oneupmanship statement,particularly the last line.

[Mike Sales]

Well......decent quality straps don't fail, not in my experience anyway, so I think it was a reasonable and fair assumption tbh.

Round and round again. My complaint was that a reasonable quality watch was let down by built in obsolescence in its strap. My experience is that decent quality watches (unless your definition of quality includes something more than telling the time accurately for years) are let down by their straps.

[MarkF]

No offence meant and I'm glad you're able to make a living from them

None taken.

Wish I could make a living from them, or bikes,or vintage scooters.........but no, I buy & sell them for fun primarily, it is a low cost hobby (considering residuals) compared to bikes.

Back to the OP. he bought a cheap watch, it's not going to have a quality strap is it? It appears to have been a Casio, a good quality cheap end watch that will provide many years, maybe decades, of service, great. But the strap is a part, an ancillary, like bar tape, he can't expect a strap on a cheap Casio to have great longevity, a pvc strap will fail, they get nicked, then worsen.....

[MarkF]

Round and round again. My complaint was that a reasonable quality watch was let down by built in obsolescence in its strap. My experience is that decent quality watches (unless your definition of quality includes something more than telling the time accurately for years) are let down by their straps.

But it's your opinion that you bought a "reasonable quality" watch. What is the model number? Unless you forked out for a Casio G Shock then I don't think your Casio is a "reasonable quality" watch, they are cheap but reliable watches, IMO you can't expect a quality strap to come with it at Casio prices.

In over 20 years of collecting, the only straps that I know to fail, are Casio pvc straps, I expect them to.

[al_yrpal]

Oh dear! Now I am being pilloried for buying a half decent watch? It wasn't bought for show, just to be reliable and long lasting. Rolexes are for show offs. I am one up because the strap never broke.


Al

[Mike Sales]

My last word on this.
All I want from a watch is that it keeps on keeping good time. The cheap Casios do this completely adequately. In my terms the watch part is better than half decent, it is as good as I need and want. I do not believe making a strap which lasts need add more than pennies to the cost. Velcro straps are cheap enough. Why should I have to spend eighty pounds to get a watch which won't abandon ship at inconvenient times?
My own belief is that the Casio straps are deliberate built in obsolescence.

[al_yrpal]

My last word on this.
All I want from a watch is that it keeps on keeping good time. The cheap Casios do this completely adequately. I do not believe making a strap which lasts need add more than pennies to the cost. Velcro straps are cheap enough.
My own belief is that the Casio straps are deliberate built in obsolescence.

The straps are often made of plastic. Whether its plastic or leather hardly matters, they don't last. Casio stuff is very good I still have a working calculator I bought in the 70s. I have no intention of buying the Seiko or Rolex version.

Al

[MarkF]

I understand Al, a half decent watch, with a generic ETAmovement, say £150? Will be extremely reliable and infinitely & cheaply repairable and re-buildable, it's not exaggerating to say that it could last you a lifetime.

However, my Casio, which is upper end Casio and bought for a purpose, several really, cost me £80. If it fails I'll probably have to throw it away.

I don't really understand the OP's gripe, Casios are remarkable things for the price. I recently bought a Triban 3, I don't expect I'll be complaining if the bar tape proves to be not top notch.