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Why choose a mechanical watch?

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  • Journey into watchmaking
  • Why choose a mechanical watch?
  • 9 November 2025 by
    THOMAS LARDIERE

    Choosing a mechanical watch in the age of quartz and smartwatches is above all a choice driven by passion, tradition, and emotion.

    It is not simply an instrument for telling the time, but a living object, a testament to craftsmanship and a philosophy of time.

    Here is a comprehensive and nuanced argument for why you should choose a mechanical watch today:

    1. A masterpiece of miniaturized mechanics

    A mechanical watch is a pure timekeeping instrument.

    Inside, dozens or even hundreds of components—gears, springs, levers, jewels, screws, balance wheels, escapements—work in perfect harmony.

    • No batteries, no electronics: just precision mechanics.
    • The energy comes from a spring that is wound by hand or via an automatic rotor.
    • Each second is produced by an actual physical movement, not by an electrical impulse.

    It is a technical feat where the beauty of its operation becomes a form of art.

    Each tick is the result of a balance between science and craftsmanship.

    2. A connection to tradition and history

    The mechanical watch represents more than 500 years of watchmaking history.

    She embodies the continuity of ancestral know-how, passed down from generation to generation.

    • Wearing a mechanical watch is a tribute to European and Japanese watchmaking.
    • It also means owning a piece of history, sometimes inspired by military watches, diving watches, aviation watches, or historic chronographs.

    Every brand has its philosophy, every caliber has a story—and that gives meaning to the object.

    3. A soul and emotion

    A mechanical watch lives:

    • Its balance wheel beats like a heart, at 18,000 to 72,000 vibrations per hour.​
    • It winds itself up, maintains itself, ages.
    • It can stop, start again, and accompany its owner throughout their entire life.

    Unlike a quartz or smartwatch, it is not disposable.

    It can be transmitted, repaired, inherited.

    A mechanical watch is not just an accessory—it is a lifelong companion.

    4. Sustainable and repairable value

    • A mechanical watch can last for several generations if it is well maintained.
    • The parts are repairable and replaceable, unlike electronics.
    • Major brands still offer restoration services for models that are 50, 100, or more years old.
    • Some mechanical watches increase in value over time, becoming collector's items.

    Where a smartwatch becomes obsolete, a mechanical watch takes on sentimental and heritage value.

    5. An object of beauty and character

    • Mechanical movements are often visible through a sapphire crystal case back, allowing you to admire the decorations, circular graining, Côtes de Genève, blued screws, etc.
    • Each watch has its own aesthetic and sound identity:
      • The noise of the rotor,
      • The click of the winding mechanism,
      • The beating of the pendulum.

    Wearing a mechanical watch is like wearing a functional work of art.

    6. “Human” precision

    Yes, a mechanical watch is not as precise as a quartz watch (a few seconds difference per day).

    But that's exactly what makes her so lively and human.

    It reflects the natural rhythm of time, not that of an electronic circuit.

    She reminds us that absolute perfection is not always what we seek—it is controlled imperfection that makes it so charming.

    7. An eco-friendly and responsible choice

    • No batteries, no planned obsolescence.
    • A mechanical watch can run for decades without generating electronic waste.
    • It is wound by hand or charged by the movement of the wrist—a form of energy that is 100% renewable.

    It is an inherently sustainable object, designed with simplicity and longevity in mind.

    8. A passion, not a gadget

    Finally, choosing a mechanical watch means choosing:

    • Curiosity: understanding how a caliber works.
    • Patience: learning how to care for it, how to recharge it.
    • Admiration: for the artisan who assembled tiny pieces by hand.

    It also means belonging to a watchmaking culture, with its own language, codes, and values.

    A mechanical watch doesn't try to connect you to the digital world—it reconnects you to real time.

    9. In summary: Why choose a mechanical watch?

    ArgumentDescription
    CraftsmanshipMade using centuries-old techniques.
    EmotionA living, poetic object, transmitted by humans.
    DurabilityRepairable, not single-use, can last a lifetime.
    ValuePotentially transferable or collectible.
    EcologyNo batteries, no obsolescence.
    AestheticsVisible beauty of movement, meticulous finishes.
    IdentityA statement of taste and personality.

    In summary:

    Choosing a mechanical watch means valuing time over simply displaying the time.

    and choose the permanence of art over the disappearance of digital technology.

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