As much as purists may dispute this, great watches don’t necessarily need to come in mechanical packages. The quartz mechanism changed the watchmaking industry forever, making watches more affordable. Even today, quartz watches enjoy massive popularity, with most luxury watchmakers featuring them in their offerings - the upside is that these watches flaunt the same design and functionalities as their mechanical counterparts from the same brand. Versatile, stylish, budget-friendly, here’s our list of 6 quartz watches that you should consider.
Chronograph: Frederique Constant Classics Quartz Chronograph FC-292MC4P6
Get Frederique Constant’s precision in this contemporary Classics Quartz Chronograph. The 40mm stainless steel watch has chronograph pushers at 2 and 4 o’clock, and hour, minute, and seconds subdials at 6, 3, and 9 o’clock. The dial is silver coloured with a clous de Paris guilloché, and the chapter ring entails black Roman hour markers. There is a date window at 4 o’clock. The watch is equipped with a AL-373 / FC-292 (base Ronda 5030D) quartz movement with a battery life of about 54 months. A black calf leather with crocodile pattern strap complements the watch.
Price: Rs 85,000
GMT: Tissot Seastar 1000 Quartz GMT
A new, must-buy quartz watch with a GMT function, the Tissot Seastar 1000 Quartz GMT comes in three iterations, all featuring black sunbrushed dials topped with mineral glass. The stainless steel 40mm watches have a bi-directional knurled bezel with Arabic markers - the case size is versatile and looks good on all wrist sizes. Ref. T120.852.17.051.00 has a black bezel, while the other two feature bi-coloured bezels in green and black (Ref. T120.852.11.051.00), and black and brown (Ref. T120.852.22.051.00).
The dials entail Super-LumiNova coated hour markers and hands, and the GMT hand is in red, green, or golden depending on the model. The date window is located at 6 o’clock. Its closed caseback is engraved with the Seastar logo, which is found in most closed casebacks of the watches in the line. A Swiss quartz movement with battery type Renata 371 drives the watches. The timepieces have either stainless steel bracelets or synthetic black rubber strap. Read about Tissot's new T-Touch Connect Sport in detail here.
Price: Rs 40,000 onwards
Everyday Style: Longines Conquest Ref. L3.759.4.96.6
One of Longines’s quartz bestsellers, the Longines Conquest Ref. L3.759.4.96.6 is an everyday wear piece with a side of elegance and performance. The timepiece features a 41mm stainless steel case with a protected crown at 3 o’clock and a sunray brushed blue dial with applied Arabic markers at 12 and 6. At 3 o’clock, lies the date window. The quartz Calibre L157 Renata 371 powers the watch, and a stainless steel bracelet with triple safety folding clasp and push-piece opening mechanism finishes it.
Price: Rs 82,000
Cool design: Junghans Max Bill Quartz 041481702
German minimalism at its best, the Junghans Max Bill Quartz is one of the brand’s more popular models, which focuses on the Bauhaus design tenets of minimalism and clean lines - the line was first designed in 1961 by renowned Swiss architect and industrial designer Max Bill. The 38mm, slim, stainless steel timepiece comes with a silver colour dial incorporated with long bar hour markers, small minute markers, and a date window at 3 o’clock. There is a double lume pip at 12 o’clock, while single lume pip is at 3,6, and 9 o’clock. And a black leather strap flanks the case. The watch is 30 metre water resistant.
Price: Rs 83,000
Iconic design: Rado Diastar The Original Ref. R12391103
The iconic Rado Diastar, when it was launched in 1962 was the world’s very first scratch-proof watch, made from an alloy of tungsten carbide called Hardmetal. So distinct was its design that the line, now in production for nearly 60 years, is unchanged. The Ref. R1239110 features a 35.1mm stainless steel and Hardmetal oval case, much like the original, and is topped with sapphire crystal. The watch features a silver dial with minimal round hour markers, a day date window at 3 o’clock, and baton hands. A quartz movement Ref. 03.114.031 powers the watch. It is water resistant up to 30 metres and is finished with a stainless steel bracelet.
Price: Rs 61,000
Diver: Seiko Prospex Compact Solar Scuba Diver SNE585P1
Good-looking and durable, this 38.5mm stainless steel timepiece features a blue unidirectional knurled bezel with Arabic markings, and a blue dial with LumiBrite applied hands and hour markers, and a date window at 3 o’clock. The watch is water resistant to about 200 metres. Powered by a quartz solar movement, it can be charged via both natural and artificial light sources, and runs for 10 months once fully charged. A silvered stainless steel bracelet flanks the case.
Price: Rs 48,000
Images: Courtesy brands
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