old vs new watches. new- are pissing me off...

[Minimalist]

I propose a debate here:
I look at the new watch releases and come to the conclusion that the previous ones were much better than the current ones. I'm not talking about vintage vs modern watches now. and about the watches of 5-7 years ago compared to what is produced today. the design was tastier, you could feel the elegance and concept behind each watch. I do not exclude that the quality was also safer. now, I have the impression that factories and brands deceive us with only small technical changes, without going the extra mile to create something truly "WOW"

what do you think?

 

[$BarHat$]

regarding the mechanical features, I completely agree. they were more full of technical ambition and never stopped surprising with astonishing and unexpected functions. about the design, I remain reluctant. I like what I see in the current watches

 

[Matias]

and the arguments with which each release was presented seemed more convincing compared to the arguments in the current releases. something has been lost...or creativity has run out

 

[Simposium5338]

I don't want to seem rude here, but I find your thread a bit ambiguous @Minimalist
quality is quite a debatable aspect, unless you give me exact watch models for a clearer comparison.
what I agree with is that the watchmaking houses were really more passionate about both aesthetic and technical experiments. the watches were extremely different from each other. today I see a lot of watches similar to each other, that I have the impression that the brands are inspired by each other.... I can't say that the quality has decreased. the materials seem to me to be of better quality than before... but the brands have become a bit stingy in terms of creativity and daring design....

 

[DomPerignon]

I agree with what was said about design. before, they were much more outlandish. today, nothing seems out of the box to me, as was the Royal oak or the nautilus when it appeared. At the same time, I disagree with the technical part. it is a mistake to assume that the movements and materials of the 70s were better, resistant and qualitative. I am not referring here to the watchmaking houses that produce plastic cases and acrylic crystal. I mean horological craftsmen...

 

[MCGregor]

which watches are we talking about here actually? genuine or reps? luxury or cheap? it's hard for me to comment when I'm somehow talking in an empty space......
either way, the techniques that are used today by the watchmaking houses are waaaaayy more innovative and effective than a few years ago.... in the past, even the movements were considered harmful, because they included a lot of plastic in them. today, brands are very much oriented towards environmental protection, and as a minimum, they produce more ecological pieces, not to mention their durability and performance.

the design is different, because people's tastes have also evolved. do not exclude the factor that at the global level, the world began to look for comfort, versatility, utility, and lack of too much flamboyance. I think that the brands only adapt to the requirements and trends of the market. they must have their analysis of the market, for sure....
I don't see that the old watches are any better, with the exception of a few specific models. but as a whole, the industry has evolved exponentially. Extreme design changes are not made because we live in the era of comfort, where comfort takes precedence as long as the design is as clean and pleasing to the eye as possible

 

[Skorsese]

I do not rule out that something has changed both in design and technique. just think of it.... some years ago, factories and brands put extreme focus on hand made assembly. many continue to do it to this day, remaining in the top of the public's preferences. And many have switched to machine-based production, which is much cheaper. But despite the cost, the design suffers enormously. and the world perceives this difference between a watch assembled and processed by hand, compared to one made on the assembly line.
I suppose this would be a reason for the change that occurred over time.....

another reason is the general purpose of the brands. in the past, they produced watches out of pure love, tradition, interest, and passion. Today, something of all this has been preserved, but the business side always gets the upper hand. I understand that there must be profit in this whole thing, but it feels that the brands are mainly focused on profit, in the devotion of passion. The audience, again, feels it...

Now for fear of the failure of income, factories produce a lot and invest in marketing even more. but skip to integrate passion and creativity in watches. years ago, how many watchmaking houses went through crises?! Patek and Audemars are very good examples, which have not given up on creative, traditional concepts and dedicated work even in the hardest times....

 

[Greg_B]

I agree and I don't agree..... current metallurgy and today's technique leave no room for inferior quality (I'm talking about reputable brands). consequently, there is no way that the quality will be lower than in the past.... with the design, yes, I agree. I resonate better with those of the past. even the replica watches that I usually buy are models from a few years ago. the older the model, the better

 

[Minimalist]

how glad I am to know that the world is on the same page with me,,, I was starting to think that I am somehow crazy, and I don't see what I should see in modern horology.
it is obvious and indisputable that modern technologies and techniques substantially prevail over what was available years ago. good materials, increased refinement, quality, possibly, even better. but not better design....... before even simple and minimalist watches were made with more dedication.
On the whole, creating a minimalist watch is not as simple as it seems. great attention to detail is needed to make it iconic..... Speedmaster, imho, is a good example. among the first models of about 10 years ago, you could distinguish both classic and sporty features in a single watch. now, I find it difficult to find a watch that combines these 2 extremes in such a refined way. as a rule, they are either more traditional or more sporty. at least, there are very useful brands that make it right.... earlier, the abundance of such brands was greater...

 

[WatchOut]

so much theory here and no concrete example)))))

it depends a lot on the brand we are talking about. but if we talk in general, yes, I agree, the tendency to reduce aesthetic creativity has changed dramatically. here, for example, is a Seiko 5 from 2021 contrasted with one from 1975. in the old version, the date aperture has a firm and steady metal frame. in the modern version, lazier I would say, it's just a cutout square, that is, a quick solution and without much hassle for the manufacturer.
someone has mentioned here for modern movements that are more eco-friendly. weeeeeeeeeell, I don't quite agree. in this seiko, the old movement is made of metal, and the modern version comes with.... SURPIIIIISE...plastic gears DDDDD THE REASON? that the old model looks more elegant, sophisticated, and rich. the modern version is somehow....... dry..... need more arguments?

 

[Eddie]

old watches have a specific charm, especially due to their simplicity, and attention to details and their elegance. the brands were somehow oriented towards promising functionality, even if they were not extremely complex, and finesse. today, the dials are full of functions and complications that people don't really use, and they are a bit dry in design

 

[YupyLuk]

I think the topic is very generalized
. some brands have evolved very nicely over time. if a few years ago they made idiotic watches both in design and technology, now they have become among my favorites ones. Exactly and vice versa, some watches were extraordinary a few years ago. and today, they have become so banal and boring that they are no longer of any interest to them.

This is probably the result of the brands having reached their peak of glory after which they somehow relaxed and work only to maintain themselves, but not to advance. That's why I only partially agree with you. love for older watches and newer watches cannot be explained if we talk in general terms. It would be fairer to give some clear examples to discuss. As with vintage watches: someone loves them even if their looks are not always a benefit, someone else just doesn't understand them. Maybe you belong to the same category of people

 

[CosmoS]

I find myself somewhere in what you say, and I agree that with the advancement of the era of technologies, something is lost including in horology..... I was actually reading some reviews about the latest Code 11.59 release by Audemars piguet. Practically, the entire community of watch lovers claims that the brand is losing the vibe it once had, and can never regain it. the new releases are better than the previous ones, but by no means better than Royal Oak which was at the top for so many years..... I agree with you... not that the new ones would piss me off, but definitely there is something they don't have enough...

 

[Myryopod]

what can you expect if everything tends towards an exaggerated minimalism? look at the apartments that the Chinese create)))))) just a rectangle that gives you what you need just by pressing the button) you want a bed, press the button and it comes out of the wall)) you want a TV, press the button
exactly the same with watches..... they are becoming more and more "stingy" in creativity. everything is reduced to the necessary minimum, including the aspect of passion in the process of creating a watch

 

[DBP]

I think you exaggerate a bit, and dramatize. what you call "loss in quality" is actually "optimization". it is no longer necessary for brands to use only iron in watches, when they can use alloys that are much more ecological and malleable, but by no means less resistant...
as for design, everything is evolving here too. everything tends towards minimalism, it's adequate. but minimalism is done with taste and attention to details. the brands only adapt to world trends. and I don't think it's a bad vector...my br it's a vector that we don't understand it fully yet...

 

[Ocean BLUE]

if everything really evolved as regressively as you say, I think that all modern watches should be made of plastic and aluminum by now....

don't forget that we, as humans, are also getting older. and as we progress, the current things seem so strange, bad, inappropriate. remember the teachers and parents, who never understand the current trends, citing that "in their years, everything was sooooooo different..." as if you are one of them I don't want to upset you, it just seems to me that your vision is what has changed, but not the quality of the watches))
)
everything is of the same quality as before) only the definition of quality has changed) now it's more modern)

 

[Moderatto]

if everything really evolved as regressively as you say, I think that all modern watches should be made of plastic and aluminum by now....

don't forget that we, as humans, are also getting older. and as we progress, the current things seem so strange, bad, inappropriate. remember the teachers and parents, who never understand the current trends, citing that "in their years, everything was sooooooo different..." as if you are one of them I don't want to upset you, it just seems to me that your vision is what has changed, but not the quality of the watches))
)
everything is of the same quality as before) only the definition of quality has changed) now it's more modern)

it was well scored. we usually tend to think that things around us are changing without realizing how fast we are changing in fact ....

don't forget that the watch industry is subject to quality standards and is regulated by internationally recognized quality certificates....

if the quality were to decrease as you say, no quality regulatory organization would confirm the product for release

 

[HorsePower]

agree. and maybe it's not specifically about the materials used, whatever, stainless steel still remains stainless steel. however, the details matter: Hamilton watches were considered top a few decades ago. Now I hear more and more often that it does not withstand humidity, generating fog on the dial, and the lume coating is less and less resistant in terms of durability and intensity....... what was done before has no resemblance in modern days sadly..... ...maybe the regulatory organizations check that the materials are not radioactive or that they coincide with certain standards. but for sure no one checks how well the lume layer was applied...so, there is a piece of truth in all this...

 

[Cincinnati]

manufacturers change a lot of course.
but change is not necessarily a bad thing. in many cases, they find alternatives that are cheaper, easier to produce, or more ecological... but that does not mean that they are of worse quality. ...

however, it also depends on the culture of the brand itself... one that respects itself, its tradition and history, its expertise accumulated over hundreds of years, will not allow itself to opt for something of poor quality... another brand that aims for revenue at the expense of its quality may fall prey to the temptation to make worse watches... this is a short-term view of course.

I don't think that the change is as dramatic as you see it, after all there is also the factor of evolution towards minimalism and comfort. and this implies minimalism in the design of watches as well...

 

[dancerINTHEdark]

nooooooooo, not trueeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!
I have no idea what watches you're looking at, and why did you come to that conclusion.....

but I don't agree with you at all....
modern mechanisms are even more and more complicated, the water resistance profiles are more than reliable... nowadays, watches can withstand such a depth that even the common man cannot reach without a professional diving suit.... ,
As for the materials, al went far beyond expectations; ,titanium, ceramics, titanium WITH ceramic, all the the combinations that 10 years ago no one could even think they could be "combineable" if there is such a word
... and as for the design, that is a purely individual matter... modern design resonates with me: complies with what you really need in to watch