Automatic or quartz watch: what are you paying for?

Same watch, nearly double the price. What an automatic movement gives you over quartz and solar, what it costs to own, and which suits you in South Africa.

Two watches side by side in the display case. Same brand, same design, same steel bracelet and blue dial. One is priced at roughly double the other. The salesperson turns it over and points to the glass back, where a little rotor spins as you tilt it. That's the difference you're paying for.

The movement is the engine of a watch, and it often explains most of the gap between two otherwise similar watches. Below: how quartz, solar and automatic movements differ, what each costs to buy and own in South Africa, and which one suits the way you'll wear it.

What to decide first

How often will you wear it? An automatic stops if it's left in a drawer for longer than its power reserve, from about a day and a half to three days. Quartz and solar keep going.

How much do you care about accuracy? Typical quartz stays within about 15 seconds a month. Even a good automatic can drift by several seconds a day, which is normal.

Are you buying the watch or the craft? If the appeal is the sweeping seconds hand and the visible movement, only an automatic gives you that.

What will it cost to own? Batteries are cheap. A service on an automatic, every five years or so, can cost a meaningful slice of what the watch cost.

Quartz

A battery sends a current through a tiny quartz crystal, which vibrates at a steady frequency, and a circuit turns that into ticks. The result is very accurate, cheap to make, thin and tough. The seconds hand jumps once a second. You'll change the battery every couple of years, and that's about it for maintenance. Casio, Citizen, Seiko, Tissot and Hamilton all make excellent quartz watches.

Automatic

A mechanical movement of springs and gears, powered by a mainspring that a weighted rotor winds as your wrist moves. No battery at all. The seconds hand sweeps rather than ticks, and many have a glass back so you can watch it work. It needs wearing to keep running (or a watch winder), regular servicing to stay healthy, and it's more sensitive to knocks and magnets.

You're paying for the engineering and the craft, and for something that, cared for, can outlast you. Seiko, Tissot, Hamilton, Longines and Orient are well-known names here.

Solar

A quartz watch with a light-powered cell under the dial, so any light, indoor or out, keeps it charged. Fully charged, it can run for months in the dark. You get quartz accuracy with almost no battery changes, which makes solar a very practical daily watch. Citizen's Eco-Drive is the best known, and Seiko and Casio make solar models too. Kinetic watches, which charge from wrist movement, are a less common cousin.

Same design, different movement, as of October 2026
WatchQuartzAutomatic
Tissot PRX, steelR10,000 to R13,000R19,500 to R22,500
Hamilton Khaki FieldR11,000 to R16,500R19,000 to R29,000

Which brands sit at which price is a separate question, and our guide to watch brands by price band takes it step by step.

Automatic vs quartz watch: the cost of owning one

Here's a round example. A R20,000 automatic serviced every five years at, say, R3,000 a time costs R6,000 to look after over fifteen years. A quartz watch at half the price, with a R300 battery every two or three years, costs about R1,500 to R2,100 over the same time. Automatics are still worth it if you love them. Just know the running cost before you choose.

Where the deals are

Discounts work the same way whatever the movement: compare the same reference number at another shop before you trust the percentage. Our guide on how to spot a real watch discount covers the patterns.

The Watch Shop ranks live watch deals from the shops we track by REALRANK™, which reads the discount, the rand saving, how the price compares to other shops, the brand, how recently the price dropped and stock.

Before you pay

Check the movement on the spec sheet as well as the photo, because quartz and automatic versions of the same model can look identical. Check the warranty, and whether the shop is an authorised dealer, since the brand's international warranty usually depends on it. Ask about service costs for an automatic.

Some watch shops give only 7 days to return an unworn watch, so check before you order. Keep the invoice and warranty card together, and know that the Consumer Protection Act's six-month defect right applies whatever the brand warranty says.

Before you buy, Check The Deal. Shop great watch deals, verified and ranked by REALRANK™.

Frequently asked questions

Is an automatic watch better than quartz?

Not more accurate. Quartz keeps better time and costs less. An automatic offers mechanical craft, a sweeping seconds hand and no battery, and costs more to buy and service.

Why is an automatic watch more expensive?

The movement has many more parts, takes more skill to make and assemble, and is finished by hand at higher levels.

Does an automatic watch need a battery?

No. It's wound by the motion of your wrist. Leave it off for longer than its power reserve, usually a day and a half to three days, and it stops.

What is a solar or Eco-Drive watch?

A quartz watch charged by light through the dial. It keeps quartz accuracy and rarely needs a battery change.

Where are the best watch deals in South Africa?

The Watch Shop on THE REAL DEAL ranks live watch deals from the shops we track by REALRANK™. Check the movement on the listing, because quartz and automatic versions can look the same.

Sources

Written by Dean. Reviewed 27 October 2026. Table prices are one shop's published full prices, rounded, and change; the live deals show today's prices. Worked examples use round illustrative prices, not live offers. Some links earn THE REAL DEAL a commission. Placement buys visibility, it never touches REALRANK™.