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How can they do it?

gmoodyii
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gmoodyii Member

gmoodyii

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I have been buying cheap automatic watches with Chinese movements. Sort of addicting because the watches are really quite good looking and keep perfect time. I got one of the watches I do not really care for and tore it down, for the practice.

What is amazing is the quality of the movement, for $20.00. This watch is an automatic, with day of the week, day of the month, and a 24 hrs hand. 

How can they manufacture this movement for so cheap? Automated assembly maybe?

Anyway, I have most of the tools and bits to continue to learn the fine art of watch maintenance. 

Love this site, it has really sparked a passion. 

gmoodyii Member

gmoodyii

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Sadly this is probably mostly all true, maybe except for the Kung Fu Masters. Figured it would be Ninjas! :)

I am currently looking and bidding on swiss movements in need of repair to practice on. The Chinese movements are ones that I consider disposable, but whatever the circumstance of their manufacture all watches deserve a chance.

There is a huge appeal to fixing a watch that was once worn proudly by someone with pride.

Ishima Super WRT Addict

Ishima

Posted
Posted (edited)

sadly, yes virtual slave labor is to thank for the movement and many other things we enjoy, if you'd like more information look into foxcon who make iphones, xboxs, it's so awful there that workers would commonly jump off of the roof of the factory, so they put up a net... 

I've actually worked in a couple of factories here in England and you would not believe the economy of scale you can achieve even in a country with moderately good labor laws, at times it was hard to imagine that how much i was seeing getting created was only from one factory for the country, where as there would be many similar operations dotted around the country to fulfill our domestic need. 

Edited by Ishima
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