Oysterquartz longevity

[johnswatch]

I'm interested in picking up an Oysterquartz but have a few concerns about the longevity of the movement.

It's important to me that any watch I purchase will outlast me. I'm confident that almost any mechanical Rolex purchased from 1950's onwards will be able to be kept in good running order due to the supply of spares. Worst case scenario new spares can even be fabricated.

The oysterquatz on the other hand is an electro-mechanical movement with very few moving parts. many of the examples around date from the late 70's, early 80's and so have been running for quite a while.

Can any of the electrical parts wear out over the next say 50 years? Could they be fixed without requiring Rolex spares (assuming Rolex no longer support it by then?). Could the motor be re-wound by hand if required?

Does the quartz crystal module wear out over time?

Cheers

John

[Balboa]

If many decades of longevity is a requirement, I do not think any battery powered quartz watch is a good bet. There are numerous electronic components and motors that can fail and would probably be impossible to replace. Also, who will be able to work on your watch 20 or 30 years from now? A leaking battery could also put an end to the watch. Will you be able to even get the correct battery many years from now?

Even contemporary quartz watches are seldom repaired in the conventional sense. Generally the manufacturer will just replace the entire mass produced movement. This will probably not be much of an option with an Oysterquartz.

Could it last for many decades? Sure. If that is very important, I would not bet on it.

Mark

[luger]

I have a Seiko Quartz from 1978 that still keeps great time and has been running non-stop (except for battery changes) for 31 years. I guess that qualifies for longevity. I think that contrary to popular belief quartz watches need to be overhauled from time to time as well. I think my Seiko may be getting close to an overhaul soon.

[Ironstark]

Rolex general rule on parts availability is that there should be parts available for the "lifespan" of the watch. Thats 30/40 years. That is from the date that production of that calibre/family of calibres stops. So for example if production ceased in 2000 then parts should be available till 2040.
The Rolex oyster quartz is a sturdy movement and compared to many other quartz movements is more "mechanical" in nature.
Taken together, this would suggest that their longevity should be well above average for an electronic watch.

[djhiram]

A friend of mine has an TT Oysterquartz model from the early 1980s that he bought brand new and when I asked him he says he has never had any problems with it whatsoever. All he has done is service it with RSC.

[SDDS]

the Oyster Quartz is by far the best movement in terms of its mechanical feature.. my father has it now for more than 15 years and its working perfect.. and every 3 to 4 years i change battery and so some normal check up...