GADGET GURU
Q PETE FAIRHURST, LEITH
How do I get into mechanical watches?
A
It would be fair to say that the mechanical watch has been battered over the years. First the quartz revolution kicked them in the gut, clock-addled phones stuffed that bejewelled wristwear into a box, then smartwatches hammered the nail in. But the proper watch never truly died.
It is easy to spend stupid money on a mechanical watch. Those tight-wound springs, teeny screws, and intricate movements require a level of craftsmanship far beyond machineassembled digitals and, at the higher end, the market commands that a ridiculous collection of luxury materials be glued onto every watch. But this doesn’t have to be the case. Affordable timepieces like Seiko’s venerable 5 series (from around £65, though aim to spend £150) and Stührling’s £100-ish range, which often come with alluring naked movements, mean taking your first step into the game need not cost you the foot you stepped
