Anyone else not a fan of display backs?

Walrus · Nov 1, 2020

bigsom
Imagine being a young or new collector. Imagine buying a seiko 5 after saving up for it and being so excited to see the mechanical parts with the see through case back. You watch the balance wheel and rotor turn and it just looks so cool to you.

Then some asshole comes by and tells you, "that's a shit movement, what a shame to display it"

I really am disappointed in people more and more every day. Just because a Lange movement is gorgeous and a joy to look at for people with the means to see it, doesn't mean that someone else can't enjoy looking at their entry level watch movement. Gatekeeping at its worst.

The reason to like or dislike a see through caseback can be design related, functionality loss, etc. To say that a watch with a simple movement which is targeted towards a person who is buying a watch at a lower price point shouldn't have its movement displayed because it's not a "luxury item" is asinine.

On the seiko I showed above one person who asked me about is a young guy I know who is studying car mechanics. No currently a watch collector. When he saw the open back I think he checked it out for five minutes. Thoroughly amazed. He knows I collect watches so at first thought it was probably something expensive I explained the majority of my watches aren’t expensive and the one we were looking at cost me under 100. I told him I don’t see them new that low anymore but they can still be found cheap. He wrote down the model number saying he would love to pick one up.

Engee · Nov 1, 2020

STANDY
Take it your not buying a Snoopy then 😗

There would need to be a lot of watches not available before I spent £8k on a snoopy, that’s for sure.

Engee · Nov 1, 2020

Walrus
I have a few display backs. One thing I noticed is people who aren’t into watches seem to appreciate them quite a bit. I have a seiko I got on an amazon sale for 65 us. It’s nothing special but on a few occasions it caught a few peoples eyes and they asked me about it. Being that’s it’s inexpensive I don’t mind handing it over if they want to take a look. They are always amazed at seeing the movement. I tell them the little I know about it’s function.

anyway it’s certainly not necessary and who wants to hand around an expensive watch but they certainly can be cool

Well I’ll certainly agree that if it gets people into watches then that’s a good thing, but that doesn’t mean I should like them.

Walrus · Nov 1, 2020

Engee
Well I’ll certainly agree that if it gets people into watches then that’s a good thing, but that doesn’t mean I should like them.

I wasn’t implying you should I don’t like them on everything myself

Engee · Nov 1, 2020

Walrus
I wasn’t implying you should I don’t like them on everything myself

No, I know you weren’t. Just acknowledging your fair point.

Andreas · Nov 1, 2020

bigsom
Imagine being a young or new collector. Imagine buying a seiko 5 after saving up for it and being so excited to see the mechanical parts with the see through case back. You watch the balance wheel and rotor turn and it just looks so cool to you.

haven't thought of it that way, maybe you are right.
anyway, personaly i have a few seikos and probably will never be able to afford a lange and still don't like the open caseback of the seikos. i will much prefer a nicely design solid caseback, even the tsunami logo on my skx that the display back of my seiko 5.

ZIELSZIEK · Nov 1, 2020

As an engineering student I get enjoyment every time I watch the balance swing. In mechanical engineering class I even did a presentation about the evolution of watch movements and other related technical aspects, I used this forum as a resource(thank you contributors!) and brought my cheap Seiko to class, which was passed around for people to see. For some it was their first time seeing a watch movement. I even showed this forum to the teacher, he was impressed by the fact that the historical evolution aspects of watchmaking were so well documented. I got maximum points 😜 Sure, I appreciate a decorated movement just as much as any watch person, but as was stated above, I believe as well that these timepieces are targeted towards people buying their first ever mechanical watch and cheap watch lovers like someone I know 😁. That being said, I do prefer casebacks like the ones found on older skin divers.

arkman · Nov 1, 2020

I generally enjoy a well finished display back as I like to see some of the elegance of the engineering. That being said, I hate the approach Omega has taken recently about labeling components of the the movement such as the barrel or column wheel. It make me feel like the labels are teaching aides for someone who does not know much about watches.

roman9662 · Nov 1, 2020

As others have said, it depends. For me the added thickness and what is actually visible would be big factors. As many OF members have said in numerous threads, the watches in the Omega offerings have gotten too fat. Now what is on display. While the finishing can be attractive, seeing the movement in action is what interests me. It would be nice to see the chronograph movements. I have the AT Skyfall and frankly there isn't much movement to view. No arched bridges and visible gears because the plates holding the upper jewels cover most of the movement. IMHO it wasn't worth the effort to view a balance wheel.

ConElPueblo · Nov 1, 2020

bigsom
Imagine being a young or new collector. Imagine buying a seiko 5 after saving up for it and being so excited to see the mechanical parts with the see through case back. You watch the balance wheel and rotor turn and it just looks so cool to you.

Then some asshole comes by and tells you, "that's a shit movement, what a shame to display it"

I really am disappointed in people more and more every day. Just because a Lange movement is gorgeous and a joy to look at for people with the means to see it, doesn't mean that someone else can't enjoy looking at their entry level watch movement. Gatekeeping at its worst.

This rationale seems to depend on the person not liking display backs being an insensitive prick who projects his dislike to others without regard for their enthusiasm…

I can easily talk with someone who is enthusiastic about stuff I don't care about without bashing them and I suppose that is the case for the majority of people.

Twocats · Nov 1, 2020

I purchased this Bremont Wright Flyer For the tiny piece of the first powered aircraft the rotor contains. That and the fact it’s the first Bremont in house developed movement ::facepalm1::

sorry , couldn’t resist.

A solid case back wouldn’t help me admire my fingernail section of the aircraft that started it all.

Alpha · Nov 1, 2020

Own several and after the honeymoon period never look at them again unless I am doing a spot of cleaning.

Dor_42 · Nov 1, 2020

Engee
For me there’s something crude about it. It’s too revealing. Like a mankini.

Funny you choose to look at it this way, cause they way I see it a watch without a display back is like a woman who can’t take her clothes off!

To each his own I guess 😉

HappyJack · Nov 1, 2020

I had a Fortis B-42 Pilot Pro GMT Chrono with a display back, and it was fun to see the nicely decorated 7750-based rotor whizz around and the movement do its stuff; but the sapphire back made the watch heavier, less balanced and more likely to slide around on the wrist. My next Fortis - a B-42 Lemania 5100 model, has a movement with a very plain rotor that nobody is likely to want to look at, and plastic components that made it cheaper to produce, but, crucially, more durable to use. Given the far better functionality and legibility of the Lemania 5100, I can't conceive of wanting the wrong movement just because of a display back.

With the Speedy Pro, there is a model that offers an acrylic crystal and a sapphire back. Aesthetically, that seems to provide the best of both worlds, but I probably wouldn't get one because I prefer the original tool watch aesthetic of the steel case back.

Apart from that, I'd value the better anti-magnetism, the thinner case and lower weight of a steel back, above the ability to see the movement, but if someone could build a watch that gave me those things with a display back, I'd be interested...

MtnMarine · Nov 1, 2020

I love display backs. Many watch movements, especially omega, are too beautiful to be covered up.

Professor · Nov 1, 2020

MtnMarine
I love display backs. Many watch movements, especially omega, are too beautiful to be covered up.

I don't exactly love the display backs but I agree some movements deserve to be seen, and some must be seen to be believed.

Only display back watch I own is a cheap Chinese self winder I bought new for $12 USD on a closeout sale just to see how well it was made to allow such a low price. It turned out to be a pretty good watch in many ways,reasonably accurate, very legible dial and nice blued hands, though much too bulky for me. The movement is a fairly good one but in appearance its totally uninspiring.

The watches I have that have movements nice enough to benefit from a display back just aren't suited for one.
The nice gold inscribed Midland 2453 or the Bulova housed A. Schilde movements are nice to look at but the Midland has an unusual water proof case with compressor ring. I rather doubt display backs are available for these and I would not be in the market for one if they were.

TexOmega · Nov 1, 2020

Only a fan when used with pocket watch movements where the increased size makes it worthwhile.

OmegaFan503 · Nov 1, 2020

It depends on the watch for me.

I have a PO8500 and I just don't care for it.

I love it on the speedy though.

queriver · Nov 1, 2020

I have the opposite view to the OP because I like them if that's the way they come from the manufacture. Here's my Nostradamus prediction: there'll come a time soon when so few people will even know what a mechanical watch is that, when the conversation comes up, you will be able to take your watch off to show them the movement and they will be amazed by that thing of mechanical ingenuity and beauty they had no idea existed. In doing so, you will make a small but valuable contribution to the future of watch manufacturing if those peoples eyes are opened and they get hooked like us.

Vercingetorix · Nov 1, 2020

I dislike them in general because they have too much stiction to my wrist.

Anyone else not a fan of display backs?

Walrus

Engee

Engee

Walrus

Engee

Andreas

ZIELSZIEK

arkman

roman9662

ConElPueblo

Twocats

Alpha

Dor_42

HappyJack

MtnMarine

Professor

TexOmega

OmegaFan503

queriver

Vercingetorix

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