I buy the rep for the looks and the Gen for the quality and beauty of the movement. I do like sweeping hands only! Mostly an auto is on the wrist - otherwise it would stop going
But I have several quartz.
As this is all about opinions and as the thread title is a solid statement, this is what I think:
I like them both - for various reasons;
Auto-Reps: Perfect looks apart, "Ze system altzo werks pervectly". Thesis: from every three 300 USD auto-reps You buy one is good, one is medium, one is barely acceptable and with shipping its 1.000 USD to have a good one or You service the movements first. The movements rattle, the stem scratches, You can´t use the chrono with the nice sweeping hands with the risk of breaking it or it breaks indeed, avoid Daytonas and IWC Portuguesas...
This being said I love those sweeping hands and will continue buying autos - for the looks and variety - and for the lume. On most quartz the lume is just terrible, there is vast room for improvement there.
Quartz: Silent, shockproof, thinner watches, Chronos work 100%, You set the time and date once and forget about it, no maintenance at all, endless accuracy from the energy within the earthbound chrystal Mother Earth gifted us with. Beaters as they come.
Because they don´t rattle and shake some Quartz-reps are indeed more gen-like, they feel more gen-like, Chinese factories are just "better" at producing quartz, (more quality for less money), just choose no second hand or very small second hand, grab it when You´re off for a meeting and You´re set to go without checking time and date.
Here are some quartz-choices (indeed like them all):
HublotClassic Fusion Chronograph Racing Grey (no moving 2nd hand at all except the locked at 12 Chrono) under USD 150 from Kuvarsit (TD on RWG)
Its just changing dates, gen comes with white or black date-window, bracelet is exceptionally good with different sized screw-links
Not Gen-like Moonwatch for 128 USD from Toro; All subdials are wrong, nobody can tell on the wrist, I love it
Another "terrible" Quartz AP-Rep (Leo Messi) on the left, this one really exists, even in white, small seconds at 6´ it even is lumed,
does have some screw-in crowns for the chrono pushers (but it´s not a Daytona) and its thin;
the Swiss Auto on the right is the AP 15400 BP from Intime (an excellent feel - auto, just costs 235% more at usd 348,-)
TAG Heuer Aquaracer 300m Grande Date CAF101F.BA0821 QuartzSwiss Ronda for 239 USD plus shipping from Sead; This
looks and feels like Gen, the 1/10 second chrono at 6 actually sweeps for the first minute, than counts the hours, the
seconds at 3´tick (a little big for me) its available in black but had too many black watches already. Perfect lume, the best
for a quartz until now.
and something really nice and different: Jaeger-LeCoultre Squadra Reverso Chronograph Grey Graphite (128 USD from Intime).
The reversing movement works like a charm, the seconds hand a 6 is almost invisible at 1,3 mm length (or is it 1,7mm?)
