. . . fine finishing is not of exceptional importance when I assess a watch. I value the finish of an Omega 30T2SC more highly than lauded independents not because I feel the Omega is superior objectively, but because it was produced in series, intended for wide distribution, priced reasonably, and most importantly, functional. Its difficult to convey this predilection adequately. When people ask why I'm so attracted to Glashütte Original, my response is that I appreciate their quality taking cost into account. This is a relative judgement, of course . . . there are less costly watches, and more costly watches, but imho there isn't a manufacturer that consistently produces movements finished as nicely near where they're priced.
There was a controversy yesterday between two credible members of this forum that almost devolved into a spat. One member asked for thoughts comparing a specific Lange to a comparable Glashütte. The other offered the opinion that the Lange had "much better finish". Unfortunately, I wasn't able to observe this exchange in real time, and the original post had been edited so I wasn't able to form a reliable judgement, but I must admit that I was befuddled. Granted, English is not the native language of the person that made the statement, but even allowing for that and for the usual level of casualness, I still can't quite come around to the notion that Lange is "much better" than G O when it comes to movement finishing. "Much better" than Rolex, perhaps.
The reason for this digression is to convey the point that I'm increasingly skeptical of my own judgement. If someone as reliable and sensible as Donizetti feels that Lange's finishing is "much better", then perhaps his acuity is at a higher level than mine . . . who am I to argue? Perhaps there's a language barrier. At any rate, I'm a little disturbed that the topic of finishing is as charged as it is because it is so subjective.
Back to your questions. Does fine finishing always constitute intrinsic value? My opinion is that fine finishing is neither a sufficient nor a necessary condition for a watch to offer intrinsic value, but any movement that offers fine finishing has some level of intrinsic value . . . the rub is in how it's assessed.
Does fine finishing signal the presence of intrinsic value? Ask anyone that's bought a gorgeous lemon from one of the vaunted manufacturers, or worse, one of the independents . . . the reliability, durability, and performance of mundane brands like Rolex, Omega, and Seiko usually rises in their esteem. No, I don't think fine finishing when considered in isolation is an indication of intrinsic value . . . cordially, Art