Not necessarily, but 95% of the time you're generally loosing the aesthetic accuracy of the watch (sub-dial placement, etc.). You're also loosing the appreciation for the craftsmanship it takes to build, regulate and maintain an automatic timepiece.
If you just want a "somewhat close" look to a genuine, then you're normally going to blow it with most quartz movements, with anyone who knows anything about the gens (seeing as they do pay attention to sub-dial placements, etc.).
With concerns of low maintenance and low cost, your approach sounds like it's more towards the practical than it is toward the aesthetic; the way I see it is if you want the practicality without the embarrassment of being spotted with a more-than-obvious fake, a cheap genuine would suit you better (quartz Seiko, Casio, Citizen, etc.). If you want an almost unspottable watch--even to most supposed "experts"--you're going to have to go for an automatic. And quite frankly, with proper maintenance, a good automatic will outlive a quartz any day of the week.