Quartz Movements
A quartz movement utilises a battery as its power source and is typically found in cheaper, more unelaborate timepieces. A quartz watch works with power coming from the battery which sends an electric current to a quartz crystal. This creates vibrations that power the watch’s functions like its hands, date and other features.
One of the most tell-tale signs that a watch is powered by a quartz movement is in the way the seconds hand moves. The hand on a quartz watch tends to have a more abrupt ticking motion compared to a mechanical movement which is usually smoother and sweeps across the dial.
Some of the benefits of a quartz movement include its price, accuracy and low maintenance. Since quartz movement are generally easy to produce and consist of fewer parts, they are much cheaper to buy and easy to maintain. Many fashion and designer watch brands choose to use quartz movements to keep their prices lower. Quartz movement are also incredibly accurate with the average losing only 1-2 seconds per month.
The only disadvantage of having a quartz movement is that the battery will need replacing every 2-3 years. Some may also argue that quartz watches lack the technical craftsmanship and engineering that mechanical watches have.
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Mechanical Movements
Unlike a quartz watch which is powered by a battery, mechanical watches are powered by a combination of intricate components including something called a mainspring which must be wound up before the movement will work. The spring stores and transfers the energy through a series of gear components including a balance wheel and an escapement, regulating a release of energy to power the watch’s functions.
Mechanical watches are usually more expensive that quartz watches since much more work and craftsmanship goes into them. Even though quartz movements are considered more accurate, watch collectors prefer mechanical movements because of their representation of refinement and expertise. Some mechanical watches also have the movement displayed through a glass case back or skeletonised dial enhancing its aesthetic.
Some mechanical movements are COSC certified or given the status of ‘chronometer’ which means that the movement has been tested over 15 days against the rules of the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute. These tests measure the accuracy of the watch and ensure the movement remains within +6 and -4 seconds per day.
There are two variations of mechanical movements: manual winding movements and automatic movements.
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Manual Winding Movements
In order to power the mainspring in a manual winding movement, one must physically wind it through the crown. As you turn the crown, the mainspring is charged up to store energy and then unwinds at a limited speed to power the functions on the dial.
How often you need to wind the movement depends on the watch you have, but on average they tend to require winding every 2-3 days.
Automatic Movements
An automatic mechanical movement does not require manually winding but is instead powered automatically by the movement of your wrist. Every time you move, energy is created by the oscillating rotor which spins around and winds the mainspring which then powers the watch’s functions.
Automatic watches require regular wearing otherwise the watch will eventually stop and will need to be reset. You can also purchase automatic watch winders that allow you to keep the watch powered even when you are not wearing it.
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Solar Powered Movements
Solar powered movements are exactly as they sound, powered by both the sun and artificial light. They work similarly to quartz movements; however they are equipped with solar panels that help recharge the battery. This way you do not need to have the battery replaced every 2-3 years and can still benefit from the high accuracy of a quartz watch.
Solar powered movements work by sourcing their power from light and are able to store this energy up within solar panels beneath the dial. The solar power is then converted into an electrical charge which is then used to recharge the battery. This also means that solar powered watches work even in the darkness if they have been exposed to light during the day.
Kinetic Movements
A kinetic movement – also sometimes referred to as automatic quartz – combines the best elements of an automatic and quartz watch. It is achieved by using a rotor, like that found in automatic watches, to generate an electric current to recharge the battery. Kinetic watches need to be worn regularly to ensure the watch remains powered.
Like solar powered watches, a kinetic watch does not need the battery replacing every 2-3 years and still benefits from the high accuracy of a quartz watch. Both Kinetic and Solar powered watches are great for the environment since they reduce the need to dispose of dead batteries.
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