Quartz or mechanical watches - which is better? The structure and principles of operation of clock mechanisms

14.06.2015

Watches are divided into two main types according to the type of devices used in their mechanism: quartz and mechanical. In turn, a mechanical watch can be pendulum or balance based by type of regulator, and spring or weight driven by type of drive.

Quartz watches are classified according to the type of indication into analogue or combined, and according to the power source used for the electronic unit - Kinetic, Ecodrive and battery-powered.

There is also a less common Spring Drive movement. The principle of its operation is to generate electrical energy for control from mechanical energy; therefore, additional power sources are not required.

Comparison of mechanical and quartz types of watch movement

Buyers who have not yet decided on their personal preferences are interested in the age-old question: which type of watch is better: mechanical or quartz? Both watch mechanisms have their strengths and weaknesses. If the history of mechanics dates back centuries, then the quartz clock mechanism appeared not so long ago, about 40 years ago.

Mechanical watches are considered classics of watchmaking; they are more prestigious, emphasizing the status of the owner, his taste and conservatism. The characteristic sound of the winding rotor rotating, the smooth movement of the hands across the dial - all this looks like a ritual that fans of mechanical watches love so much. Due to the fact that the manufacturing process of mechanical watches requires manual work by assemblers and adjusters, they will cost more than quartz watches.

Watches with quartz movements are more convenient to use, they are lighter and thinner. In terms of accuracy, quartz watches are superior to mechanical watches and do not require winding. Another significant advantage of quartz watches is the fact that their accuracy does not depend on external factors (temperature changes, humidity, position, degree of wear of parts, etc.)

There is an opinion that mechanics are much more durable. This is a controversial statement; a high-quality quartz movement has approximately the same working life and safety margin. Therefore, the durability of a wristwatch, under the same operating conditions, depends more on the reputation of the manufacturer and timely maintenance.

Advantages of quartz watches

Accuracy. The quartz watch movement is very accurate, the simplest models show a maximum deviation of 20 seconds per month, while mechanical watches give an accuracy of about 40 seconds per day. Quartz crystal provides amazing precision.

Impact resistance. With any mechanical impact on a quartz watch (shock, fall, etc.), its case is more likely to be damaged than the mechanism itself to fail. Due to the high shock resistance, watches with a quartz movement are much more reliable and convenient to use.

Reasonable price. The mechanism does not have heavy parts or large static loads on them, so inexpensive materials are used for production. And the manufacturing and assembly process itself is fully automated.

Reliability and ease of maintenance. Quartz watches do not require winding; autonomy is one of their main advantages. Even if they just sit on the shelf for a long time, their accuracy will still remain at the highest level. Watch maintenance involves timely replacement of power sources. Batteries need to be changed approximately 2-3 times a year, depending on their quality. Some models have a battery life of more than ten years.

Advantages of mechanical watches

High maintainability. Specialists in watch workshops will be able to manufacture and replace almost any part that has failed. Regardless of the year of manufacture, the mechanics can be restored while preserving the original clockwork. With good care (cleaning and lubrication), the service life of a mechanical watch can be counted in decades.

Independence from external power sources. Mechanical watches do not have batteries or rechargeable batteries that need to be changed periodically.

Having studied the characteristics and principles of operation of the two main types of watch movements, the buyer will be able to draw his own conclusion: which watch is better for him - quartz or mechanical.

A watch is one of the most necessary items in everyday life of a modern person. Although it would seem that technology has taken over the whole world, and you can check the time on a brand new iPhone, the passion for watches has not gone away. Today we will talk about the common types of mechanisms that are found in wristwatches - mechanical and quartz.

History of watch movements

It is not for nothing that the first of these types (mechanical) is considered a symbol of the times, since the invention of their predecessor, the Antiker mechanism, dates back to the 2nd century BC.

The invention of mechanical watches dates back to 725 AD, the country of creation was China, then their idea was borrowed by the Arabs. The device was based on an anchor mechanism.

Naturally, there were intermediate stages. If we talk about clocks with a pendulum, it should be noted that they were not widely used at the time of their invention, in the year 1000.

But the experiments continued. The first half of the second millennium was a time when European engineers were actively engaged in the reconstruction of tower clocks, assigning them new functionality. In general, the mechanical mechanism did not undergo any special changes and has survived to this day with minor changes.

Quartz watches are more modern movements compared to their mechanical counterparts. The production of the first units dates back to the beginning of the second half of the 20th century. We will describe quartz and mechanical watches in more detail below.

Mechanical mechanism - structure, advantages, disadvantages

A mechanical watch has the following structure: the wound spring acts as a source of energy, the escapement mechanism is responsible for the accuracy of the instrument’s readings, and these two components are connected by an angrenade, which is simply a system of gears. Also among the components are a pendulum, a remontoire that allows you to move and adjust the hands, and a dial that makes it possible to find out the time.

It is worth noting that this type of watch is inferior to quartz watches in accuracy. What does this error consist of? It becomes the result of uneven unwinding of the spring, which drives the rest of the mechanism. In addition, the accuracy of time values ​​can be affected by air temperature and wear of individual device mechanisms. Devices with automatic time adjustment are more accurate and convenient to use. Among the advantages, it should be noted that watches of this type do not fail for a long time and can serve their owner for more than one year, in addition, they have a good run. The cost of mechanical movements is higher than quartz ones. This is due to the use of manual labor in assembling devices and the presence of a larger number of parts. Therefore, watches are more expensive and more prestigious - after all, one person or several dozen people can work on their creation. In replica watches, by the way, the mechanical type of watch is also most often used.

Quartz mechanism - structure, advantages, disadvantages

Quartz watches were created based on an oscillating mechanism represented by a quartz crystal. Their main components are a power source, a counter that records the oscillation frequency, a generator, and a gear system that transmits the movements of the electric motor to the clock hands. The mechanism is also equipped with a part that allows you to move the arrows - a friction clutch.

There is an opinion that quartz movements are short-lived, since the main source of energy for them is the battery, and it has a short service life. However, it is important to remember that watches also require some attention from the owner. That is why their owner must, firstly, purchase a high-quality battery, and secondly, change it every two years. Quartz watches are convenient because when using them you do not need to set the time manually each time.

Why choose mechanical watches?

Many people love the classics and recognize only the experience that has been accumulated over the centuries. Therefore, they choose mechanical watches from all the variety. After all, it is mechanics that has been known since ancient times and is a generally recognized “trend” - for centuries engineering thought has sought to improve these devices, and today a lot has been done in this direction. Some models of mechanical watches have a high cost and are indicators of the prestige, level and special class of their wearer.

Why choose quartz watch type?

Quartz movements are one of the youngest representatives of the class. They are loved by many for their practicality and convenience. Firstly, they do not require special “care”: you do not need to bring them down every day - you can completely forget about it. The main thing you need is to replace the battery every two years.

These mechanisms are also distinguished by precision, which is suitable for people who value punctuality and structure in everything.

So what's the bottom line?

So, having examined two types of watch movements - quartz and mechanical, their operating principles, components, pros and cons, we can draw some conclusions:

Firstly, the presented types of devices have different costs, and in most cases for mechanical watches it will be higher due to more significant material and physical costs during production.

Secondly, the first type of mechanism has an error in determining the exact time, and it is greater than that of the second type of watch.

Thirdly, the service life of mechanical devices is longer compared to quartz ones, while the latter require much less maintenance.

In any case, watches are always selected individually, according to the tastes and requirements of the buyer. At the same time, with their help, the owner of the watch can be easily identified in terms of income and position in society. Take a look at our blog and choose for yourself exactly the watch that will highlight the best in you.

Electricity, increasingly intruding into all areas of human life, could not bypass watchmaking. With the advent of quartz technology, high-precision watches became available to every inhabitant of the Earth, and the quality of watches began to depend not so much on the skill and experience of people, but on the accuracy of the operation of automatic lines. Today, the vast majority of watches produced in the world are quartz watches. How do they work, how do they work, and why do more and more people prefer quartz watches?

In a nutshell

The main elements of a quartz watch are an electronic unit and a stepper motor. The electronic unit sends an impulse to the engine once a second, and it turns the arrows.

Very high stability of the frequency of the generated pulses, and therefore high accuracy, is ensured by the quartz crystal, from which the watch got its name.

The battery that powers the electronic unit and motor is designed to last for several years and eliminates the need to wind the watch during this entire period. The result is a unique combination of high accuracy and ease of use.

Sometimes a digital display is used instead of a dial with arrows. We usually call such watches electronic, but all over the world they are called quartz watches with digital display. This name emphasizes that, firstly, the basis of the watch is a quartz oscillator, and secondly, time information is displayed in them in the form of numbers.

Essentially, a quartz watch is a mini-computer. By programming the microcircuit accordingly, they can easily be turned into a multifunctional device: a chronograph, a stopwatch, add an alarm clock, etc. Moreover, unlike mechanical watches, their cost does not increase so much.

Why does a watch need a crystal?

A quartz crystal has unique properties: when compressed, it generates an electrical impulse, and when exposed to electric current, quartz contracts. Thus, the crystal can be forced to compress and decompress, i.e. oscillate under the influence of electric current. By selecting the dimensions of the crystal, a resonance frequency of 32768 hertz is achieved.

The electronic unit of a quartz watch consists of two parts. One part, the oscillator, produces electrical oscillations that are stabilized by a quartz crystal at its resonant frequency. Thus, we have a generator of electrical oscillations, and the frequency of these oscillations is very stable. All that remains is to transform these uniform oscillations into a uniform movement of the arrows.

The generator produces 32,768 electrical oscillations per second. This is approximately 10,000 times more than the number of balance fluctuations in an ordinary watch. No mechanical device can operate at that speed. Therefore, another part of the electronic circuit, called a divider, converts these oscillations into pulses with a frequency of 1 hertz. These pulses are applied to the winding of the stepper motor.

The motor consists of a stator, a coil with winding fixedly fixed on it, and a rotor - a permanent magnet mounted on an axis. When an electric pulse passes through the coil, a magnetic field arises, which turns the rotor half a turn. The rotor rotates the arrows through a gear system.

How long will “quartz” last?

The wheel mechanism of quartz watches has the same service life as that of mechanical watches. The stepper motor will also last a very long time. Today you can find working radios from the 20s, i.e. The resource of electronic components is also large and has not yet been fully studied. And, theoretically, a good quartz watch should not be inferior in longevity to a mechanical one.

Statistics on the “longevity” of quartz watches have not yet been collected, because they appeared only 30 years ago. But many electronic-balance watches, released about 40 years ago, still run perfectly to this day.

On the other hand, 100 years ago watches were passed down by inheritance because they were extremely rare and expensive. Those days are long gone; today, more and more often, we buy a new thing not because the old one has deteriorated, but because it is morally outdated. And quartz watches survive the period required for obsolescence, giving the owner a minimum of hassle.

In our country, mechanical watches are still more popular than quartz watches. But, according to the forecasts of foreign experts, in the coming years the situation will change dramatically and in 4-5 years the share of quartz watches will be at least 80% of the market.

Today, wristwatches are more likely to be used to demonstrate wealth and create a certain style in conjunction with other accessories, rather than for their intended purpose. The exact time can always be found out from a phone, tablet or other technology that has become an integral companion of every modern person.

Therefore, when choosing a watch, the first attention is often paid to design, style and prestige. But you should also think about the mechanism of the product, on which the duration of its operation depends.

The main difference between quartz watches and mechanical analogues is the power source used to ensure the operation of the watch mechanism.

Mechanical products are equipped with a coil spring, which is housed in a drum with serrated edges. To wind the watch, the spring must be tightened. The clock mechanism is set in motion as the spring unwinds.

Quartz watches are powered by a battery that lasts for several years of continuous use. The owner of such a product is freed from the need to constantly wind the mechanism so that the watch does not break down.

Quartz watches appeared relatively recently, unlike mechanical products, and attract many buyers with their accuracy, devoid of any deviations. Thus, the maximum monthly discrepancy does not exceed 20 seconds, and in more expensive watches this figure is even less.

Another significant advantage of quartz watches is their reliability, because these products are not equipped with a large number of parts and complex internal mechanisms.

The lifespan of a quartz watch, during which the user does not have to worry about stopping it, depends on the battery. In the majority of models, the battery charge lasts for three years, while newer and more expensive analogues are equipped with a battery whose charge will last for ten years.

Quartz watches attract with their affordability. Low prices are due to the complete automation of assembly, eliminating the use of more expensive human labor. Therefore, such an accessory is available to almost all segments of the population.

The disadvantages of quartz models are related to:

• insignificant but regular financial expenses for purchasing new batteries;
• low maintainability (if there are no spare parts on the market, there is a need to completely replace the entire mechanism);
• fragility.

But there is no reason to worry about low repairability, because quartz watches are quite resistant to temperature changes and mechanical influences, so they do not fail so often.

The disadvantage of quartz watches, which is their fragility, is a big question, since these models are relatively new and it is still difficult to judge their potential lifespan.

Quartz watches appeared only a few decades ago, so they are often the choice of buyers who want to keep up with the times. Many modern models can additionally perform the functions of a stopwatch, chronograph, alarm clock or calendar, which significantly expands the possibilities of their use.

When choosing a mechanical watch, the buyer is freed from the need to regularly replace the battery, so the purchase is not accompanied by subsequent financial expenses.

Mechanical models are more sensitive to shock due to the characteristics of the parts that make up the mechanism. But there is no reason to worry even if the purchase breaks down, because “mechanics” are characterized by great maintainability. All broken parts can be made by appropriate craftsmen, regardless of the age of the mechanism.

Mechanical watches will last much longer than their quartz counterparts, since all parts are made of durable material. This advantage determines the prestige of mechanical models.

Unfortunately, not every buyer can afford a “mechanics”. The use of exclusively manual labor in assembling watches and the use of high-quality materials creates all the conditions for the formation of a high cost for such products.

The main drawback of the mechanical mechanism is associated with the uneven speed of unwinding of the spring, which results in inaccuracies in the hour rate. Accuracy can be affected by temperature changes and the life of the mechanism. The deviation from the exact time is about 20–30 seconds per day and after a long period it becomes more noticeable.

To sum up all of the above, it is difficult to give preference to one watch or another. Quartz and mechanical watches are endowed with a certain list of advantages and disadvantages, so you should focus only on financial capabilities and individual preferences.

A watch is one of the most ancient and ingenious inventions in the history of mankind. Currently, the seething energy of life and its irresistibly growing pace increasingly places demands on the accuracy of time control. You can’t do without a watch, and they are certainly built into the most modern devices. And yet, despite the fact that all kinds of gadgets with which the vast majority of the world’s population are “armed” are equipped with chronometers, classic wristwatches never go out of style, but, on the contrary, are becoming more and more improved.

A few more features

Along with the direct function of measuring time, wristwatches also perform indirect, but no less important functions - this is the “timekeeping” of the level of prestige and social status. People who wear a wristwatch– always look more respectable, more serious and confident. Wristwatches have now become a kind of attribute of status and a sign of a business person. However, as in the aristocratic times of yore, ladies wore strictly wrist watches, which sometimes not only showed inaccurate time, but might even not go at all - it was a kind of decoration, but emphasizing the status of the upper class. But gentlemen wore pocket watches on a chain, and they always had to be in working mode.

Women's watch, SL (price on the link)

There are currently two fundamentally different mechanisms, timing time – electronics and mechanics. The difference, of course, is colossal, although the end result is the same - the measurement of time. Why is one of the technologies not preferred and what is the fundamental difference?

Before moving on to a review of mechanisms, their comparison and recommendations for selection, I would like to plunge a little into history and understand where this great invention comes from

The history of mechanical watches

Of course, initially chronometry had nothing to do with mechanics; rather, it was observational physics. The first time meters were only approximate, based on position and the length of the shadow falling from an object in accordance with the position of the Sun. Almost 4 thousand years ago, people were already trying to time their way of life and used sundials for this, which, of course, were unstable and were subsequently replaced by water, sand, even candle and fire, etc. People tried to look for more and more universal options.

The first mechanical watch

Oscillations - this was one of the most universal and revolutionary options. The first clock mechanics was based on pendulum mechanisms. Their real author is unknown, perhaps he does not exist in a single person, since development proceeded gradually and curious scientific minds came to more progressive solutions. But Huygens' pendulum principle, which he used in clock mechanics in the mid-17th century, may have become a pioneer on the path to modern mechanisms, becoming increasingly miniaturized and taking on the format of wrist models.

Of course, at that time, the achievements of science could not offer more accurate solutions, such as electronics. But mechanics confidently continues its triumphal march, in no way inferior to more modern solutions, namely quartz and electrochemical reactions of electronic batteries.

Mechanical wristwatch

The history of quartz watches

Unlike mechanics, quartz progress is significantly compressed. The rapid discovery of electricity, conductivity and revolutionary chemical laws ultimately played a decisive role in the creation of quartz movements. If experiments and first developments were carried out back in the 20s of the 20th century, in 1969 the Japanese already presented the world with the first quartz watches. The first to catch the trend Swiss manufacturers and began to actively work in this direction. It is not without reason that Switzerland is a country that is associated with high-quality watch movements, although not only quartz ones; Swiss mechanics also keep up with world standards and requirements.

Now manufacturers produce not only wristwatches, but also different types of aristocratic watches. At the same time, pocket ones are no exception. How to choose a watch in the abundance of offers?

Women's watch with mineral glass, SL(price on the link)

Which watch to choose: quartz or mechanical?

Every, who buys the watch for yourself or as a gift, he certainly asks the question which wristwatch is better: mechanical or quartz . Watches based on different technologies, of course, are different, and still, at present, there is no clear answer to the question of which is better - mechanics or quartz.

Electronics are progressive modernity, but mechanics are proven classics. So which watch mechanism is better?

How to distinguish a quartz movement from a mechanical one?

This is simply not mechanics - it is not a mechanical vibration generator that is connected here, but an electronic impulse engine, and unlike mechanics, it does not cause failures depending on movement.

It is an indisputable fact that the principle on which quartz movements operate, is much more accurate for measuring time, since it is based on the absence of mechanical friction and wear, but is only preferable to electrical impulses.

Battery-powered quartz watches

Just electronic pulses-oscillations of the generator and an absolutely uninterrupted, measured “clock robot” supply of signals to the driving mechanism. And at the output we have a high-precision signal at any time. Battery-powered quartz watches can last up to 3-5 years. Their accuracy is up to 5 seconds. errors per month, despite the fact that mechanics give up to 20 seconds. “temporary error” per day under the same circumstances.

This is due to the fact that the electronics work according to the programmed program, and the mechanics depends on physical laws. Friction, the uneven unwinding of a spring in mechanical models, in comparison with the steadily sent pulses of an electronic generator in quartz ones, is of great importance in the uniform frequency of measuring time intervals. In addition, quartz is more resistant to elevated temperatures, shocks, and other mechanical damage - after all, there is practically no mechanical wear, and, moreover, it usually costs less than mechanics.

More information for those who are too busy or lazy - no need for quartz watch start. They will last on one battery, although it will not last forever.

But not everything is so clear in favor of quartz. You just need to understand and decide for what purpose you are purchasing a watch. Athletes, and even those for whom it is important to calculate time absolutely accurately, choose quartz. Students - also choose quartz, it is cheaper and will definitely last until you graduate from college. If you work in “shock” conditions, also choose quartz, it is more resistant to mechanical stress.

But if you don’t fall into these categories, you can try on classic and timeless mechanics - it will be more expensive, but more reliable and prestigious

Why are mechanical watches still used?

Mechanical watches are classics of the time industry genre. Whoever says anything in favor of modern technology, the highest strata of society prefer mechanics, and there are many reasons for this.

Mechanics are, first of all, almost always scrupulous manual assembly with many gears, small parts that must function flawlessly as a “team”. But in addition to the piece of soul embedded in such watches, the mechanics also differ in a number of technical advantages. It does not react to electromagnetism, which in modern life is an important obstacle to the destabilization of electromagnetic devices. Yes, a mechanical spring requires winding (it needs to spin so that it can then measure the seconds as it unwinds regularly), but there is also an element of self-discipline in this, which takes us to a new level.

Mechanical men's watches

In conclusion about choosing a watch

Along with the classics of mechanics, there is also quartz. It may happen that while we are reading the article, progressive scientists and technologists are preparing another alternative– a pleasant surprise, a novelty, an apogee and once again a rival to quartz. By the way, it’s not so illusory, it’s an assumption.

In the meantime choose a watch according to your needs. If you are an athlete who needs to keep track of time down to the second, or your business day is scheduled in minutes, or your type of work requires the most accurate time indicator, a quartz watch is your format. If time accuracy down to daily seconds is not the main criterion in your life, feel free to take the mechanics - you will not regret it, and you will receive a high status. And it will serve you happily for a long time if you follow the stated operating rules.