Which watch is better - quartz or mechanical? The structure and principles of operation of clock mechanisms

Quartz and mechanics – which is better? This age-old question still occupies us, despite the emergence and popularization of electronic watches, as well as smart watches that perform many functions in addition to showing the time. As practice shows, no smart devices will ever completely displace the classics from our lives.

What is the difference between mechanics and quartz?

The main difference is in the source of energy that powers the clock mechanism. Mechanical watches are powered by a coil spring that is wound by hand when winding the watch. Quartz clocks are powered by a battery, which powers the electronic unit and the clock's stepper motor.

How else do quartz watches differ from mechanical watches: accuracy, smooth movement of the hand, weight, method of maintenance, cost. And to understand what to choose between mechanics or quartz, you need to know a little more about them.

Lower accuracy of time display is the main disadvantage of mechanical watches. Uneven unwinding of the spring, dependence on the ambient temperature, the position of the watch, the degree of wear of parts - all these factors lead to a discrepancy with the exact time by -20/+60 seconds per day.

Quartz watches are more accurate, their discrepancy with the exact time is only 15-25 seconds per month. Such indicators are provided by a quartz crystal, which guarantees the highest stability of the pulse frequency and, accordingly, the accuracy of the hand and the operation of the entire mechanism.

It would seem that quartz watches are superior to mechanical ones in everything - they are lighter, easier to maintain, more accurate and no less durable than mechanical ones, and at the same time they cost much less. Nevertheless, there is a demand for mechanics, and a considerable one. What is this connected with? Probably due to the fact that mechanical watches are almost entirely made by hand and keep a piece of the master’s soul.

It is considered prestigious to wear a mechanical watch. The classics of watchmaking, the smooth movement of the hand, the pleasant heaviness on the hand – all this makes a mechanical watch desirable. And even when choosing, quartz or mechanics will always compete, leaving the future owner the right to choose depending on his personal preferences and taste.

Choosing a watch these days is quite a difficult task. There are a huge number of models on the market that differ in appearance, materials, and functionality. In this article we will find out which type of mechanism is better, that is Which watch is better, quartz or mechanical?

Advantages and disadvantages of mechanical watches

Mechanical watches Hundreds of them have been produced and improved, and in our time the mechanism has fairly good reliability. Mechanical watches are a kind of symbol of status and prestige. These watches are perfect for everyday wear and special occasions.

It is better not to wear a mechanical watch during sports games and extreme sports, as the mechanism is quite fragile. However, there are models that have high impact resistance (for example).
Any mechanical watch can be repaired, and a broken part can be made in a watch workshop. Therefore, even watches left over from grandmothers can be brought back to life.
Mechanical watches do not have batteries; they are a kind of perpetual mechanism. The drawback needs to be constantly wound, but there are self-winding models and you don’t have to think about it as long as you wear them every day.
Mechanical watches have a greater accuracy than quartz watches. But modern manufacturers have reduced this difference to a minimum (we mean world-famous watch companies).
The watch mechanism is assembled entirely by hand, which is why mechanical watches are more expensive than quartz watches.
The mechanism has a beautiful appearance, and some models have a transparent case (), through which you can observe the rotating parts.
The watch case must be made of metal, since the mechanism is constantly under tension, which makes the watch heavier.

Pros and cons of quartz watches

Perfect for lovers of tourism and extreme sports. Their main advantage is a large set of functions.

Since the mechanism is based on an electronic chip, they have a wide range of functions (compass, altimeter, barometer) and are less sensitive to shocks than mechanical ones. It should be noted that mechanical watches may also have these functions, but they will cost much more.
The watch case can be made of plastics. These watches are well suited for children, as they are practically weightless.
Quartz watches do not need to be wound. Energy comes from a built-in battery, which can last up to 10 years.
The clock mechanism is less repairable. If a company stops producing spare parts (electronic chips), then it is almost impossible to repair them.
Quartz watches have very high accuracy. For some models, the deviation may be only +/- 5 sec/year. It is worth noting that most well-known companies equip their watches with automatic movement of the hands, based on radio signals of the exact time (not used in Russia).
The production of parts and assembly of quartz watches is almost completely automated, which reduces their cost.

That's probably all. Determine why you need a watch and go ahead and buy it. Write in the comments what watch mechanism you chose and why.

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The structure of a watch is similar to that of a car. They also contain “body”, “engine”, “regulator”, “counter”, “indicator” and other similar concepts about the technical aspects of the structure of the mechanism. Analysis of the structure will take place, as in other complex mechanisms, at “key places”.

Engine– this part of the mechanism is responsible for the movement of the hands on the dial.

Cutaway view of the clock engine.

Regulator– is responsible for the engine rotation speed and the accuracy of time readings.

Counter– reads vibration readings (oscillatory system) and “translates” the data into the movement of hands or display readings (electronic clock).

Indicator- the outer part of the watch on which the time is displayed (dial or display).

In some types of devices, some parts of the mechanism will be modified, but the general principle of operation of the oscillatory system will not undergo significant changes. In some, like in a wall clock, the regulator will be a pendulum and a complex system of gears. The same system of gears (wheels) and a microcircuit (reads the vibrations of a quartz crystal) is present in quartz devices. This circuit is present even in quantum clocks (atomic), it just reads the readings not from a pendulum or quartz, but from the vibrations of atoms.

The general principle of operation is similar for all types of devices, and it has not undergone major modifications throughout the history of the creation of mechanisms of this type.

Types of clock mechanisms.

Based on the features of the “key place”, watches can be divided into two classes. Basically, based on what kind of regulator is used there, they fall into two categories: quartz and mechanical.

Mechanical watches– the operation of such devices is based on the oscillations of a pendulum or balancer. The power source is usually a spring mechanism or a weight.

IN quartz watch– the mechanics of operation are based on the oscillations of a quartz oscillator. In such devices, the power element in most cases is a battery.

Mechanical watches are also divided by regulator class and drive, and quartz watches by indicator type and power source.

While the history of mechanical watches dates back more than 1000 years, the history of quartz watches goes back only a little over 40 years, and since the advent of the quartz movement, debate has not subsided about which one is better. No one has yet given an adequate answer to this question.

Comparative characteristics of mechanical and quartz watches.

They will be compared based on a number of basic characteristics.

First (1). Accuracy (normal/maximum)
Second (2). Time before resetting/changing the battery.
Third (3). Impact resistance.
Fourth (4). Sensitivity to temperature changes.
Fifth (5). Lifetime.
Sixth (6). Maintainability

Mechanical watches.

+40 to -20 seconds per day/±7 seconds per day.
40 hours/20 days.
low (due to possible failure of some gears).
very high (due to the properties of the materials from which some parts are composed).
from 10 years.
very high (possibility of replacing some elements of the mechanism design).

Quartz watch.

±20 seconds per calendar month/±5 seconds per calendar year.
from 2 to 10 years.
high (this is possible due to design features).
low (also due to design features).
from 5 to 10 years.
very low (usually the entire mechanism block must be replaced).

Advantages of quartz watches.

Accuracy – Due to small indicators behind/ahead of a given time. Reliability – This type of mechanism has very few parts and this ensures constant reliable operation. Shock resistance – Due to the design features and the absence of complex parts, this watch is not afraid of ordinary mechanical damage that can occur in everyday life. Battery life – The battery life in a watch is on average 2 – 3 years.

Simplicity and reliability of the mechanism - Since the mechanism of such watches mainly consists of different types of plastic and its production is fully automated, these properties provide durability and reduce the cost of the final product.

Advantages of mechanical watches.

No Battery Replacement Required – No need to spend money on replacing or replacing batteries.

Maintainability – Possibility of replacing any part of the mechanism in a watch workshop.

Service life – This condition depends only on good treatment of the watch during operation.

Style defined by time - These watches will not lose their relevance even after 100 years.

Even after such an analysis, the question of what is better is not possible due to the fact that everyone himself determines what is more necessary, pleasant and profitable for him. The choice always depends on individual preferences.

The structure and principles of operation of clock mechanisms.

Basic principles of operation of mechanical wristwatches.

The method of operation of a clock with a balance mechanism is the same as that of weight and pendulum clocks. This type of mechanism also has a spring (motor) that rotates the gears and arrows.

This type of watch can be moved in space as you like, shaken, rotated, and nothing will happen to it.

The spring in a watch, being a strip of steel or other specialized alloy, is rolled up in a metal drum. The outer cylindrical surface of the drum has teeth and for this reason it is one of the gears inside the watch. This wheel-drum is mounted on a specific shaft, on which it can rotate freely around its axis. One end of the springs is fixed inside the drum, and the other is secured to a hook on the shaft.

The general diagram and details of the wristwatch engine are shown in the figure below.

Schematic representation of a standard wristwatch with a side seconds hand.

When you rotate the shaft and the drum does not move, the spring twists. If you then fix the shaft, the spring, unwinding, will try to rotate the drum. This movement passes to the central trib and from it to the minute hand trib, the bill wheel and the bill wheel trib to the hour wheel, on the hub of which the hour hand is fixed. On this wheel drive, the number of teeth is selected in such a way that the hour hand rotates 12 times slower than the minute hand.

If you cock the spring and then release it, it will unfold almost instantly.

But the clock mechanism requires a completely different, uniform rotation of the hands for a certain period of time. For this, you need a device that will allow the drum (as well as the hands) to move at a strictly defined angle on the dial at equal time intervals. Such a device that sets such time intervals in a clock mechanism is called a regulator. Wristwatches and pocket watches use a balancer-spring movement system.

As the balancer rotates in any direction, tension builds up in the spiral, increasing in direct proportion to the angle of rotation. After this, the released balancer, under the influence of the spiral, will begin to move back to the equilibrium position. In this position, the growing tension in the spiral disappears, but the balancer, according to the law of inertia, continues to move further at almost the same angle as it was before and will continue to increase the tension in the spiral. Without friction and other external factors, the balancer would continue to oscillate the system indefinitely. The frequency of the balancer-spiral oscillatory system does not depend on the amplitude of movement (maximum angle of rotation) through which the balancer was moved. Such a system is called isochronous.

The time of complete oscillation (movement) of the balancer that it makes depends on the tension of the spiral, the size and mass of the balancer itself. For this reason, it, just like a pendulum, performs oscillatory movements with a constant frequency. This means that it is possible to use such a system to normalize the speed of the wheel drive. This has little to do with the realities of everyday life, but for a number of reasons it is not possible. Friction and other factors in the operation of the balancer over time lead to a complete stop of the mechanism. For constant operation of the oscillatory system, it is necessary to “move” the balancer at a certain period of time, thereby giving it an energy boost. Also, the movement of the balance must be converted into a uniform rotation of the switch gear. To solve such problems, a certain device called a descent or stroke is used.

Anchor descent (stroke).

The anchor stroke (escaping) being part of a clock mechanism serving simultaneously for two specific purposes, converting constant and unchanging oscillations of the balancer into the rotation of gear wheels with a constant speed of movement, which also includes a pointer transmission and the movement of “energy” from the “engine” to the balancer for continuation of his work. This move helps the balancer-helix system control the operation of the gear train in such a way that during one cycle of oscillation of the balancer, the gears move at certain angles.

There are also a large number of well-known designs of the escapement mechanism, but at the moment most wristwatches have a certain type in their “content”, which is called the Swiss anchor escapement.

A distinctive characteristic of this descent is the presence of a certain element that looks like a ship's anchor, which is called an anchor fork, which has a permanent location between the balancer and the last gear.

The anchor fork has two arms on which ruby stones are fixed, which are called pallets. She also has a forked tail, the ends of which are called horns. The fork is put on an axis on which it can move in any direction. This escapement also includes gears of a special shape, which is why it is called an escape wheel, and there is also an impulse roller with impulse stones located on the balancer axis. The details and structure of the mechanism are shown below in the figure.

The operation of the anchor run in a schematic representation.

The balancer (balance) moves “independently” most of the time and does not come into contact with the anchor fork. Moving to the starting point in his movement, he hits the horn with an impulse stone and turns the anchor fork. This movement causes the pallet that locks the “tooth” of the anchor wheel to rise and unlock it. (part of the picture numbered 1)

At the moment the “tooth” is released, the anchor wheel begins to rotate under the influence of the spring, and after that the “tooth” of the anchor wheel moves the pallet and sets the anchor fork in motion. The horn of the anchor fork, catching up with the impulse stone, hits it, transferring additional energy to the balancer. (part of the picture numbered 2)

The anchor wheel moves at a small angle and after that another tooth rests on the opposing pallet of the anchor fork. During the reverse movement of the balancer (balance), the entire procedure is repeated in the same sequence as before but on the opposite side of the fork. (part of the picture numbered 3)

In one full oscillation of the balance beam (balance), the anchor fork allows the escape wheel to move only one “tooth”. While the escape wheel moves and hits its “tooth” against the pallet of the anchor fork, a certain “tick-tock” sound occurs. (part of the picture numbered 4)

The higher the vibration frequency, the less it reacts to negative manifestations such as shaking. At the moment, wristwatches use a balancer (balance) with an oscillation frequency of 0.4 seconds 0.33 seconds, and in the most accurate ones only 0.2 seconds.

The speed of oscillation of the balancer (balance) is thousands of times higher than the speed of rotation of the drum; in order to synchronize the speed of their movement, a number of wheels and tribes are inserted between the drum and the anchor wheel, called the main wheel system.

The gear transmission from the drum to the anchor tribe increases the number of revolutions and reduces the power transmission by the same amount. The main wheel system is created so that the first trib after the drum makes one revolution per hour, and its axis passes through the central part of the clock, from which it gets its name “central trib.” The minute hand trib is placed on the axis of the central tube, where the minute hand is located. The axis of the trigger, which makes one full revolution in one minute, is almost always placed above the six o'clock mark and the second hand is fixed on it.

The operating principle of quartz watches (including electronic ones).

Over the millennium of the existence of (mechanical) wristwatches, people continued to improve their mechanism. Following the path of development of high technologies also affected mechanical watches for the better, since people were able to achieve a precision of ± 5 seconds in 24 hours. But such mechanisms, being very complex to produce and having a very exorbitant price, were not popular. This aspect influenced the emergence of a fundamentally new mechanism, quartz. The quartz movement, having a very high accuracy, has a very low cost. He became very popular among the population precisely because of his qualities. The overwhelming majority of devices produced in the world today carry a quartz movement.

General schematic structure of quartz watches

The main components of a quartz watch are an electronic unit and a stepper motor. The electronic unit transmits an impulse to the engine once a second, and it then turns the clock hands.

The watch got its name due to the fact that the source of vibrations is a quartz crystal. The quartz crystal provides greater stability of the generated pulses, and therefore greater precision. The energy source for the mechanism is the battery, from which the electronic unit and the engine receive the necessary charge. Such batteries are designed for a service life of approximately two years. The main advantage of the battery is that there is no need to wind the watch every day. Based on the characteristics of this device, we can conclude that this combination of accuracy and ease of operation is quite convenient for most people.

In some cases, an electronic display is installed in place of the dial. In Russia, this type of watch is called Electronic, and in the rest of the world these devices are called quartz with electronic display. Such a definition should indicate that this mechanism is designed on the basis of a quartz oscillator and the time is displayed on the display.

Basically, they are a tiny computer with a programmed chip. Such a watch can easily be turned into a universal device that carries the functions of a chronograph, stopwatch, alarm clock, calendar and many other functions by simply adding a new code to the microchip. What also distinguishes quartz watches from mechanical watches is that after integrating these functions, the cost increases by a very small amount.

A quartz crystal, having piezoelectric properties, produces an electric field when compressed, but if it is exposed to electricity, the crystal will “shrink.” In this way, the crystal can be made to vibrate (the entire quartz oscillator system is built on this property of this mineral). All crystals have different resonance frequencies. By lengthy selection of the quartz size, the desired one is found with a frequency of 32768 hertz.

The electronic unit of a quartz wristwatch contains an electrical oscillation generator. This device produces electrical vibrations and to stabilize it, a quartz crystal is used at a resonant frequency. Due to the following features, we have an electrical oscillation generator with a constant oscillation frequency. After all this, all that remains is to provide uniform oscillations for the movement of the hands.

The generator produces 32,768 oscillations per second, which is approximately 10,000 times greater than the oscillations of the balancer. Not a single mechanism in the world can operate at such speeds. And for this reason, they additionally contain a part called a motor, which is responsible for converting oscillations of such power into a pulse with a frequency of only 1 hertz. Pulses of such power are supplied to the winding of the stepper motor.

Stepper motor device.

The engine includes a stator with a fixed coil with a winding located on it and a rotor that is a magnet mounted on an axis. When an electrical impulse passes through the coil, an electromagnetic field is generated, which moves the rotor half a turn. The rotor moves the hands on the dial through a system of gear wheels.

Detailed diagram of a quartz watch.

Automatic winding

The first self-winding movements were produced in the 18th century, and in 1931 the first wristwatches with this function appeared. The main mass production of such devices began 20 years later. And after that, self-winding watches began to gain more and more popularity and respect due to their convenience and functionality.

Principles of automatic winding.

The main source of energy in mechanical devices is the spring. It is cocked by rotating the crown and passes through a system of gears to the drum shaft. How can a watch wind itself?

The structure of such a mechanism is very similar to the fact that if you put a stone in a box and chat, the stone will begin to knock on the walls of the box. This is possible due to the law of universal gravitation and inertia. Self-winding watches are built on the same principle. Their mechanism has its own “stone”; being fixed on an axis with a load similar to a sector with a displaced center of gravity, with any movement of the hand it turns around its axis and winds the spring through a system of special gears.

In order for this sector to overcome the resistance of the spring and start the mechanism, it must have superior inertia. For this reason, the sector is made from two different parts, a thin and light top plate, and a half ring made of a heavy tungsten alloy. They try to make the sector diameter as large as possible.

The automatic winding sector moves from any movement of the wearer’s hand; its rotation does not depend on the degree of winding of the spring. From possible rupture due to strong spring winding, such devices are equipped with one or another protection mechanism. Basically, self-winding devices are equipped with a spring attached to the drum in such a way that it does not roll completely, but with the help of a friction lining. The elasticity is designed in such a way that when fully wound, the outer end of the spring with the friction attachment slips, thus protecting the spring from breaking. In some cases, when you wind the watch, you can hear clicks, this sound means that the spring is slipping.

Pros and cons of self-winding watches.

Pros. A self-winding watch does not need to be wound every day. Besides convenience, they also have two additional advantages. The sector keeps the spring in constant “tone”, which has a beneficial effect on accuracy. The water resistance of such watches is much higher due to the fact that such a mechanism practically does not use a crown and this provides additional guarantees that dirt and moisture will not get inside the mechanism.

Minuses. Devices with this function are very complex mechanisms, which greatly increases the likelihood of breakdowns. Self-winding watches are quite small in size, which practically translates them into the category of purely men's watches. Due to the fact that the main component of the sector is tungsten alloy, the cost of such watches is quite high. And the main disadvantage of such devices is low impact resistance. Some particularly strong impacts lead to the sector support breaking under its weight and this leads to complete failure of the mechanism.

Today, the bulk of mechanical watches produced in the world have a complete set that includes a car factory, with the exception of only the cheapest or very expensive model range. In the budget version, automatic winding is not provided for the purpose of reducing the cost of production, and in most cases, in the expensive (elite) version of the watch, due to the complexity of the design (additional functions), it is not possible to install automatic winding. A large number of additional functions makes the mechanism more massive and heavy, and after adding automatic winding, there will be an inevitable increase in mass and volume, which is unreasonable. Additional functions require more energy and a powerful spring for normal operation, and because of this, the automatic winding sector is unable to wind it.

"Self-charging" quartz watch.

One of the main disadvantages of quartz watches is the need to replace the battery. To make the life of a person wearing such a device easier, several ways to recharge the battery have been developed. The main technologies used in quartz wristwatches are Kinetic/Autoquartz and EcoDrive. Such technologies are based on the fact that the battery is recharged externally. EcoDrive – Uses the energy of sunlight falling on the dial to recharge. Kinetic/Autoquartz – Recharging occurs through the movement of a person’s hand (the law on the kinetic energy of a moving body).

Kinetic technology.

Quartz watches with Kinetic technology are a mechanism that does not require battery replacement. In such devices, kinetic energy from hand movement is transformed into electrical energy, which powers the battery. This mechanism is a fusion of Quartz and mechanical watches with automatic winding. From the movement of the hand, a weight similar to that used in a self-winding watch moves in a circle around the axis and drives the generator rotor through a system of gear wheels. The electricity generated by the generator recharges the energy storage device – the capacitor.

To generate electric current, the generator must rotate the rotor at a very high speed. In devices with mechanical filling, the wheel drive reduces the speed from the load to the drum, and in watches with Kinetic technology everything is exactly the same, but in reverse. Watches with this technology have a wheel drive that produces a rotor speed of up to 100,000 revolutions in 60 seconds. Because of this speed, the main problem of the mechanism is friction in the rotor supports.

To reduce friction in the supports, the generator is built in such a way that the rotor is in a magnetic field, providing a kind of weightlessness and almost does not touch the supports. Because of the magnetic suspension, the axis, which has a diameter at the ends of only 0.10-0.15 millimeters (which is a size that is 3-4 times smaller than a human hair), can support the weight of a rotor that is on average 20 times the weight of a stepper motor rotor. The highest achievement of this technology can be called the production of the rotor axis (which has a tiny size) with the highest possible accuracy. To reduce friction, we also produced a unique low-viscosity lubricant for the rotor supports.

From sudden movements and, say, from hitting a hand against a wall, the load will begin to rotate at an increased speed many times greater than normal. To prevent destruction of the central axis of the rotor, it is necessary to limit the speed during rotation. Therefore, a friction clutch is used in the transmission. The appearance of such a coupling is that of an ordinary wheel with a tribe, but it does not sit tightly on the axle, but with slight friction. When speed is normal, the clutch trib rotates with the wheel, but when sudden acceleration occurs, the clutch trib rotates separately from the wheel, protecting the rotor. The generator rotor rotates at tremendous speed and it follows that the balance must be adjusted with very high precision, otherwise it will simply break the watch./p>

Eco-Drive technology

This technology appeared in 1995. The basic principles of its operation are: obtaining energy from sunlight by transforming it with photocells into ordinary electric current of the required voltage.

A watch may be a simple everyday necessity for you, while others see it as an expression of their personality. They can be quite expensive or in an affordable price segment. Moreover, you can have a pair with several additions, such as an alarm clock, a calendar, etc., or have a watch without other functions other than the main one - showing the time.

In order to choose a suitable watch for yourself, you first need to understand that there are automatic movements, quartz, and mechanical. Let's look at how quartz watches differ from automatic ones?

Features of the mechanism

The significant difference between automatic watches and quartz watches is the type of movement that is used. The movement of a watch refers to the general internal characteristics that make a watch capable of performing its primary function. If we draw an analogy with cars, the mechanism inside is the engine.

Quartz movement

A quartz watch is powered by a small battery that sends a charge of its energy to a quartz crystal inside the circuit. This, in turn, transmits the impulse and causes the hands to move, while creating the characteristic “tick-tock” sound. The presence of sound indicates that the movement of the mechanism is not as smooth as that of an automatic watch. However, there are many fans of this walking sound who find a special charm in it.

Automatic mechanism

The mechanism inside an automatic watch is similar to a mechanical watch - it does not use a battery, but is powered by a spring and a rotor. Only with self-winding watches there is no need to manually wind the watch; the watch works thanks to your movement throughout the day. This means that the spring winds on its own while the watch is on you. Automatic watches provide maximum smoothness; you will not hear the characteristic ticking sound, which can be unnerving or distracting.

The difference in the winding mechanisms is the main factor that differentiates these two common types of mechanisms. In automatic watches, the spring winds itself when you walk or move. But if the watch is not used for a long time, it loses its accuracy. To prevent this from happening, owners of automatic watches need to purchase a special box with automatic winding. A quartz watch has a battery, which keeps the mechanism running continuously and ensures its accuracy.

2. How to care

Like any other valuable item that we take care of, watches should be no exception. When purchasing a wristwatch, it is important to know how to properly care for it so that it can stand the test of time.

Quartz ones only require battery replacement after a certain time. Automatic watches require a one-time spring change. In addition, they need to be stored in a self-winding box if you do not use them for a long time.

Quartz watches are distinguished by their resistance to environmental conditions, which no other mechanism can boast of. They are not afraid of moisture, dust, temperature changes. That is why sports models and items for active recreation are made exclusively using quartz.

3. Accuracy

Any device created by man, and watches are no exception, cannot be perfect. Regardless of the type of movement, accuracy is somewhat subjective, since the watch can be affected by various external factors - water, dirt, dust, heat or frost. However, quartz watches rely less on gears and rely mainly on batteries. Therefore, they are practically not affected by negative factors, and therefore more accurate than mechanical and automatic ones.

4. Price

Automatic or quartz watch, which is better when it comes to price? Many people will say that automatic watches usually cost a fortune, and quartz is more affordable since its main components - quartz crystals - are abundant and readily available for mass production. And there is some truth in this.

Considering the complexity and precision of the technique, the effort, dedication, and skill of watchmakers required to create an automatic watch are enough reasons why automatic watches are more expensive.

However, based on other characteristics - time accuracy, ease of maintenance, good wear resistance, and also a budget price - undoubtedly quartz watches become leaders.

Automatic or quartz, which is better?

There is only one answer - it's up to you. There is no pressure. Just keep the information above about different watches in mind before you joyfully exclaim, “Yes! That's what I need!" and make a purchase. Besides, perhaps you already have your own pair, then we hope you have learned something new about your watch.

The property of quartz to compress under the influence of current and send impulses in the 50s of the twentieth century revolutionized watchmaking: instead of a spring, the crystal became the source of movement of the hands. Thanks to him, today we see watches of various shapes, sizes and functionality. Usually we are offered a choice between mechanical, quartz and electronic, and each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. The former are less accurate and require a winding (often automatic), they are subject to physical influences and are relatively large in size (at least in mass production). Their hands move due to a spring mechanism.

A fair question would be: how do electronic watches differ from quartz watches if they operate on the same crystal? Indeed, both of these types belong to quartz movements, and only the method of displaying information differs. However, traditionally “quartz” refers to electronic-mechanical watches with hands (sometimes called “analog”), and “electronic” to those with a digital display.

Comparison

Any quartz movement requires a power source - in a watch this is a battery. A crystal in an electromagnetic field oscillates with a certain periodicity. In electronic watches, such oscillations are converted into discrete signals, which are displayed on a digital display; in quartz watches, they are transmitted to a stepper motor, which rotates a system of gears and hands. We see, accordingly, this way:

Quartz electronic watch
Quartz analog watch

The difference between electronic watches and quartz watches is the ability to integrate them into almost any system, regardless of purpose and size. They may not have their own display at all, but use a common information output device: this is how we see the time on computer monitors and smartphone screens, this is how we set a timer on various household appliances.

Electronic multi-function clock

When choosing from a display window in a store, a potential buyer wants to know what the difference between electronic and quartz watches is for him, the consumer. Both of them do not require a factory, but need to replace the battery every few years - and this is, perhaps, all that the models have in common. Due to the presence of a display, electronic watches are often equipped with additional functionality: everything from a calculator to a weather station is built into it. Electronic-mechanical - only watches that have a classic appearance.

People choose watches mainly in accordance with their own taste and wallet size. Electronic ones, however, do not very often become a status item: in the “luxury” category there are almost exclusively hands. Models of any type are equipped with shock-resistant and waterproof cases; straps can be silicone, leather, plastic, metal - this only affects the choice. But the fashionable “skeleton” design is available only for quartz watches: a visible working mechanism (gears and motor) under a transparent cover. Electronic ones cannot demonstrate anything so interesting.

Skeleton watch