Watch movements are a mechanism that measures and displays time. They can be mechanical or quartz with a change of each. The mechanical movement has been used by the watch industry for centuries, and the quartz watch movement was first introduced by Seiko at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics. The type of both movements and the accuracy of each are discussed below.

Mechanical Movements

In traditional mechanical motion watches, energy is used from a spiral coiled spring called a trunk to measure time by regulating the energy output from the spring using gears called a wheel train and an escape mechanism. Yellowing and opening of the main current for limiting and controlling, in the controlled, periodic output of energy.

They also use a balance wheel in conjunction with a balance belt called a hair spring to control the movement of the pendulum-like gear system on the watch. The turbillion, an option in mechanical motion, uses a rotating frame to escape, which is used to control or reduce the effect of gravity on the watch. Due to the complexity of the Tourbillion design, they can be very expensive and can be found in more expensive mechanical watches.

Require Rewing

Manual mechanical watches require the user to rotate the crown and periodically reverse the trunk. Modern watches are designed to last 24 to 40 hours for each wrap, requiring the owner to ventilate the watch every day. An automatic or automatic watch uses the movement of the user’s body to reverse the actual spring. They use a wrapping rotor attached to a ratchet that automatically wraps around the trunk. Self-winding watches can also be manually wrapped to hold them when not in use.

Mechanical movements are sensitive to magnetism, position, and temperature. They require regular adjustment and maintenance and are therefore more prone to failure. They are accurate to +/- 5 to +/- 10 seconds per day or 3 to 6 minutes per month.

Quartz Movements

Watches that use quartz watch movement have much fewer moving parts than mechanical watches. They resonate at a very stable and specific frequency, which is used to more accurately measure the time of the watch, using the battery as the power source to create a small quartz crystal along with the crystal that forms the quartz oscillator. They are designed to control the mechanical hands on the face of the watch to provide a traditional analog display and are preferred by most consumers.

More Accurate

Quartz or electronic moving watches are more accurate than mechanical moving watches. They usually have +/- accuracy. 5 seconds per day or 3 minutes per year. The most precise quartz movements are thermally compensated and are accurate to +/- 5 seconds per year. Quartz watches are usually cheaper than mechanical watches and require very little maintenance, which usually involves a battery change every hour or two.

Conclusion

Quartz motion or electronic watches are usually cheaper and more accurate than watches with mechanical movements. They require much less maintenance and upkeep than their mechanical counterparts. Mechanical watches, on the other hand, retain their value much longer than quartz watches with proper maintenance and routine adjustment. Personal desire and purposeful use should be the deciding factor in choosing a watch.