HOW DOES A QUARTZ WATCH WORK?
Jun 27, 2024
Quartz revolutionised the watchmaking industry, turning it upside down in just a few years during the Quartz Revolution. While previously watches ran on a tiny and intricate system of gears, quartz introduced a brand new and more accurate way to measure time. Read more about how a quartz watch works from Mondaine, manufacturers of Swiss watches.
WHAT IS A QUARTZ WATCH?
A quartz watch, or clock, is a timepiece that uses quartz crystal, a battery and an electronic oscillator. Any watch that uses quartz as part of the mechanism is classed as a quartz watch. It’s an entirely different system from mechanical or automatic watches and is deemed one of the most accurate.
Quartz wristwatches come in all sorts of different shapes and designs, and quartz clocks are also available as free-standing or wall clocks. Since this technology was first invented, quartz watches have dominated the market and are considered the best timekeeping mechanism for any high-end timepiece.
WHAT IS ‘QUARTZ MOVEMENT’?
The term ‘quartz movement’ refers to the way the quartz and battery cause the second hand to ‘tick’, marking one second at a time. This is in contrast to automatic movement and mechanical.
Quartz movement: The second-hand ‘ticks’ by one second, pauses and ticks the next second. This is powered by a quartz crystal and battery.
Mechanical movement: The second-hand moves smoothly and continually without ticking. It is powered by winding up the watch.
Automatic movement: Uses kinetic energy from wrist movements to drive the watch’s mechanism.
ARE QUARTZ WATCHES STILL THE MOST POPULAR?
Since quartz was first introduced to the watch making industry, a lot has changed. The last few decades have seen huge leaps in technology and this has been reflected in watch making.
Despite the rise of smartwatches, quartz pieces still seem as popular as ever, likely due to the fact not everyone wants a watch to count their steps or notify them of messages!
Time will tell how the newest advances in technology will impact the watch making industry and the popularity of quartz watches. But we know that quartz watches, with their unbeatable accuracy and high quality mechanics, will remain popular for a long time to come.