Which watch to choose: mechanical or quartz. All about quartz movement in watches

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Liana Raimanova September 23, 2018

The market is saturated with watches of various mechanisms. Each type has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. To make a choice in favor of one mechanism or another, you need to understand them thoroughly.

Main types of watch mechanisms

Basically, watches are divided into two types: quartz and mechanical. They, in turn, are divided into subspecies. Thus, mechanical watches come with automatic winding and manual winding. Among quartz ones, they are distinguished with an analogue (pointer mechanism), liquid crystal mechanism and a combined mechanism.

Quartz watch

A quartz watch is a chronometer powered by a quartz crystal through which an electric current passes at a certain frequency. Thanks to this principle, the clock shows exact time. They run on battery power.

If it is easy to answer what a quartz watch mechanism is, then this is the name for a system of electronic and mechanical parts, which ensures accurate timekeeping. Such chronometers always contain a quartz crystal; the entire operation of the quartz watch mechanism is based on it.

Depending on the features of the mechanism, the watch can show only dial time, only electronic time, or combine two time outputs.

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

Electronic time output preferred people associated with sports. Such watches are also called electronic. They are usually complemented by the most various functions: calendar, timer, calculator, stopwatch, pulse counter. Taking into account modern capabilities, they can replace small computer. But such watches will be very expensive.

Expensive options additionally have characteristics such as shock resistance and water resistance, and are equipped with unique functions.

Such watch movements are in demand among parents of school-age children. You can choose a relatively inexpensive option for a child who is actively involved in a sports section. Also, watches are often supplied GPS function, so it is always possible to find out the place where the child is.

The best quartz watch Casio and Orient models are recognized. Tissot is chosen by people who pay tribute to the products of Swiss watchmakers

Mechanical watches

Mechanical watches mean that their operation is based on the movement of a spring located in the drum. That is The power source is the energy of the unwinding spring. The owner must wind them himself in order to unwind the clock spring and bring the mechanism into working condition. Mechanical watches with self-winding are now popular. But they need to be worn constantly so that they do not need to be wound.

Sports men's watch on a metal bracelet, OKAMI(price on the link)

Mechanical watches can also additionally have some characteristics: shockproof, waterproof. Some copies are supplied interesting function“cuckoo” – served after a certain period of time sound signal(based on the principle of an old cuckoo clock).

Which watch should you prefer?

Mechanical watches are chosen by people for whom it is important to show their position in society. They have a higher price due to the manufacturer working in this field for more than a hundred years, such as Swiss

The difference between the types of watch mechanisms determines their features. You should choose your watch with this in mind:

Quartz wristwatches, unlike mechanical ones, have more accurate time indicator. The time error is no more than 20 seconds per month. Mechanical watches accumulate such an error within a day. Therefore, if the exact time value is important to a person, the quartz option is suitable for them.
The differences between quartz and mechanical watches are also related to the time of their appearance. Mechanical chronometers have significant history existence. Quartz belongs to modern technologies . They were developed taking into account all the latest developments in the field of electricity, mechanics and many other sciences.
Mechanical watches often have a skeleton - a transparent case that allows you to see the operation of the mechanism. This gives them special originality and style.
They don't require special care, except for a timely plant.
Quartz watches have a shorter service life, while mechanical watches are famous for their longevity. Mechanical watch repairs will cost less and will be completed faster.
The option with a quartz movement is often simply beyond repair due to its complexity.
People for whom it is important to show status are recommended to turn to mechanical models. Those who needed convenient hours, it is better to choose quartz.

How are mechanical watches different from quartz watches?

Selection by manufacturer

Many manufacturers produce both mechanical and quartz wrist time meters. Therefore, you can choose a reputable company and give preference to one or another mechanism.

Orient produces both quartz and mechanical wristwatches. Among the model line you can choose available options. This is Japanese a company that has been known over since 1901. The assortment is very diverse. You can choose a watch based on your own taste and individual preferences:

Orient RE DK 0002 L The model is stylish, shockproof and waterproof. Glass – mineral. Black color. It will be a good gift for a business and successful man.
Orient E.M.7 J00 BB. Cheaper option in the line. Mechanical watch with self-winding. They have mineral shock-resistant glass. Withstands 5 atmospheres. You can swim in the pool in them, but they are no longer suitable for diving. Stylish design, comfortable leather strap.

Orient is a global manufacturer of quartz and mechanical watches

There are models for every taste, with any capabilities. Among the models there are also quartz options, they will cost less.

Models recognized as the best capable of reflecting world time and having a special curved anti-reflective glass. The minimum water resistance is 50 m. To recharge, they require no more than 4 hours of standing time. sunlight. The company produces both men's and women's watches.

Unable to determine best watch currently. It all depends on the person's preferences. Some pay tribute to the classics, while others value innovation. First of all, you should build on the reputation of the manufacturer.

There is so much debate about how to choose the best men's watches these days. Should you approach the choice of watches with practical calculations or trust your intuition and taste, relying on design and fashion trends? Is there a fundamental difference between inexpensive men's watches, say, for $100 and for $10,000, if they are produced by the same company? There are a lot of questions in this seemingly familiar item for us - men's watches. Read about all this and much more in a series of 2 articles on our website.

It's my time. This is my lifestyle.

The present time is a transitional stage between the “past” and the “future”, and when I say these two words, I mean not only the digital designation of the year, but also the nature of the changes taking place in humanity. With each new day, people confidently move along the path of technology development, inventing more and more new devices, focusing on their versatility. The past, in this context, looks like a time of things with a narrow specialization, while the future is a time of total computerization and implementation high technology into all aspects of human life. Today, on the verge of these two eras, we continue to use old devices such as home phones, television, paper media and much more, while willingly letting their more advanced analogues into our lives: mobile phones, the Internet and, for example, e-books. The first is still used, but is confidently being eliminated by the second; this is an invariable feature of development and transition to new level technologies. This kind of transition from the “past” to the “future”, for the most part, proceeds very smoothly, remaining invisible to the average person, but as soon as you look back, the changes become much more noticeable.

Past, present and future - our time

A fun fact is that if we combine "past", "present" and "future" we get time. Let's add the word “technology” to it, and we get the designation of devices recognized to display the passage of time. In other words, hours. Today, clocks are present on every second more or less modern thing: on the microwave oven, on the refrigerator, in the corner of your television screen, on the bottom of your computer desktop and, of course, on any mobile device. Each of these things was originally intended for other purposes, but for greater versatility (or a number of technical features) it has a time indicator. This is exactly what I was talking about earlier. What about wristwatches, you ask? Because of their narrow specialization, they leave Everyday life, slowly being replaced by analogues. You may not agree with this, but the fact remains a fact. Today wristwatch is used by a much smaller number of people than before, and in order to keep up with the times and stay afloat, modern watch models acquire a number of functions related to mobile phones, navigation, and more. Despite this, they turn from an essential item into a wardrobe item designed to complement a suit or demonstrate your lifestyle and income level, because it will be much more presentable to look at the dial of a Swiss movement than at a phone screen. Exactly because of this reason modern man When choosing a watch for yourself, most often, you focus not on practicality and functionality, but on appearance and cost, however this element The wardrobe should not only look good on the hand, but also function properly.

Here we come to the main dilemma that accompanies everyone who has ever entered a watch store or looked at catalogs of online stores. What are they, the best men's watches? Is it worth spending more than $100 on a watch? What should you consider when choosing? Let's look at each of these questions in this article.

Omitting a number of specific features, wristwatches can be divided into two types: mechanical and quartz. What is their difference?

Mechanical watches- this is a complex device that does not work from third party source power supply, but from the movement of a spiral spring, the inertia of twisting and unwinding of which sets the hands on the dial in motion. There are two types of mechanical watches, divided by the method of “winding” the spring: manual winding and automatic winding. The former have less weight and size. Every day they need to be wound, which is done by turning the crown (head). The latter, due to the peculiarities of the mechanism, are heavier and have a much more massive body. These watches do not require regular winding, as they are wound automatically by the movement of the pendulum every time your hand moves. If you take off such a watch and long time leave them motionless, they will stop, but simply shaking them is enough to get the mechanism working again.

When choosing between manual and automatic winding, you should use your preferred case thickness. In addition, it is worth paying attention to whether you are ready to tighten the crown every day, which in some cases, from a psychological point of view, can become a calming everyday ritual, or whether automation of this process is more important for you. Both types, despite their differences, have one important detail in common. They require care and careful care.

Advantages of mechanical watches

The advantages of mechanics include, firstly, their presentability and old-fashioned design, which will appeal to all retro lovers. back side coins, if you do not take into account cheap analogues, is that good mechanical watches have a high price. Secondly, they do not require battery replacement. This fact means not only savings on the services of watchmakers, but also on the tightness of the case, which will remain in its factory condition throughout its entire service life. High-class watchmakers are not present everywhere, you must admit, and trusting an expensive wardrobe item to amateurs is a rather dubious pleasure.

Disadvantages of mechanical watches

As for the cons? I want to disappoint all mechanical fans, but everything is not as rosy as it might seem. Firstly, it is less accurate compared to quartz movements. The average mechanical watch, due to the peculiarities of the device, lags behind by 15 - 45 seconds per day. Of course, there are samples in which this defect is reduced to 4–5 seconds, but the price of such models will increase in direct proportion to the reduction in the lag. Secondly, this is the sensitivity of the mechanism to damage, wear of parts and temperature. Each of these factors can cause the lag to increase or cause the clock to stop. Thirdly, the price is high. Having discovered more or less cheap model Don’t rush to rejoice at mechanical watches. Cheap mechanics will not last long and will quickly fail, since the internal structure of such watches in itself does not imply the use of low-quality materials or shoddy assembly.

Let's move on to quartz. What it is? Quartz watches differ from their mechanical counterparts mainly in that they require a power source (button-type battery) to operate. The average duration of operation on one battery (taking into account the quality of the manufacturer of this element) is three years. In individual cases this figure may vary. There are watch models that require not one battery, but several (both the same and different markings), which also affect the battery life Additional features clock mechanism, such as alarm clock, stopwatch and the like.

As an example, we can take two classic designs that are most widespread in the world. A watch that has no functional extensions, run on either a 377 or 364 battery. Watches with the additional function of displaying the day of the week and date usually run on a 370 battery.

Types of quartz watches

There are several types of quartz watches. Let's take a quick look at each of them.

Digital Watch. They differ from their regular counterparts only in that they display the time on an electronic display. In addition to differences in the device, it is worth noting that the range additional functions electronics is much higher. Standard set For electronic watch includes stopwatch, backlight, day of week and date.
Watch with combined time display. These watches combine electronic and analog mechanisms, having both a display and hands. In cheap versions they represent a standard mechanism analog clock and a separate mechanism for the electronic component, each of which requires its own battery. In more advanced models, both of these components are “soldered” into one whole. It is easy to distinguish one from the other. In the first case, there will be a time adjustment crown, like on an analog watch. In the second, it will be absent. Key Feature The last option is a much more complex setup procedure.

In addition, there are watches with built-in solar panels, battery charge indication system, but we will not dwell on them.

Advantages of quartz watches

Firstly, this is their reliability. Quartz is less affected external influences than its mechanical counterpart. Secondly, there is much greater precision, which can only change by a couple of seconds per month. Thirdly, incomparably lower cost and more wide choose design of the case and bracelet\strap.

Disadvantages of quartz watches

The disadvantages include the need to periodically replace the battery. If your city does not have an authorized service center, you will have to contact a third-party workshop. In this case, the owner of the watch needs to be careful, because many watchmakers are accustomed to installing cheap batteries at a high cost, and sometimes even pretending that the entire mechanism is faulty (in order to increase the cost of work). If it so happens that you visit a watchmaker to replace the battery, be sure to ask what brand the battery will be from. It is unacceptable to use companies such as Trophy, Chameleon, as well as similar cheap analogues. The watch will not work for them for long and, roughly speaking, it doesn’t matter. It is also worth asking whether the watch will retain its previous tightness after opening. It is for this reason that you should not change the battery yourself. Not only will the seal be broken, but you may also inadvertently damage the glass or scratch back cover or even without wanting to, bring the mechanism into faulty condition, but quartz watches have less repairability than mechanical ones.

Can't recognize what's in front of you? It is very easy to distinguish a mechanical watch from a quartz watch; you just need to put your ear to the case or look at the movement of the second hand. Mechanically, it runs smoothly and is accompanied by frequent ticking. In quartz, on the contrary, the needle moves step by step, and the accompanying ticking sounds at short intervals.

Rules for choosing analog clocks

When choosing an analog watch, you should operate solely on your taste preferences, but there are several general rules which it is advisable to adhere to.

If possible, do not purchase watches from online stores and do not be fooled by beautiful banner advertising. Most often, models with beautiful pictures turn out to be of unacceptable quality or may be subject to critical shocks during transportation. If you nevertheless decide to order a watch online, then make sure that this product is certified, and also read reviews about the manufacturer.
When choosing a watch in a watch store, pay attention to the movement of the hands when changing the time. U good models they will move slightly tightly, and not dangle back and forth. This sign speaks not only about the quality of the mechanism and assembly, but also allows you to set the time especially accurately.
Try to choose those models that have a ridge on the sides of the crown. This attribute will protect the head from being pulled out and damaged.
Pay attention to the material from which the glass is made. In cheap samples it is made of plastic. It is considered the least cost-effective option and is intended only to protect the dial from dirt and dust. The middle option is mineral glass. This type The dial protector has good durability and is reasonably priced. In the most expensive and most quality models As a rule, sapphire is used (mandatory Sapphire glass marking). It has the highest strength index. Only a diamond can leave scratches on such glass.
If you are not sure about the manufacturer and for some reason cannot read reviews about it on the Internet, but want to check the accuracy of the watch you like in the store, proceed as follows. Ask to show you the model you like, set the exact time on it, and then offer to put this watch aside for a couple of days, if possible. When you arrive after the designated time, evaluate the accuracy of their work.
Don't buy a watch that has stopped. If you have chosen a certain model, and it turns out to be non-functional - refrain from purchasing and choose something else. Even though the battery could simply die there, it’s better to be safe.
Also, you should know that battery replacement is not included in the package. warranty service hours. In addition, if the watch stops a short time after purchase, there is no need to sound the alarm. This model could have been in a display case or warehouse for a long time, which led to the battery being discharged.
When buying a watch, ask the seller to adjust the bracelet to your hand. Usually this service is carried out free of charge. The best option It is considered when the index finger fits between the bracelet clasp and the wrist.
Choose your watch based on what you will do in it. You should not buy strict mechanical watches for sports, because they are quite sensitive to damage. Also pay attention to the degree of water resistance.

Finally

We figured out how watch mechanisms differ, looked at their advantages and disadvantages, and also got acquainted with a number of simple rules, which will help you choose the watch model that will serve you for the longest possible time. In the next part of the article, we will look at the most popular watch companies in the mid-price category, and also talk about how to care for your watch.

The advantages of quartz watch movements are obvious: accurate movement, less dependence on external conditions (heating, shaking, shock), they are more difficult to break due to the smaller number of parts, and there is no need to bother with winding. But even among watches with quartz movements, you can find “successful” and not so successful models, especially in the range of budget models.

The accuracy of the movement is also influenced by the caliber: this is the designation of the size and type of movement inside the watch. The caliber marking is usually placed immediately after the name of the movement: for example, Ronda 715. Also, the numbers after the name of the movement can mean specific model mechanism, for example, with the option of a chronograph or battery charge indicator.

What are the signs of a “successful” watch mechanism?

Long battery life.
The accuracy of the watch does not change noticeably with the period of operation of the watch.
The running error should be no more than 40 seconds per month, anything less is good. However, more accurate watches may use up the battery faster. This is due to the oscillation frequency of the mechanism.
Everyone's work additional options: for example, EOL - battery charge indicator.

Which quartz movements are considered the most reliable?

There is a myth that if a watch movement is from Switzerland, it means it is more accurate. In fact, even a cheap quartz movement can be as accurate as the best Swiss watches. But it is unlikely to show the same reliability, and this is the difference.

So, among reliable quartz movements they mention:

Ronda mechanisms (Switzerland). The company produces calibers for quartz and analog watches. In addition to high precision and durability, Ronda mechanisms have another advantage: many of their parts, even from mechanisms of different calibers, are interchangeable. And if so, then repairs become much cheaper.

ETA mechanisms (Switzerland) - the manufacturing factory is part of The Swatch Group Ltd. Produces a fairly wide range of watch movement calibers, Various types and options. The company's products include mechanisms produced for specific companies: for example, T-Touch (quartz) for Tissot - includes a chronograph, altimeter, thermometer, compass, barometer.

Among the series of mechanisms we can highlight:

THERMOLINE - quartz chronometers with temperature compensation and battery charge indicator. Diameter from 19.4 to 30 mm.
FLATLINE - round and square quartz movements of low height with gold plating and battery charge indicator.
NORMFLATLINE - inexpensive movements with metal and synthetic parts, gold plated.
NORMLINE, ECOLINE - Swiss movements assembled in China. Cheaper, but without the quality guarantee that Swiss-assembled mechanisms have.
FASHIONLINE - almost completely synthetic mechanisms that, if broken, cannot be repaired. However, they can last a long time.

ETA movements in the production of their watches are used by such “monsters” of the watch business as Tissot, Hamilton, Mido, Certina, Longines, Rado, Oris, Epos, Frederique Constant, Breitling, Chopard, IWC, Omega and others.

Miyota mechanisms (Japan) - a popular type of movement for many famous world watch brands, such as Grion, Citizen, Lee Cooper, Reebok and others: only 20% of world watch production. The production belongs to the largest Japanese concern CITIZEN WATCH CO, LTD. In total, the company's assortment includes 12 lines of watch movements, including mechanics. High precision, reliable assembly, support for various options, and a variety of calibers make it a worthy competitor to Swiss quartz movements.

Seiko quartz movements (Japan) - the company belongs to Seiko Holdings Corporation: the largest Japanese concern for the production of watches, precision movements and jewelry. It was this company that introduced the world's first quartz watch, Astron, in 1969. Since then, this brand has produced quartz watch movements of various calibers, types and options for its own watches.

Marking of any of the specified clock movements on a quartz watch is not a guarantee perfect job, but its extremely high probability.

For every budget and taste, which differ in their cost, design, type of strap and mechanism. If you want to buy a watch, you will undoubtedly ask yourself which one to choose. It is the mechanism that is responsible for the accuracy and reliability of watches, and modern products are clearly divided into quartz and mechanical movements.

Before purchasing a quartz wristwatch, you need to know exactly what mechanism you want to see in it. The fundamental difference between a quartz movement and a mechanical one is the type of energy they are powered by, let's look at each of them.

Mechanical watches: more disadvantages than advantages?

The operating principle is based on a spring, which is twisted during the planting process. As the spring unwinds, the drum begins to work, starting the clock. But frequent winding contributes to the formation of errors, and over time the time is shown inaccurately. The deviation from the exact time can reach 30-40 seconds, but the price of watches with such a mechanism is higher, because during the assembly process it requires delicate manual work.

For many years, the world's mechanical watchmaking gurus have been competing with each other to create the perfect models. This is great, but their competition takes a toll on the buyer's wallet: the price of mechanical watches is constantly rising. Until today, watchmakers who create mechanical watches have managed to get rid of the problem of friction, the dependence of the rate on temperature changes, but the mechanics are still inferior in accuracy to quartz movements.

There is a misconception that replica watches with mechanical movements are reliable and durable. This is not entirely true: uneven unwinding of the spring provokes inaccurate movement and also provokes premature wear of the mechanism parts.

If you want to purchase a watch with a reliable and harmless mechanism, we recommend that you take a closer look at products with a quartz movement, which have an excellent reputation.

Products with quartz movements: a worthy competitor to mechanical watches

Women's and men's quartz watches appeared later than mechanical ones, but won the love of buyers. The quartz movement draws its energy from a battery that powers a mini-electronic unit. This system determines the accuracy of quartz movements, the maximum discrepancy with real time is only 10-15 seconds. And the most expensive quartz movements, developed from quartz crystal, show discrepancies of up to 5 seconds per year!

Men's and women's quartz watches, or rather the battery with which they are equipped, operate stably for 2-2.5 years. Accordingly, there is no need to rewind the watch every 2-3 days.

Which ones to choose?

The answer to the question of which is better order quartz wrist watches or give preference to mechanics no. From the point of view of prestige, this is, of course, a mechanical watch, but from the point of view of reasonable economy and impeccable quality, it is worth choosing a quartz watch.

Quartz watches are comfortable to wear and keep accurate time from all angles:

1. Appearance is no different from appearance watches with a mechanical movement.

2. They do not require constant self-winding; battery operation provides the most accurate time, you just need to change it in time.

3. The quartz movement is lighter, so women's and men's quartz watches are more comfortable to wear on the hand. They are thinner, sleeker and more stylish.

If we compare mechanical and quartz movements, they can be compared to a retro car and a comfortable SUV. They are the same in terms of status, but the first one does not match modern standards, and the second one is different high level comfort. Like the development of the automobile industry, fashion or innovative technologies Watchmaking is moving forward, creating convenient and practical quartz movements.

During its existence, these watches were brought to perfection, changing and improving. Therefore, modern statistics show that 80% of buyers prefer quartz movements.

The reason for this popularity is simple: hundreds of years ago, people passed watches down by inheritance; these products were available only to the upper strata of the population. Nowadays, you can go out and choose a new quartz watch at any time and spend a reasonable amount. Naturally, the quality directly depends on the price, but, for example, replica watches that completely copy the originals cost 60-75% less, and are not inferior in quality to the original.

Today, a watch is a stylish accessory preferred by men and women. Therefore, wear your watch with pleasure, select the product to suit your style and lifestyle, giving preference high quality at a reasonable price!

To thoroughly understand the issue of quartz and mechanical watches, you need to delve deeply into the essence of the issue, starting with the history of the emergence of these mechanisms.

The history of mechanical watches

It all started with a sundial. This simplest mechanism arose so long ago that the exact time of its origin has not been established. From sundials, modern ones took only the direction of movement of the arrow. The shadow in the northern hemisphere was moving in the direction of modern clock mechanisms.

The very first clock mechanism that has come down to us dates back to the second century BC and was invented in Ancient Greece. Although, it is called a clock mechanism conventionally, since it counted the cycles of the passage of constellations, the position of the planets and the time of year.

The popularity of mechanical clocks in our usual sense spread in Europe when they began to be installed in almost every town hall or church. This happened approximately in the Middle Ages. Such watches had a weight counterweight, and at that time it was the best technical solution. The dimensions of such mechanisms were, of course, very huge. It was not possible to carry them with you.

As they improved, the watches became smaller and more compact. The mechanism has changed from a weight-bearing one to a spring one. A spring is now used as a balancer, rather than a pendulum. By the 19th century, the mechanisms acquired such a size that they could already be carried in a jacket or trouser pocket. Such watches were often worn by men and always on a chain. The cost of such products was very high. Only very wealthy people who wanted to emphasize their status could afford to wear a pocket watch. Wristwatches were common in those days only among ladies and were primarily jewelry with many precious stones. The clock mechanism itself was not very accurate and reliable back then. In general, ladies often just had watches like this.

Mechanical wristwatches became widely used during the First World War in Germany. Martial law showed the convenience of wearing a watch on the wrist. Over time, the production of wristwatches was taken over from Germany by Switzerland, which supplied its watches throughout Europe.

Clock mechanisms became more and more accurate and compact. This is how chronographs with chronometers arose, where the date changed, and the second hand could measure a certain period of time. This did not affect the operation of the clock in any way, that is, it did not stop, but continued to run in its usual way.

The history of quartz watches

In 1927, the first quartz watch movements appeared. The purpose of such mechanisms was to accurately measure time, more accurate than mechanical watches. But due to its bulkiness, these watches were not widely used at that time.

The first mass-produced quartz watches went on sale in Japan after the Olympic Games in Tokyo, where for the first time such watches acted as an accurate stopwatch. This was in the sixties of the last century. Since then, quartz wristwatches have become very widespread, primarily due to their low cost. Swiss and European companies, in order to avoid ruin, were forced to establish the production of quartz watches. From that moment on, almost everyone could afford to wear a watch.

Operating principle of mechanical and quartz watches

In mechanics, the winding mechanism compresses a spring, which is then slowly released and, with the help of the whole system The gear triggers a trigger mechanism that converts rotational energy into vibrational energy. Every day or once every 90 hours, as on some modern models, it is necessary to wind this mechanism manually. The time error of a mechanical watch depends on the quality of the mechanism and is up to 10 seconds per day. Over the course of a month, this can amount to five minutes or more. Therefore, at least once a month, it is also necessary to adjust the time on the dial. From this we can conclude that mechanics is not suitable for more accurate measurement of time with fractions of a second.

IN quartz movement used energy of electrical impulses of a compressible quartz crystal. The crystal itself is powered by a source electric current, that is, a simple battery. The clock's stepper motor operates from electrical impulses from quartz, so there is no need to wind such a clock. All you need to do is change the battery. Here, too, everything depends on the quality of the battery, but on average the service life is 1-3 years. The error of quartz watches is 3-5 seconds per month, which is incomparably less than that of mechanics.

You can distinguish a quartz mechanism by its pulsed sound exactly every second, while mechanical ones have a constant, continuous sound, several pulses per second.

Variety of mechanical and quartz watches

All mechanical watches have almost the same clock mechanism. The only differences can be in design. There are many transparent and translucent cases, painted dials and hands.

The variety of quartz movements is much greater. In the 70s of the last century, quartz watches on liquid crystals, called electronic ones, were invented. Such watches are already a kind of multifunctional devices with an alarm clock, a calculator, some with notebook, stopwatch and many other functions. Currently, using digital technologies, the possibilities of electronic watches are innumerable. This includes heart rate measurement and position on the map, and the ability to synchronize with a smartphone makes it possible to receive SMS messages, notifications about incoming calls, and much more.

It is believed that mechanics are more durable, since the end of the service life of such a watch means the complete erasure of all gears and mechanisms. This may not happen very soon. And the case and all the details of such a watch are made of metal. Owners of quartz movements are much more likely to replace their watches with new ones, not because the old ones are already worn out, but because of their cheapness and the constant desire for something new.

In conclusion, a few words about the cost of watches. If we do not consider expensive models made of precious metals decorated with diamonds, then the cost of mechanical watches will still be an order of magnitude more expensive than quartz watches. The latter are in a plastic case and even made in China may cost only 200 rubles. It depends on the production technology (manual or robotic assembly), the materials used (metal or plastic) and the manufacturer itself (Swiss watches will always cost more than their Chinese counterparts). Mechanical watches, due to their cost, serve as confirmation for the owner of his high status, wealth, and individuality. Quartz ones are more affordable; literally anyone can buy them.

Summarizing all the differences, it can be noted that quartz and mechanical watches have their positive and negative sides. It is impossible to draw an unambiguous conclusion about the advantage of any one type of watch. Everyone decides for themselves what will be a priority for them.