Mechanical VS Quartz watch

Watches have been an essential part of our lives for centuries. With the advancement of technology, two types of watches have emerged: quartz vs mechanical watch. Many people often wonder about their differences and which one is a better investment. In this blog, we will explore the unique characteristics of quartz vs mechanical watches, comparing and contrasting the two timepieces. Whether you’re planning on buying a new watch or just want to be informed, this blog will provide you with all the necessary information to help you make an educated decision.

What is a quartz watch

Quartz watches are electronic watches that use a quartz crystal oscillator as their timekeeping element. They are popularly used because of their high accuracy and affordable price.

If you want to learn more about quartz watch, you can refer to this article

named what is a quartz watch.

How does quartz watch work

.Battery sends an electrical current to a quartz crystal.

.Quartz crystal vibrates at a specific frequency.

.An electronic circuit counts the vibrations to measure time.

.The circuit then sends signals to the watch’s hands to move accordingly.

What is a mechanical watch

A mechanical watch is a watch that is powered by the internal movement’s clockwork, which drives the gears and pushes the hands to move the time.Mechanical watches are usually divided into the following two types: manual mechanical(hand-winding) and automatic watches (AUTOMATIC).Mechanical watch dominate today’s world of luxury watch For example,.Today all Rolex watches are mechanical and use an automatic (self-winding) movement.

If you want to learn more about quartz watch, you can refer to this article name do mechanical watch have batteries.

How doe mechanical watches work

How do I know if my watch is mechanical or quartz?

First,look at the text on dial or case cover

Generally the dial or the cover of the watch have text, you can observe the dial or the cover of the watch text.The text can tell your a lot information including type of movement,water resistant,brand etc.if it is engraved with AUTOMATIC, then it’s automatic mechanical watch,.if it is engraved with QUARTZ,it’s a quartz watch.

Second, see if there is a flywheel on the dial

If the flywheel is on the face, then it is a mechanical watch. If not, then see the other watch parts to check whether it is a mechanical or quartz watch

Third, look at the hands

By watching the second hand moving can also determine which is a quartz watch, which is a mechanical watch.If the second hand moves tick-tick, it is a quartz watch; if it is smoothly moving,then it’s mechanical watches.

If you find that the second hand travels for two or four seconds at a time, this model is still a quartz watch.

Fourth,look at the watch cover

If the watch cover is made of glass .and you can see the mechanical movement through the glass, then it is a mechanical watch.When you find yourself walking with the second hand in such a gait, that’s when it’s alerting you to change the battery.if you would like know how to change the battery,you can check this article.

Mechanical VS Quartz watch

Accuracy((are quartz watches more accurate than mechanical？)

People will wonder quartz watch are more accurate than mechanical.

The quartz watch has a daily error of 0.5 seconds and keeps very accurate time.

The error of mechanical watches is a few seconds or even tens of seconds per day

Hence the error of the quartz watch is a few tenths of the mechanical watch

So the quartz movement is more accurate than any kind of mechanical watch

Movement Structure

The inside of a quartz watch is an electronic integrated board, while the inside of a mechanical watch is made up of various mechanical parts.This is why watch enthusiasts prefer mechanical watches.A well-made mechanical watch can be a feast for the eyes and show the owner’s taste

So The internal structure of a quartz watch is much simpler than a mechanical watch movement

Battery(do quartz watches need batteries)

According to the different power sources of quartz watches and mechanical watches, we can know that quartz watches have batteries, while mechanical watches do not need batteries.

Lifetime

Quartz watches are easy to use and do not need to be wound, and a battery is generally available for 2-3 years. But some quartz watches with lithium batteries, long life, available for about 20–30 years as the electronic components of the watch will eventually wear out.

The lifetime of the mechanical watch depends mainly on the maintenance work.

Generally a well-maintained mechanical watch has a longer life than the original buyer. High-end mechanical watches can become heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation.

Maintenance

The battery in a quartz watch needs to be replaced every 2 to 5 years. Other than that, it has very few moving parts, which means it requires less maintenance than a mechanical watch.

Taking care of a mechanical watch is a lifetime commitment. Mechanical watches generally need to be serviced in 2 to 3 years, replacing water resistant components, testing the timekeeping performance and power consumption of the movement, cleaning the movement and maintaining the appearance.

Price:

Generally speaking, the price of mechanical watches is much higher than quartz watches. This is because mechanical movements are more complicated to make and require a lot of labor and material resources.

For instance,an ordinary quartz watch is about 50~60 parts in total, and the process required is about 500~600 steps

For a mechanical watch without complications, the total number of parts is about 130, so the process is about 1300, which is double that of a quartz watch.

Weight:

Generally speaking,based on the same size,mechanical watch are heavier than quartz watch.

This is because quartz movement are generally composed of very light objects such as resistors and capacitors.On the other hand,the mechanical watch movement have to be composed of metal.and the complex movement structure is difficult to miniaturize.

Conclusion-Mechanical VS Quartz watch

Ultimately, mechanical watch movement is driven by gears and springs. They are small autonomous machines that don’t need a power source, whereas quartz watches are powered by batteries that vibrate small crystals. This is one of the important differences between quartz watch vs mechanical. In Addition the choice between quartz and mechanical watches depends on personal preference and budget. If you are looking for high accuracy and low maintenance, quartz watches are a good option. However, if you appreciate traditional watchmaking techniques and the artistry of mechanical watches, you may prefer them over quartz watches.