Watches are beautiful things, and most people will instantly look at the dial when looking to purchase their first watch but for most watch enthusiasts the movement is just as important if not more so.
It can be quite confusing knowing what the differences are between movements especially if you are starting your watch journey or if you just do not understand what kinds of movements are out there.
In this blog post we will simply explain five of the most common movements as a starting point for those less versed in watch movements.
Manual
Hand wound watches powered by a mainspring that needs to be wound manually using the crown.
Winding the crown stores the energy the mainspring that is then released through a series of gears and an escapement mechanism to regulate the time.
The watch will need to be wound on a regular basis to keep the time.
Automatic
Much the same as a manual but uses a rotor that spins through the wearer’s movements, which then automatically winds the mainspring storing the energy that is where the power reserve comes in.
Depending on how the watch movement this could is this could anything from 40 to 120 hours.
Quartz
A battery is required to power an electric circuit that includes a quartz crystal hence the name.
The crystal when energised by the battery vibrates to a precise frequency of 32,768 times per second for an accurate time.
Many are put off but the quartz movement, as the second hand does not sweep like a mechanical movement but ticks once second at a time.
Solar
Known as a solar quartz as a battery is needed.
A solar cell converts light into electricity, which in turns powers the watch to tell the time.
Stored in a rechargeable battery, which allows the watch to keep time even in low light.
Solar watch watches show you the power reserve level on the dial which is also another cool feature.
Seiko Spring Drive
A combination of mechanical and electronic tech that gives you the best of both worlds and provides a highly accurate time reading.
The energy from the mainspring drives a gear train, just like in a mechanical watch, transferring power to the hands.
instead of a traditional escapement, Spring Drive uses a unique system that converts some of the mechanical energy into electricity, this in turns powers a quartz oscillator and integrated circuit which in turns uses an electromagnetic brake to regulate the speed of a glide wheel.
A copper wire is wrapped around a magnetic core that gives a more realistic sweeping hand than a quartz movement.
Watch movements are very subjective and most enthusiasts will tell you mechanical movements are the best, but quartz watches also have their place.
Why not check out the what else you should consider when buying a watch 5 Things To Consider When Buying A Watch
There are pros and cons for all watch movements, and we will explore this in a future blog.
See you in the next one.
