Quartz vs Mechanical & Automatic Watches [0:00:00]
[Music] In today's video, gents, the difference between
quartz and automatic watches.
So, a quartz watch by definition is defined as having a movement that's powered by batteries,
no winding required.
Basically, the batteries inside sent an electrical signal to a quartz crystal.
This causes it to vibrate 32,768 times per second.
Those vibrations are then measured, they're then converted into a single pulse per second.
The result, a very simple watch that is incredibly accurate.
Now, mechanical watches on the other hand and I'm including automatics, they need to
be manually wound or they're going to use motion to actually automatically wind them.
So, this watch right here, I've got to go through and I've got to manually wind it once
a day.
Now, when I'm winding the watch, what I'm doing is I'm tightening a spring.
That spring is going to power the watch from anywhere from maybe 24 hours to in some cases
10 days.
Now, in an automatic watch, we can actually sometimes hear a rotor.
And, a rotor is basically going to be a device that turns around and uses your own motion
when you're wearing the watch to actually automatically wind it.
Again, for both types of watches here we're putting tension on a mainspring.
This mainspring creates a force that's transferred through a gear train to something called an
escapement which meters out power basically bit by bit.
The math and engineering involved ensures the power is released in intervals that correspond
with our concept of a 24-hour a day.
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So, first up let's talk about heritage.
The quartz watch has been around for less than fifty years which if you think about
it's pretty amazing as this has become the dominant watch on the market.
Why?
It was able to come in and really disrupt the whole market because of its accuracy and
of its price.
And by the way, I know some of you watch guys are going to go crazy because sometimes I
use the word mechanical and automatic interchangeably.
I know there is a difference.
The point is the mechanical watch has a much longer heritage and that's why so many people
love it.
We go back we look at 1275, the English are credited with coming up with the first mechanical
watch.
In the 1540’s, we saw the Swiss actually jump into the game and the thing what we saw
here is all of a sudden they started taking watchmaking and building these mechanical
watches to a whole new level when they started looking at building them up as jewelry.
And in the 1770’s, we saw the rise of the pocket watch.
Why?
Because they actually developed a technology to a point that you didn't have to constantly
wind the watch, you could simply keep it in your pocket and it would keep pretty accurate
time.
They were very expensive, they were all made by hand and it was very labor-intensive.
So, the watches were kind of the plaything of the rich and those in a very high-level
position to be able to show off their wealth.
That being said, the ability to track time was recognized very quickly by high-level
officials is actually something very valuable for people's work day, so it was eventually
adopted as a tool.
Now, let's talk about craftsmanship.
So, quartz watches in general are going to be simpler than the mechanical brethren.
In general, a quartz watch is going to consist of a quartz oscillating crystal, an electronic
circuit to drive the watch and a means of displaying time and a battery to power the
whole system.
Here, you're going to find a stem circuit coil, battery insulator contact, battery strap,
plate, train bridge, dial foot clamp, a case screw.
Overall, when it comes to watchmaking we're talking very few parts.
And by the way, there are many advantages to actually being a simpler watch, but let's
now talk about mechanical watches.
These have on average from one hundred and thirty to over a thousand pieces.
And, gents, the vast majority of those parts they are actually moving, so when you to think
about it the complexity of that system is mind-blowing.
[0:05:08] Now, let's talk about assembly.
So, putting together a quartz watch because there are so few pieces, it's relatively quick
and simple.
When we go to mechanical watches, we're talking days, we're talking months, in some cases
years and that, gentleman, directly affects the price.
So, let's talk cost.
The movement inside a quartz watch can go anywhere if you were just to buy that movement
itself for $5 to $100.
The price is affected by the materials, who makes it, where do they make it, and all the
complications that the movement is going to have to drive.
Now, mechanical and automatic watches on the other hand can have movements that maybe only
cost $50 to $75.
Other automatic or mechanical watches can have movements that cost hundreds to thousands
of dollars.
In general, what you're going to see is for the same movement that's able to do basically
the same thing, quartz watches are going to be a fraction of the price.
Now, one of the most common questions out there is how when I'm looking at a watch as
a potential buyer do I immediately tell if it's a quartz or a mechanical watch?
So, they should always be marked if you're looking to buy one.
But, if you look at the second’s hand, you can actually see when it's a quartz watch
it's going to have just a ticking movement, very distinctive versus a sweeping hand on
a mechanical watch.
Now, the reason on a quartz watch that we see that movement every second is it simply
the most efficient way for the second hand to move versus if it were to move multiple
times which is actually happening on the mechanical watches.
So, mechanical watches five times to eight times a second we're actually seeing really
small ticks and that's why it has that sweeping movement.
Now, what about sound?
Quartz watches you're not going to hear anything, some mechanical watches you will actually
be able to hear a ticking sound.
So, now, let's talk about accuracy.
This is where quartz watches shine.
The cheapest quartz watch out there is going to be relatively accurate to 1 plus or minus
second a day.
Mechanical watches can have wide variations depending on a number of factors such as the
watch position.
Is the dial up?
Is the crown down?
The susceptibility to gain seconds due to shock.
So, if basically you're out playing tennis, you can actually lose or gain a few seconds.
The temperature, the state of the wind of the mainspring, basically, if it's not fully
wound consistently, you can actually have an inaccurate watch.
Specifically when we're talking about the accuracy of mechanical watch all those factors
I just talked about plus actually what is the quality of the watch.
Was it chronometer certified?
If it's a high-end luxury watch, then you should expect about two to three seconds variation
per day, but if it's just something that you bought very inexpensively, it's an older mechanical
watch, you could sometimes see 12 to 15 seconds of variation per day.
And what about durability?
So, quartz watches because they have less parts in them, they're going to be in general
less susceptible to shock damage.
So, if you're playing a lot of sports, a quartz watch is good versus a mechanical watch especially
a mechanical watch that has a lot of parts.
Just think about that, you're playing golf or if you bang it up against something, all
of a sudden that watch can have just one small piece get ajar and all of a sudden you have
a watch that doesn't tell time accurately or stops working.
And, let's talk about maintenance.
Quartz watches, incredibly easy.
Every two to five years when the battery dies, simply change out the battery.
Occasionally, you may have a mechanical issue, you can send it in to get it fixed.
Now, gents, when it comes to mechanical watches and maintenance, this is where it can become
a nightmare.
So, it depends on who you talk with, some watchmakers are going to say.
Okay, every three years, you've got to get that watch in for maintenance because the
oils break down and it's something that a little bit of preventative maintenance is
going to really prevent something bad from happening at some point in the future.
On the other side and I have to admit I’m with these other guys over here is I we'll
send it in when it stops working.
Whenever we've got some issues, you can expect if you've had a watch for fifteen, twenty
years it's been running strong, you can expect something is going to happen at some point.
Now, what about case style and type?
Actually, with both quartz and mechanical watches, you have a wide range.
But, quartz watches do have a big advantage on the case and that is actually the thickness
of the case.
So, quartz watches, they can be incredibly thin because they just simply don't have all
the mechanical parts you need for a mechanical watch.
That being said, a good-looking mechanical watch will oftentimes have a clear case back
in which you can actually see the inside workings of the watch.
So, gents, what side are you on?
Quartz?
Mechanical?
Or automatic?
Let me know down in the comments.
So, what video to watch next?
Guys, check out this one right here, the chronograph.
I talk about the history, how they work.
If you are into watches, you are going to absolutely love this video.
Go check it out, guys.
I will also link to it down in the description.
[0:09:51] End of audio