WHAT IS A WATCH MOVEMENT?
In the watch world, a movement is the mechanism within a watchcase that powers a timepiece. The term originated with early clockwork machines made up of many moving parts. Movements, also known as calibers, vary widely by watch and can be mechanical, automatic or quartz. Just remember, regardless of the watch movement type, its core purpose is to tell accurate time.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF WATCH MOVEMENTS?
Watch movements fall into one of two categories: mechanical vs. quartz. As their names imply, mechanical movements are a series of interconnected parts that move together ‘mechanically,’ without electricity or battery usage. Quartz refers to the exact opposite, a watch movement powered with the use of a battery.
HOW DOES A MECHANICAL WATCH WORK?
There are two types of mechanical watches: manual and automatic. The first must be hand wound via the watch’s crown every few days. The second, invented at the end of the 18th century, is self-winding, meaning when worn consistently winding the watch by hand is unnecessary.
Both mechanical watch movements are comprised of a crown, mainspring, gear train, escapement and balance wheel. Very simply, the mainspring is the power storage, which stores energy and transfers it through gears and springs, regulating the release of energy and ultimately powering the watch.
The amount of energy stored varies by movement, and is described as power reserve. For example, a hand winding mechanical watch with an 80-hour power reserve must be rewound every 80 hours to continue running.
Automatic mechanical watches also have power reserves, but thanks to the addition of a metal weight called a rotor, energy transfers automatically with the natural movement of your wrist. What does this mean? If you have an automatic watch, it will continue to work unless the rotor isn’t activated sufficiently (e.g. you aren’t wearing the watch) for a period of time that exceeds the specified power reserve.
HOW CAN I TELL WHAT KIND OF MOVEMENT IS POWERING MY WATCH?
Mechanical or quartz movements can both power analog watches. However, it’s easy to tell the difference by watching the second hand move. If it smoothly glides from second to second with no sound, you’re looking at a mechanical watch; if it visually and audibly ‘ticks,’ it’s quartz.
On the other hand, all digital watches are battery powered, and today range from simple LCD time tellers to complex smart watches.
WHICH WATCH MOVEMENT IS RIGHT FOR ME?
While quartz watches are superior in terms of accuracy and reliability, watch enthusiasts and collectors often prefer mechanical watches thanks to their precise craftsmanship and rich heritage. If you want a watch that tells time and is full of character, a mechanical watch is the choice for you.
AUTOMATIC VS. MECHANICAL VS. QUARTZ WATCH MOVEMENTS?
Mechanical is an umbrella term that can refer to hand wound or self-winding watch movements. However, mechanical is often used to designate a watch as manual vs. automatic. Manual mechanical movements must be wound; automatic mechanical movements self-wind as kinetic energy from the wearer’s wrist is transferred to the mechanism inside the watch. Quartz watch movements have few or no moving parts and are powered by a battery.
How do you take care of a watch?
A quality watch should last a lifetime, and with a little care and regular maintenance, it’s easy to achieve. First, make sure you’re avoiding water (based on your watch’s recommended resistance level) and any chemical exposure. Keep it clean by gently polishing and if it’s mechanical, make sure you’re winding it regularly.
Why are watches worn on the left hand?
This isn’t a hard and fast rule and is really best determined by personal preference. Since most people are right handed and use that as their dominant hand, wearing the watch on the left wrist made more sense comfort-wise and also helped limit the risk of damage to the watch.
Yes, you have up to 7 days to return your watch.
Once your return request is submitted and approved by our team, we will provide you with detailed instructions for returning your order.
Please ensure that returned items are unused and in their original packaging. We reserve the right to decline a return if the product(s) show any signs of wear or damage.
