Quartz
movement is an extremely reliable timekeeper; it is also cost
effective for both the manufacturer and the consumer. The most
affordable watches have quartz movement.
Quartz
movement is powered by a battery. It is called quartz movement because
the battery works in combination with a quartz crystal. The battery
passes an electric current through the crystal to keep it oscillating
at over 32,000 vibrations per second. This vibrating crystal drives a
step motor that moves the watch hands at a constant rate to keep time
accurately. A good quartz movement is accurate to within 0.5-2 seconds
per day. On average, the battery needs to be changed every one and a
half years.
The
quartz crystal and battery combination of the quartz watch is basic,
but there is some variation in the watchmaking industry. Swiss quartz
movement combines the movement with the chassis and jewels of a
mechanical watch to form the most accurate and most durable quartz
watches. A few quartz watches have solar-powered rechargeable
batteries. Some quartz movements feature a kinetic system, similar to
those in automatic watches, in which a rotor produces the electrical
current that powers the watch.
The
greatest advantage of the quartz watch, other than its relative
affordability, is the fact that the movement needs no winding to keep
it working. Quartz movement watches also require fewer time adjustments
and less maintenance than mechanical watches. The gears of a quartz
watch rarely, if ever, need lubricating.