Counts the vibrations of a quartz crystal, keeping time far closer than any mechanical.
Also called: battery movement, swiss quartz
Measurement
Around 15 seconds a month; high accuracy versions reach 10 seconds a year
The basics
What to know about quartz
A quartz movement runs current from a battery through a tiny quartz tuning fork cut to vibrate 32,768 times a second. A circuit divides that count down to one pulse per second, and a small motor steps the seconds hand once for each pulse. That single step is the visual tell: a ticking seconds hand means quartz, a sweeping one means mechanical.
Accuracy sits around 15 to 20 seconds a month for ordinary movements, and thermocompensated high accuracy quartz, which corrects for temperature, reaches about 10 seconds a year. Batteries last two to five years and cost little to replace. When the seconds hand starts jumping in two or four second steps, the battery is nearly flat. That jump is the end of life indicator built into most movements.
Two things deserve attention. A flat battery left inside can leak and corrode the movement, so change it promptly rather than leaving the watch in a drawer. And whoever opens the case should replace the gaskets if water resistance matters to you, since the seals are what the rating depends on. The trade-off is emotional rather than technical: quartz movements are usually replaced rather than repaired, and they carry no resale interest.
Best for
When it works well
Accuracy with no routine is the core case, because the watch simply stays right.
Occasional wearers benefit most, since a quartz watch is still running and correct after a month in a drawer.
Gifting is safer in quartz, as the recipient needs to know nothing about winding or setting.
Shift work, exams and travel demand a watch that is right to the minute, which rules out a mechanical.
This entry02QuartzAround 15 seconds a month; high accuracy versions reach 10 seconds a yearCounts the vibrations of a quartz crystal, keeping time far closer than any mechanical.
