The Difference Between Automatic and Quartz Watches

It might just be an everyday essential for you while others consider it as a signature icon of their personalities. It can either be pretty expensive or have an affordable price tag. It may also have an intricate designs or just a plain one without any other distinguishable features at all.

Do you have an idea about what is being described? That's right, your guess is correct. It’s indeed a wristwatch. To begin with, timepieces can either be the automatic movement watches or the quartz-driven ones, which have constant differences from one another. Yet, how do they exactly differ from each other? Here’s a quick and easy-to-go summary for you.

THE MOVEMENTS

The significant difference between automatic watches and quartz lies entirely on the type of movement that is used. A watch movement refers to the overall, internal mechanisms that make watches have good timekeeping functions, a watch’s engine.

Thus, there are quartz and automatic movements.

Quartz Movement

Quartz watches are battery-powered that get most of its energy from the stepping motor with the quartz crystal in the electronic circuit inside, controlling its accuracy with time.

That power from an electric field is being transformed that prompts the hands to move at a regulated frequency or pace through the train wheels. It is a movement you can easily distinguish because of its ticking sound and a step-like hand motion.

Quartz movement with battery

Quartz Movement with battery

Automatic Movement

Automatic movement watches are also known as mechanical movement watches. Both function with a rotor, an essential component that gives power to these kinds of watches since it does not use battery. In this case, the rotor moves primarily because of the wearer’s natural movements. It exhibits sweeping hands motion at a regular pace through the train wheels.

While quartz oscillators are used for quartz watches, the automatics use harmonic oscillators to ensure its time precision.

However, the difference in their winding mechanisms is the main factor that sets them apart. In mechanical movement watches, the user should manually wind up the spring while in an automatic timepiece, the watch winds the rotor automatically using the energy it accumulated from the user’s wrist movements. This process makes the watch works even if you take it off at night.

Now that you know these watches, you should give it a try and start looking for the best automatic watches for men for you.

MAINTENANCE

Like any other valuable items that we protect so dearly, watches should not become an exclusion. As a watch enthusiast, you should know how to take good care of your timepiece, so it can withstand the tests of time.

Keeping your watch in good condition differs based on the watch itself. Quartz watches generally require battery changing after a certain time while self-winding watches need an only once-in-a-lifetime mainspring replacement as mechanical timepieces tend to stay functional for a longer time. Thus, more people have considered the automatics as good keepsakes.

ACCURACY

Like any other timekeeping devices, watches cannot be that perfect. Regardless of the kind, the accuracy and precision of a timepiece are very subjective as a wearer can be influenced by other external factors that may affect the functions of the watch.

For as long as time precision is concerned, the answer lies in your judgment.

COST

Alright, so here comes the money value. Automatic or quartz watch which is better when it comes to price? A lot of people will say that automatic timepieces generally cost a fortune while quartz is more affordable since its main component- quartz crystals- are abundant and always available for mass production.

Considering the complexities and the precise engineering needed in creating mechanical timepieces, equating its value to the effort, dedication, and craftsmanship of the watchmakers are enough reasons why these should have a gold tag.

However, not all automatic watches are expensive as there are some classic watches collection available having good quality and crafted aesthetically at a reasonable price.

Automatic watches movement with rotor

AUTOMATIC OR QUARTZ WATCH WHICH IS BETTER?

Given the information above, which do you deserves?

There is no pressure at all. You can use your own judgment to shop for women's automatic watches, go out with your friends and ask their opinions, or just totally lay in your bed without worrying at all.

At the end of the day, the watch that you’ll end up wearing is something that you already know personally and you can introduce as ‘This is quartz’ or ‘This is automatic.’