Quartz watches are ... Which watch is better - quartz or mechanical?

Choice of hours can be a challenge. Today, a huge number of models are on the market. How not to get lost among this variety? Which are better - quartz or mechanical watches?

Types of clockwork

First, we'll figure out what types of watch mechanisms there are.

Mechanical watches for energy use a weight or spring mechanism (depends on the type of clock), and a balancer or pendulum is used as an oscillatory system. The trigger mechanism is responsible for the conversion of rotational energy into reciprocating or oscillatory energy. It is connected to the spring by means of a system of gears.

Quartz watches are a device that in many respects resembles a mechanical clock, but with several fundamental differences in the oscillatory system and the power source. There are hybrid models that combine the elements of both devices.

Electronic devices carry quartz elements, as well as a display instead of a dial and a microcircuit. They often have an extended set of functions. Almost all electronic watches are equipped with a stopwatch and a calendar, can have a built-in alarm clock, thermometer, barometer, calculator.

How did the quartz mechanisms

Quartz watches are not the thing that was invented in one day. Their invention was preceded by a long work, numerous scientific research and achievements.

The device of mechanical watches was constantly improved, they were complex and had a high cost. In an effort to make the watch a simpler and more accessible object, WA Marrison in 1927 proposed a fundamentally new watch mechanism - quartz. The first devices built on a new principle were cumbersome and were used in scientific laboratories as more accurate than mechanical ones.

Over the improvement and reduction of quartz watches, scientists from three countries - the USA, Switzerland and Japan - worked independently of each other. Japanese company Seiko provided the best quartz stopwatch to the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964, and released its first wristwatch on the market in 1969 - they were the first in the world. The first wristwatch Swiss quartz watch was developed in 1967 and went on sale in 1970. It was a real breakthrough, and the discoveries showered like a cornucopia. In 1972, quartz watches were produced on liquid crystals, that is, electronic ones, in 1978 they were equipped with a calculator, in 1979 - super-flat, in 1988 there were hybrids with a battery charging from kinetic energy - from hand movements.

How the quartz watch works

The electronic unit, located in the quartz clock, sends pulses to the stepping motor, which rotates the arrows. A constant frequency of pulses is provided by quartz. The engine and the unit are powered by a battery. Such a clock does not need to start, because the battery provides a long working life.

Quartz watches are a universal mechanism that can become a multifunctional device. On this basis, an alarm clock, a chronometer, a stopwatch can be designed, and this will minimize the cost of the finished product.

The quartz movement can be equipped with both a dial and a digital display. We have a clock with a liquid crystal display called electronic.

Why watch a crystal

Why is a quartz crystal used in watches? It has unique properties: when an electric current is applied, it contracts, and at the same time generates electrical impulses. With the help of a current, quartz can be made to contract-expand at a constant frequency. These oscillations should have a resonance frequency of 32768 hertz, which is regulated by the size of the crystal. The quartz crystal stabilizes the electric oscillations of the generator at its resonance frequency.

How long can a quartz watch work?

Buying quartz wrist watches, we often wonder how long they will be able to work. What happens if the battery starts to crumble or the quartz crystal collapses? By the way, those who buy quartz wrist watches for men, care more about the life of the product. Women are more concerned about their appearance.

By longevity, quartz devices are not inferior to mechanical ones. There is an opinion that the mechanics are safer - there are hours working for centuries. But the quartz movement was invented relatively recently, and many simply throw out the boring hours before they break, preferring to periodically change the models.

If a quartz watch has a battery, they may fall behind. If the quartz starts to break down, they will start to rush. Both the battery and the crystal can be replaced.

Watches and fashion

Today, watches are valued not only for their accuracy and reliability, but also for their appearance. The watches are produced in a variety of styles - casual for every day, classic models that are ideally suited to a business suit, large sports watches with many extra functions, bright trendy watches of unusual shape, pilot watches in aviation style and elite luxury mechanisms that can become a real heirloom .

Quartz watches are not necessarily an affordable and inexpensive thing. Models of famous brands can have a very high cost. Quartz men's watches, as a rule, are executed in classical style, are elegant, do not have flashy details. Models for young people can be more vivid.

Women's quartz watches are elegant, their goal is not only to show the exact time, but also to supplement the image of the hostess. Many fashion brands produce watches with an unusual design. Women's watches can be executed both in classical style, and in modern. They can be decorated with semiprecious and precious stones, remind bracelets, stand out with an unusual strap, for example in the form of a bright satin scarf.

Which are more accurate?

Accuracy is another important factor when choosing a watch. After all, no one likes when they are constantly in a hurry or behind.

The accuracy of the mechanical clock can depend on the temperature, the adjustment, the degree of wear of the gears, the position in space, the spring plant.

The mechanism of the quartz watch is more accurate. The generator generates constant pulses, on which the movement of the arrows depends.

For mechanical watches, a deviation of 20 seconds per day in one direction or another is considered normal, for the best branded copies - 5 seconds. The best quartz watch can provide accuracy up to 5 seconds per year, ordinary representatives - 20 seconds per month. Thus, even the most high-quality mechanical watches can not surpass quartz in accuracy.

Pros and cons of mechanical watches

Let us consider the advantages and disadvantages of a mechanical watch. Over their perfection, specialists have been working for hundreds of years, they are reliable enough and do not lose popularity until now.

The mechanism of the watch can be fragile. Take them with you on an extreme trip or on intensive sports training is not worth it. An exception may be special impact-resistant models.

The mechanical watch can be repaired. The master can make any order to order and restore the hours of your great-grandfather, inherited.

The mechanics do not depend on the batteries. Disadvantage - they need to be constantly started, but this problem can be solved with the help of self-winding. Autonomy can be up to 20 days.

Modern mechanical devices are accurate, but still considerably inferior to quartz ones.

Assembly of mechanical watches is done personally by the master, which increases their cost, especially given that manual work is highly valued today.

The mechanism of the watch is interesting, it's nice to watch the gears. This is used by many manufacturers - the recently acquired model with a transparent body, allowing you to watch the movement of parts - "skeletons."

Mechanical watches are usually enclosed in a metal case and can be heavy.

The clock may have a large set of functions, but this significantly increases their cost.

When the temperature changes, accuracy is lost.

Service life is more than 10 years with good care.

Pros and cons of quartz watches

What are the important qualities of quartz wrist watches for men and women?

Quartz watches are resistant to shock and can be used by active people, lovers of extreme sports and tourism.

They have a large number of functions due to the electronic chip.

The body is made of plastic, which makes the products light and durable. They can be worn even by children.

Thanks to the built-in battery, the clock does not need to start. A qualitative element of a food will provide continuous work during 10 years.

Quartz devices can only be repaired if there are spare parts available in the factory. If the model is obsolete and spare parts are not produced, it will be difficult to repair the clock.

Quartz watches are characterized by high accuracy of stroke +/- 5 seconds per year. This factor does not depend on the temperature change.

Service life 5-10 years.

Which to choose

It is impossible to say exactly which clock is better - quartz or mechanical. After all, despite the wide popularity of modern electronic products, traditional mechanics has found their loyal fans, especially in recent times, when the abundance of new materials, including transparent durable plastic, allows you to enjoy the kind of work of a well-coordinated watch movement.

Quartz watches are considered more accurate and practical to use, and mechanical watches are timeless classics of watchmaking. If we consider the issue of price, then hand-made mechanics are more expensive than quartz of mass production, although in both categories one can find both high-value luxury models and budget ones.

Of course, quartz watches are suitable for active life and playing sports, and the classic image can be supplemented with "mechanics".