Watch Movement Buying Guide

The "movement" refers to the interior mechanism of the watch that drives the timekeeping functions, in other words, the watch engine. Watches have quartz, mechanical or automatic movements. This section describes the unique design of each movement and the advantages of owning these watches.

Mechanical movement

The most important feature of a mechanical movement is the main spring that must be manually wound to store potential energy. This spring unwinds slowly, releasing energy to move the gears that power the watch's timekeeping functions. Reflecting the talent and skill of gifted watchmakers, mechanical watches have an intricate composite of gears and springs and are crafted just as their predecessors were before the age of battery power.

Once wound, the average mechanical watch has a power reserve of 36-40 hours. The user must wind the crown on the watch case every time the energy is depleted and must also reset the time. Many users get into the habit of winding the movement every day to ensure the watch is working when they need it.

Consumers who appreciate the European tradition of constructing exquisite timekeeping instruments prefer fine watches with mechanical movement. Well-built mechanical watches often last for generations.

Automatic movement

Basically, an automatic movement is mechanical movement with a self-winding design. An automatic watch harnesses the energy produced by motion to wind the spring. This movement features a rotor that spins when the watch is in motion as when the wearer moves his arm. The mechanism transfers the energy from the spinning rotor to the main spring of the winding system.

Automatic watches have all of the advantages of mechanical watches--detailed construction, durability--plus the owner does not need to manually wind the timepiece frequently. If you wear the watch every day, it will maintain its power reserve.

One drawback to mechanical and automatic movements is that they can gain or lose a few minutes per month; thus, an owner should check these watches once or twice a month and adjust the time.

Mechanical and automatic watch movement terminology

• Caliber: The configuration and size of the watch movement. The term also refers to a model of movement from a specific manufacturer.
• Complication: Refers to any watch function other than the basic timekeeping function, e.g. calendars, stopwatches, alarms and other extras.
• Horology: The history and craft of making watches, clocks and other devices for measuring time.
• Manual wind: Another term for the mechanical watch. To build up a store of power in the movement, the user winds a crown on the watch case by hand.
• Movement: The finished assembly of the inner workings of a watch.
• Réserve de Marche: A French term for the power-reserve function. The amount of energy, notated in hours, that a watch has stored in its movement. The average mechanical or automatic watch has a full power reserve of about 36 hours.
• Skeleton: A design that displays the movement in the watch case. Often the dial will have hands but no solid face, allowing the gears to be seen through the top crystal.

Quartz movement

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.

Watch movement origins

Most watch movements are designed and manufactured in Switzerland or Japan. Traditionally, Swiss watchmakers set the standard for quality, especially for mechanical movements; however, since the 1980s, Japanese-made movements have caught up to the Swiss in quality. Chinese-made movements also have increased in quality in recent years. Watch manufacturers label the origin of the movement with a stamp on the watch case and, sometimes, on the dial. Here is a brief explanation of the terminology:

• Swiss movement: Watch movements have many parts to be assembled into one workable unit. "Swiss movement" means that over 50 percent of the completed movement was assembled in a Swiss factory from Swiss-manufactured parts. This is true of mechanical, automatic and quartz movements. The case stamps that identify the Swiss movement use various terms including Swiss quartz, Swiss automatic or Swiss auto, and, simply, Swiss.
  
  This definition also applies to movements originating in countries other than Switzerland. For example, a watch with Japanese movement usually will have a stamp of "Japanese."



• Swiss-made: A Swiss-made movement must have Swiss parts, be assembled in Switzerland, and then be placed in the case in a Swiss factory. The case itself does not need to be manufactured in Switzerland, although most high-end watches feature Swiss-made cases.

Keep your watch moving

Watches need surprisingly little maintenance considering what fine instruments they are. By following a few rules of upkeep, you will keep your watches in good working condition for years. Have mechanical and automatic watches checked by a professional jeweler every three to four years for lubrication and damage. In general, quartz watches do not need as much maintenance as mechanical watches; however, it is a good idea to have the watch interior checked for needed repairs when you have the battery changed. Keep watches, especially quartz watches, away from magnets which can damage the movement.

Moisture can cause damage to watch movements, and most watches feature a certain level of water resistance in the design to keep water out of the case. Have water-resistant watches checked every one or two years to make sure the seals are still intact. To learn more about water resistance, read our general watch buying guide.

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