Watch Movements Explained - Mechanical vs. Automatic vs. Quartz Watches

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Gentleman's Gazette

While many men will consider or purchase a new wristwatch based solely on the looks of its exterior, the true connoisseur will give equal attention to its internal mechanisms. Such internal workings are collectively referred to as the movement or caliber of a wristwatch and they're the subject of today's video.

The movement drives the hands on the face of a wristwatch and also powers its other features, known in the trade as complications. These would include such things as the calendar, chronograph, or alternate time zones.

There are two overall categories and three individual types of watch movements. The two categories are mechanical and quartz and within the mechanical category, the two individual types there are manual and automatic.

MANUAL MOVEMENT

A manual movement, also frequently referred to as a hand-wound movement, is the oldest type of watch movement made. It dates back to the 16th century. Most manual movements will need daily winding in order to keep time accurately but some higher-end models can store energy efficiently enough to only need winding every few days. Some watches will feature a complication known as a power reserve indicator which tells the wearer how long they can go before they actually need to wind the watch again. With this said though, men who prefer to wear manual movement watches generally get into the habit of winding them daily often at a set time, usually before they go to bed, for example. Because manual movements are the most traditional type of movement available, they're typically found in conservatively styled expensive and collectible watch models.

Here are some important aspects to consider when purchasing a manual movement watch. First of all, you will need to get into the habit of winding your watch regularly. If you don't do this, the watch will wind down and it won't keep time accurately. With that said though, if a manual watch is wound too tightly or wound at an improper angle, say for example, if you try to wind it while it's already on your wrist, this can do damage to the
movement over time.

AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT

Along with manual movement watches, the other type of mechanical movement is the automatic movement, also known as the self-winding movement. This type debuted in the early 20th century. An automatic movement harnesses kinetic energy from the natural motion of the wearer's wrist. In other words, moving your arm around while you're wearing the watch throughout the
day will wind the mainspring. How is this accomplished then? It's because an automatic movement contains all of the components we covered earlier plus an additional component that's referred to as the rotor. This is most often a semi circular metal weight that can swing freely 360 degrees as the wrist moves. The rotor is connected by another series of gears to the mainspring which gets wound as the rotor swings. From there, the mechanisms of the automatic movement are the same as the manual and yes, it can also be wound from the crown, if you so choose.

QUARTZ MOVEMENT

The final type of movement we'll discuss today is the quartz movement, also known as a battery-powered movement. It was introduced to the public by the Seiko corporation in 1969. Unlike the mechanical movements we just covered, the inner workings of a quartz movement are made up by very different components. Firstly, the power source of a quartz movement is a battery. It takes the place of a mainspring. A watch battery will typically last between one and two years at which time it should be promptly replaced to prevent any leakage of battery acid. Next up is the integrated circuit which carries the electrical charge from the battery to the quartz crystal and from the crystal to the stepping motor. The quartz crystal acts in a similar fashion to the escapement on a mechanical watch. Quartz vibrates when electricity is applied to it and this generates voltage. The stepping motor transforms the electrical impulses into mechanical power and the dial train functions just like the dial train that's found on a mechanical movement.

So then, that's our overview of the three different types of watch movements. We'd like to know what were you most surprised by in today's video?

#watchmovements #watches #notsponsored

[thistlenstar]

Excellent job, Preston. I started collecting and repairing watches back in the late 1960s. My area of interest was railroad watches and old hand made key wound movements. So, I am very familiar with this subject, even though I stopped collecting quite a while ago. You did a much better job that I could have done.

By the way, my favorite wristwatch would be the Longines hour angle. I have one, but, I find it too precious to wear.

[apongwalling]

He looks like he's powered by automatic.

[metaparcel]

This is the kind of guy you want your kid tutored by to get a perfect SAT score.

[OlsenTheWonderDog]

I am glad to see someone showing off their Timex. Too many watch snobs would put down a Timex.

[karlsolano]

This is the first watch video that that I watched that explains what jewels are for. I thought they were just decorative. Fantastic video.

[PEACEMAKER]

I’m just fascinated by the amount of engineering and everything that goes into these watches

[TomMcMorrow]

As someone who adores wristwatches, this was pure heaven! I personally am a big automatic fan, and enjoy hunting for good second-hand watches on Craigslist from the likes of Seiko, Bulova, Tissot, etc. I love everything about the hobby, and encourage those who also enjoy manual/automatic watches to check out The Wristwatch Handbook. An excellent coffee table book that doubles as a comprehensive exploration of the hobby! Well done once again Preston!

[NuhanHidayat]

You forgot one other movement developed by Seiko called Spring Drive it's kinda hybrid of mechanical & quartz, the mechanism it's pretty much the same as mechanical watch but it has different escapement system, it uses the same mainspring as power source & as the mainspring unwind it generates electrical energy that rotates the glide wheel, glide wheel is like the equivalent of balance wheel, but instead of swinging back and forth it spins in one direction then the power is transmitted to a quartz crystal then the vibration is send back to the glide wheel to regulate its movement it works as a electro mechanical braking for the glide wheel (in a nutshell the quartz crystal acts like the balance fork in a mechanical watches) then the power is transmitted to the drive train which moves the hands, so you get the accuracy of quartz watch but with mechanical value & craftsmanship (no circuit board or battery, all mechanical parts)

[blockavelli]

Love the content, you are becoming a full spectrum men’s channel

[robbymayer]

Weird, I literally bought my first watch as an adult last week. I was looking at buying pocket watches and wind up watches last night and woke up to this very handy video!

Great stuff, as always your videos are very helpful, thanks!

[tipiff]

Preston you're an asset for the gentleman's Gazette, thanks for your content and amazing information!

[jeffpiper]

Some watch manufacturers are also offering a hybrid movement known as a meca-quartz on their chronographs. For example the Seiko VK 63, 67 and 83 movements. They offer the accuracy of a battery powered quartz movement, with a more traditional feel to the pushers and beat for the chronograph function. Thank you for another informative video.

[edf]

Excellent video Preston, you did a very good job of providing a thorough overview of the various type of watch movements. Very informative and easy to follow. Well done!

[macoy]

You look like the type of guy who claps when the plane lands.

[nickjohnson]

Sometimes his movements are so lifelike that I forget he's not a real boy

[gedcanonizado]

The Gentleman's Gazette is the ONLY mainstream channel I know of that does not promote garbage like MVMT, Vincero, The Fifth etc. Awesome job!

[eleutherae]

Extremely helpful video explaining the movements. I’ve watched this video like 3 times over the past 2 years just to keep the information fresh.

[murp]

Kudos to you for your bravery in dressing and acting like a true gentleman, especially in this day and age.

[stephanfeinen]

Beautifully presented video! I'm wearing a simple Seiko Series 5 watch. I wanted an automatic movement because I know what will happen when the battery runs out on a quartz watch if I ever own one. It'll take weeks before I find the time to got to a store and have the battery replaced. I also like the idea of keeping track of time with a purely mechanical device. Of course quartz movements are more precise than most mechanical watches but when do you need the exact time up to the second (ok, NASA and ebay but then you have a precise clock available on your computer 8-). Just avoid the cheap automatic watches with fake german brand names which are exclusively sold online and have unreliable chinese junk movements inside. Here in Germany there are watchmakers who on their websites have blacklists of brands they refuse to repair.

[gsnabors]

One of the most straightforward presentations about watch movement types I have seen. Congratulations! I got into vintage Hamilton pocket watches over the last year and explored other wrist watches as well and was frustrated by the jargon in the watch hobby. It’s almost as if watch snobs want there to be a barrier of entry so as to not let the riff-raff in! 😊