MECHANICAL MOVEMENT WITH MANUAL WINDING
A mechanical movement is driven by a mainspring, a flat coiled spring that imparts energy to the watch and necessitates winding daily or every few days, contingent on the spring and power reserve.
The wound mainspring unwinds to energize an escapement, also referred to as a balance wheel. This component oscillates several times per second, with modern watches typically boasting 4 or more oscillations or beats-per-second. These oscillations propel the gear train, driving the second, minute, and hour hands.
Since the oscillation is a purely mechanical process, minutely influenced by gravity, this implies accuracy can fluctuate by up to 30 seconds a day. Nevertheless, the majority of high-quality mechanical movements uphold accuracy within 15 seconds a day.
AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT
An automatic watch, also known as a self-winding watch or simply an automatic, is a mechanical watch where the natural motion of the wearer provides energy to wind the mainspring, making manual winding unnecessary if worn enough. It is distinguished from a manual watch in that a manual watch must have its mainspring wound by hand at regular intervals.
In a mechanical watch, the watch’s gears are turned by a spiral spring called a mainspring. Energy is stored in the mainspring in a manual watch by turning a knob, the crown, on the side of the watch. Then, the energy from the mainspring powers the watch movement until it runs down, requiring the spring to be wound again.
A self-winding watch movement has a mechanism that winds the mainspring using the natural motions of the wearer’s body. The watch contains an oscillating weight that turns on a pivot. The normal movements of the watch in the user’s pocket (for a pocket watch) or on the user’s arm (for a wristwatch) cause the rotor to pivot on its staff, which is attached to a ratcheted winding mechanism.The motion of the watch is thereby translated into circular motion of the weight, which, through a series of reverser and reducing gears, eventually winds the mainspring. There are many different designs for modern self-winding mechanisms. Some designs allow winding of the watch to take place while the weight swings in only one direction while other, more advanced, mechanisms have two ratchets and wind the mainspring during both clockwise and anti-clockwise weight motions.
The fully wound mainspring in a typical watch can store enough energy reserve for roughly two days, allowing the watch to keep running through the night while stationary. In many cases, automatic wristwatches can also be wound manually by turning the crown, so the watch can be kept running when not worn, and in case the wearer’s wrist motions are not sufficient to keep it wound automatically.
Rolex popularized the modern rotor winding system with the introduction of the Oyster Perpetual in 1920, a significant success that largely eliminated the need for manual winding.
The mainspring unwinds and propels the escapement, governing the movement. Initiating the watch can be done by shaking it to spin the rotor and wind the mainspring, or some models offer the option to manually wind the movement. Since the power stored is contingent on the wearer’s movement, some individuals may find it necessary to manually boost their watch’s charge by winding it to prevent it from stopping.
QUARTZ MOVEMENT
Quartz watches, emerging in the late 1960s, quickly captivated consumers with their unparalleled accuracy. In today’s watch market, quartz timepieces dominate the fashion scene, admired for their low maintenance requirements. Unlike some mechanical movements with a potential 15-second daily variance, a typical quartz watch boasts an accuracy of about half a second gain or loss per day.
At the heart of a quartz movement lies a minuscule piece of specially shaped quartz. An electric current from the battery induces vibrations in the quartz at an astonishing rate of 32,768 cycles per second (32,768Hz), demonstrating the “piezoelectric effect.” These vibrations generate voltage, sent back to the movement in pulses. A trimmer on the movement regulates these pulses, ensuring precision.
To mark the passage of a second, the signal and pulses are counted by dividing by 2 (32768 = 2^14). This count is then transmitted to a stepper motor on each one-second impulse from the movement. The stepper motor propels a chain of gears, orchestrating the harmonious dance of the hands on the watch dial. Explore the world of quartz movements, where precision meets technology for a reliable and stylish timekeeping experience.
SEIKO KINETIC
The Autoquartz (Seiko Kinetic) movement seamlessly combines the rechargeable power found in automatic watches with the precision of a quartz timepiece, offering users a battery-free experience. This innovative technology not only ensures high accuracy, typical of quartz watches, but also delivers clean and environmentally friendly power.
The mechanism employs a rotor, akin to those in automatic watches, generating a small current to recharge the watch’s power store. By wearing the watch regularly, users can eliminate the need for battery replacements, resulting in a nearly maintenance-free timepiece throughout its lifespan. Experience the convergence of efficiency and accuracy with the Autoquartz movement, providing a sustainable and hassle-free solution for watch enthusiasts.
The Seiko Kinetic Auto Relay Movement represents an advancement from the original Seiko Kinetic movement. It incorporates a “low energy mode,” activating when the watch detects a lack of recharging and wear. This feature effectively prolongs the battery life, with the hands springing back to life upon detecting movement and rotor spin.
Similar to the Seiko Kinetic movement, the wearer’s motion spins a rotor, recharging a cell that powers the watch. The key distinction lies in the Auto Relay Movement’s ability to deactivate the motors controlling the hands after a period of inactivity while maintaining precise timekeeping. Following a period of hibernation, a simple shake or wear triggers the rotor to transmit a charge to the movement, prompting the hands to spin and display the correct time and date.
SOLAR MOVEMENT
Various watch brands utilize distinct solar technologies, such as Citizen Eco-Drive, which harnesses both natural and artificial light for power, eliminating the need for battery replacements. Seiko employs its own solar technology called Seiko Solar, converting light into energy to sustain timekeeping functions. Casio’s Tough Solar watches integrate solar capabilities for enhanced durability, featuring extras like multi-band atomic timekeeping. Tissot T-Touch Solar watches, utilizing light-to-energy conversion, eliminate the need for frequent battery changes and often incorporate touch-sensitive sapphire crystals in their design. These solar movements share the common objective of environmentally friendly and convenient power sources by tapping into light energy.
Citizen’s Eco-Drive movement stands as one of the most groundbreaking innovations in watchmaking. This design relies on any available light to power the watch entirely, rendering the need for battery replacements obsolete. Over time, as this technology has evolved, Citizen has incorporated additional features into their watches, such as radio-controlled and satellite time signal technology, power-saving modes, low-energy warnings, and more.
From its initial introduction, Citizen has consistently worked towards enhancing dial quality in each new model, making cells less visible—a significant breakthrough, especially in ladies’ watches.
The translucent dial allows both natural and artificial light to illuminate a specially designed solar cell beneath, converting this light into energy. This energy not only powers the watch with normal quartz accuracy but also continuously charges a lithium-ion battery for periods when the watch lacks sufficient light. This unique design grants some models a power reserve of up to 6 months, ensuring impeccable timekeeping even in complete darkness.