Battery-powered quartz watches or not?

The concept of quartz watches is familiar to any adult. But not everyone understands the principle of operation of the design and cannot answer whether they are battery-powered or not. In fact, everything is quite simple, and understanding the mechanism of operation is quite simple if you put a little effort into it.

Quartz watch with battery or mechanical?

The mechanism is called “quartz”, based on the components of the internal content. In a specially made chamber there is a tuning fork, its central part consists of a mineral of natural origin - quartz. This is where the name came from.

Important! The mechanism is not powered by quartz; the movement of the hands is given by an electrical impulse, which swings the tuning fork.

Feature of quartz watch

The main difference between this type of mechanism and others is the oscillatory system, which sets the rhythm for the hands. It works with impeccable precision. Thanks to constant vibration and a certain frequency of quartz vibration, it is possible to add unconditional accuracy to the watch.

Important! Quartz tends to wear out over time. If this happens, the clock usually starts to get ahead of real time.

Although the vast majority of electronic models are quartz, the term itself is most often applied exclusively to a mechanism with hands and numbers.They are widely popular and are suitable for both adults and children.

How it works?

The operation of the quartz movement is quite simple to understand. Even a schoolchild can cope with the explanation. However, even adult citizens often cannot answer simple questions regarding watches.

The operating principle and composition of the mechanism are as follows:

• power source (usually this is a battery or a rechargeable battery, a solar battery is possible);
• electronic unit (energy is supplied to it from the battery);
• quartz crystal or tuning fork (an electrical impulse is sent to it, causing vibrations);
• stepper motor and drive unit (they are responsible for the movement of the hands, adding force to the incoming electrical impulses);
• a special rotor (after creating a magnetic field, the pulses rotate it, due to which the second hand moves).

Important! The rhythm of quartz vibration is constant. It is equal to 32,768 vibrations per second.

The error of such watches is very small. The lag or lead can vary by as little as 15 seconds. With the natural aging of natural materials, the clock “runs ahead.”

Do quartz watches need batteries?

Having studied the mechanism of operation of this device, it becomes clear that without a battery they will not work and show the time. Timely battery replacement is considered the basis for proper operation of the device.

Life time

Quartz watches are considered a reliable and durable mechanism. Provided that they stopped due to battery wear, you can easily replace the batteries and wear them again. If a quartz crystal has worn out over time, experienced specialists in the workshop will be able to cope with this problem. Replacing a tuning fork is an affordable service that will extend the life of the accessory.

Pros and cons of the device

The main advantage of the quartz movement is its unsurpassed accuracy. Expensive, ultra-precise models offer an error of only 5 seconds per year. Budget models can have an error of 20 seconds per month.

Important! For comparison: mechanical models have an error of 20 seconds per day.

In addition, the service life of the watch is tens of years. They are resistant to mechanical stress and can be actively used by people involved in sports. The mechanism is reliable and strong.