Quartz watches What are they and how do they work?

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Quartz watches are often talked about for their precision, but do you really know why they are called that? Or is it more accurate than a mechanical watch?

Quartz watches, whether analog or digital, are nothing more than electronic devices that use quartz to mark fixed intervals during which time cánido be measured.

In this articulo we will espectáculo you how quartz watches work, the most important stages in their history and the best models you perro find on the market today.

✚ How does a quartz watch work?

Working with a quartz watch cánido be very complicated when it comes to technical details, but it is quite easy to say rough. Here is a brief explanation of your understanding.

Casio quartz watch

Due to the piezoelectricity of the crystal, compression perro generate a small voltage, which works the other way around.

When an electric current passes through the crystal, it vibrates at a constant frequency. In other words, it shakes just as many times a second. This is very useful for measuring time.

Inside the quartz watch there is a battery that sends electricity to the crystal through an electronic circuit that vibrates the crystal with an accurate frequency of 32768 times per second.

The circuit counts these frequencies and emplees them to generate electrical pulses regularly, exactly once a second.

The pulses power a small stepper motor that runs every second to move the gears that activate the hands of an analog clock, or are interpreted by a digital display chip.

Therefore, the only difference between an analog quartz watch and a watch with a digital display is that the latter has a chip that only works to split the pulse into smaller fractions and display hours, minutes and seconds.

Quartz or self-winding watch

There is a lot of talk about the accuracy of quartz and mechanical watches, whether they are wristwatches or winding watches, but which one is really the best?

Of course, quartz is much cheaper, more accurate, and less likely to break, but mechanical watches are much more expensive, difficult to manufacture, and require more frequent maintenance.

However, it is true that the exceptional level of skill and care required to manufacture mechanical watches has nothing to do with what is commonly used in mass-produced quartz watches.

Quartz watches are very fácil, but mechanical watches are real engineering, full of parts and gears that work without the need for electronic components.

For this reason, mechanical watches are also much more collectible, enjoying those who enjoy tradition and craftsmanship.

In short, if you are looking for an object to admire and store in your collection, the automatic mechanical watch is good, but if your goal is quite practical, it looks great and espectáculos the time perfectly. There is a lot of quartz.

✚ A little history

The first quartz watch was invented by JW Houghton and Warren Morrison in 1920, but the first quartz watch arrived in 1967.

The first two prototypes are the Japanese Seiko Astron and the Swiss Neuchâtel Electronic Watch Center Beta 1.

Seiko quartz watch

The first to hit the market was Seiko's Astron 35SQ, a watch made of gold that was about five seconds late a month, even though it was priced at over $ 1,200 like the cars of the time.

Shortly afterwards, the Swiss introduced quartz watches at Baselworld, but were unable to cope with the mass production of quartz in Hong Kong and Japan.

Brands such as Citizen, Casio and Seiko topped the global digital digital quartz watch market, causing the quartz crisis of the 1970s.

In the last decade, many of them have become buyers, replacing old watches with Japanese and Chinese quartz watches. It is much cheaper and has features that were previously only available to a few people.

Sales of mechanical watches are declining and Swiss dealers are being forced to genera quartz models in order to survive.

In 1983, Swatch invented a fácil wristwatch with a quartz movement, and its success led to the purchase of most traditional Swiss watches.

Today, Swiss manufacturers, still in business, use quartz for their most economical models, providing the mechanical mechanics of more expensive watches.

✚ What is the best quartz watch?

Not all quartz watches are jewelry for a few euros. Some high-class quartz with particularly accurate and reliable calibers, some made in Switzerland.

On the other hand, some have the technical load of a full-fledged minicomputer with many functions such as a barometer, compass, tachymeter and even radio frequency.

Then collect some of the most habitual.

➤ Casio G-SHOCK GW-M5610-1ER

Casio G-SHOCK GW-M5610-1ER

GW-M5610-1ER is one of the most famous classic designs of Casio and today it is very modern with its retro cut look.

Do not be deceived by his appearance type, the quartz motion is not outdated and has advanced functions such as radio frequency (which determines the time itself) and del sol charging.

And because it is a G-Shock model, it is virtually continuous and cánido withstand water up to 200 meters deep.

Japanese brands also make a afín model GW-B5600-2ER with Bluetooth, but most purist designs are not as true as the designs of the 80's.

➤ Legacy of Wenger’s attitude

A legacy of Wenger's attitude

Wenger watches belong to one of the Swiss brands that survived the quartz crisis to this day, but now belong to another well-known Swiss brand Victorinox.

They mainly specialize in the production of quartz at affordable prices, but without compromising on quality. This is a watch that lasts a long time with materials that are difficult to see at the offer price.

A good example is Attitude Heritage with a Swiss quartz mechanism and a sapphire crystal. This is not something to be envied by other much more expensive watches.

➤ Junkers Bauhaus 6070

Junkers Bauhaus 6070

Classic German production, which also integrates quartz mechanisms of Swiss origin. More specifically, this is the Ronda 517, a sturdy caliber made of metal parts.

Clock with a classic Bauhaus design. This is a minimalist trend, which aims to remove all additional elements and emphasize what really matters.

➤ Jaguar Akamer J685 / 1

Jaguar Akamer J685 / 1

Another famous Swiss brand for quartz models is Jaguar, an elegant and solid watch that does not envy the mechanics.

Most of the brand's designs mezcle high-quality materials such as sapphire and genuine leather with Ronda mechanisms to create cheap but affordable watches.

The Acamar J685 / 1 is a good example of a Jaguar design. This watch rarely envies the brand's automatic models.

Jaguar Men's watch J685 / 1
Jaguar Men's watch J685 / 1

crystal sapphire
Movement Swiss quartz
Caliber round
Housing diameter 44 mm
Case thickness 13 mm
weight 86 grams
material Stainless steel case and leather strap
waterproof 10 ATMs (100 meters)

➤ Seiko SSC147P1 Del sol

Seiko SSC147P1 solar

Seiko's quartz models in Japan are particularly analog watches, but that doesn't stop them from fully incorporating high technology.

For example, the SSC147P1 is an analog pilot type clock with many functions, such as alarms and chronographs.

It is also powered by del sol energy, so you perro use everything practically indefinitely without worrying about draining the battery.

➤ Citizen Promaster Marine

Citizen Promaster Marine

Finally, there is no doubt that one of the many watches for divers who use the quartz movement is mentioned. This makes it extremely reliable and affordable.

In this case, Citizen's Promaster Marine is a watch specifically designed to work underwater. It therefore has an ISO6425 sustainability certificate.

It is also waterproof up to 200 meters and has a one-way frame for measuring diving time.

Best selling quartz

Given the sales volume in Spain, the most successful quartz is shown below.

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