A quartz movement, usually the most accurate type of movement, uses a battery for its power source. Quartz watches are reliable and accurate, with very low maintenance costs. They only require a battery change, provided at no charge for the lifetime of the timepiece when purchased at Tourneau.
Quartz Movement
Components of a Quartz Movement Watch:
Battery: Power source of the watch. Typically, the Battery on a quartz watch will last between twelve and twenty four months before needing to be replaced. It is important to replace the Battery soon after it stops, to avoid the possibility of it leaking acid, causing damage to the movement.
Integrated Circuit: 'Carries' the electrical charge between various parts of the quartz movement. Think of it similarly to the Gear Train on mechanical watches.
Quartz Crystal: The heart of the movement, the Quartz Crystal performs the same function as the Balance Wheel on a mechanical watch. The Integrated Circuit applies electricity from the Battery to the Quartz Crystal in a constant stream. Quartz vibrates when electricity is applied (this is called the piezoelectric effect), generating voltage. Watch Quartz Crystals vibrate at a constant rate of 32,768 vibrations per second. The vibrations are then carried to the Stepping Motor via the Integrated Circuit.
Stepping Motor: Transforms the electrical impulses into mechanical power; moves the hands of the watch. Imagine the Stepping Motor as a bridge. This bridge is programmed to close every 32,768th electrical pulse it receives from the Quartz Crystal via the Integrated Circuit. When the bridge is closed, the power flows to the Dial Train and the hands advance on the watch. If the bridge remained open, electricity would not continue to the Dial Train and the hands would never advance.
Dial Train: Transmits energy from the Quartz Crystal to the hands of the watch, making them move. It functions in an identical manner to the Dial Train found in mechanical movements.
How it works:
Auto-Quartz Movement
A combination of the automatic movement and the quartz movement, the auto-quartz movement is a virtually maintenance free watch. It has no battery to replace, no springs to wear out, and functions with the accuracy of a quartz movement.
Components of the Movement:
The auto-quartz movement combines parts of mechanical and quartz watches: the Rotor, Integrated Circuit, Stepping Motor, Dial Train, and an additional component, the Capacitor.
Capacitor: Stores electrical energy generated by winding the Crown through the movement of the Rotor. The capacitor can be thought of as the equivalent to a Mainspring. Winding the watch about 25 times or shaking it 10 times will give the Capacitor enough energy to start running, and will become fully charged after three days of wear.
How it works:
