Ever wonder what type of movements exist in a watch? Here’s a simple breakdown of the three movements in watches: Manual, Automatic, and Quartz.
Manual and automatic movements are mechanical, meaning that they are made of gears and springs. Quartz movements require a battery to run and have some mechanical parts. Manual and automatic movements are more expensive because they are more difficult to make, and although battery run watches are more accurate as time keeping pieces, many people prefer mechanical watches for their craftsmanship and refinement.
Manual movements are also called hand-wound movements, and they require daily winding to work properly. This movement is very old school and usually found in more expensive and collectible watches.
Automatic movements are called self-winding movements and tend to be newer than manual movements. Automatic movements wind themselves using the rotor (a part swinging on the movement) while being worn so there is no need to hand wind.
Quartz movements use a battery to function and doesn’t need any winding like the mechanical movements. Most modern watches use quartz movements and are also the most accurate at keeping time consistently.
If you’re interested in learning more about how watches work? Try building your own mechanical watch with Rotate Watches!