Quartz or Mechanical Watch Movements - Which is Better?
The long debated question amongst watch enthusiasts surrounds what powers the watches we all love to wear. There are two main types of watch movements, quartz movements and mechanical movements and both play a big role in the make-up of the watch market.
Quartz watches are watches that are powered by a battery. Originally released in the 50’s, these movements really shook the watch world because of their accuracy and inexpensive manufacturing costs. On the other hand, mechanical movements are comprised of mechanical parts, gears and levers, that are put together and powered by a main spring. There are two types of mechanical movements; manual wind and automatic movements. We have compared all three movements in our video and blog post here.
So, with all these choices, what should you choose? Well there are a few things we think you should consider when trying to decide between these two movements.
Accuracy - As a general rule, quartz watches are more accurate that mechanical watches. So if you are super serious about keeping the most accurate time, quartz is your answer. But mechanical movements obviously keep incredible time - that is why everyone loves them!
Price - Quartz watches are generally less expensive than mechanical watches. But there are quartz movement watches that are more expensive and there are also mechanical watches that are less expensive. It really depends on what you like and the budget you have. One of our favourite watches, the SISTEM51 from Swatch is a fairly inexpensive mechanical movement watch.
Style/Aesthetics: It can vary across both watch movements, how the watch manufactures decided to design their watches. At the end of the day, there is not one ‘style’ or design that its all quartz or all mechanical watches. You will have to put a few pieces on and try them out to decide.
What do YOU like: At the end of the day, it should not matter what other people think about watch movements. It comes down to what you personal like, enjoy and feel proud to wear on your wrist. Because watch collecting is a hobby, you should feel comfortable finding a watch attractive and owning the piece. The hobby is about you and the watches, and no one else.
Enjoy!