Know-how

Quartz or automatic: what really ticks inside

One counts the vibrations of a crystal, the other lives on the movement of your wrist. Watch both beat side by side.

5 min read · Montre Original

Quartz: a crystal that never loses the beat

A small battery sends current through a tiny quartz crystal, which vibrates exactly 32,768 times a second. A circuit counts those vibrations and moves the seconds hand once every second, which is why it jumps.

The result is remarkable accuracy, around 15 seconds a month, almost no maintenance and a slim case. A battery lasts two to three years.

Automatic: powered by your wrist

Inside, a half-moon rotor turns as you move and winds a spring. The spring slowly releases its energy through gears to a balance wheel that swings back and forth six to eight times a second, so the seconds hand glides.

Off the wrist, a typical automatic runs for about 40 hours. It is less exact than quartz, a few seconds a day, and needs a service every four to six years, but many love it for the craft you can see through an open-heart dial or a glass back.

Interactive

Movement lab

Compare the two seconds hands, then wind the automatic by moving your wrist.

QuartzJumps once a second

Vibration: 32,768 Hz
Accuracy: ±15 s / month
Power: Battery, 2–3 years

AutomaticGlides at 8 beats a second

Power reserve ≈ 26 h

Which one suits you?

Choose quartz if you want a watch that is always right, light and worry-free, or if you rotate several watches. Choose automatic if you wear one watch every day and enjoy mechanics.

Every watch in our current collection runs on a reliable Japanese quartz movement, the most practical choice for the Gulf climate and daily wear.

From the collection