What is a mechanical watch movement?
Spring powered clocks, invented in the 15th century, inspired the creation of the first mechanical watches, which appeared in Europe in the 17th century. Creation of the mechanical movement is an expert craft, requiring patience and skill in order to perfect the required intricate series of tiny components working together.
Mechanical watches contain a mainspring which needs to be wound regularly in order to power the function of the hands. Energy from the spring is transferred through a number of additional spiralling springs and moving gears, creating the regular, smooth motion of the second hand.
What is a quartz movement watch?
Until the 1970s, all watches utilised mechanical or automatic movement. In 1969, Japanese watchmakers, Seiko, invented the battery-powered quartz movement, launching it two years later.
Often considered a standard, no-frills option, quartz movement uses a battery to send an electrical current through a tiny quartz crystal, which once electrified will vibrate 32,768 times per second, creating a signal with a precise frequency.
A circuit within the watch measures and converts the signal into pulses – one per second. The watch hands move consistently with the pulses, and the vibrations keep the movement oscillating and continue to drive the motor.
What is an automatic movement watch?
Automatic, or self-winding, movement contains many of the workings of the mechanical movement, however it does not require manual winding of the mainspring.
The main difference between mechanical and automatic movement is that the latter utilises a metal weight – or rotor – which rotates freely in conjunction with the earth’s gravitational pull and the movement of the wearer’s wrist in order to create kinetic energy which automatically compresses the mainspring.
Like the mechanical movement, automatic movements do not require battery replacements.
What is an Eco-Drive movement watch?
The Eco-Drive movement by Citizen uses one of the simplest yet effective power generating systems in watch making. The Eco-Drive movement has the ability to utilise light from almost any source to power the watch.
The Eco-Drive use amorphous silicon under the dial of the watch to convert light into energy. This energy is stored in a special kind of power cell. Because Eco-Drive can store energy harvested from light, it makes any watch with the movement extremely efficient and eco-friendly.
