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Often overlooked by watch enthusiasts, quartz watches have nonetheless won over the general public with their practicality. And it's easy to see why - these timepieces are packed with technical strengths. It's no coincidence that the vast majority of watches sold worldwide are powered by a quartz movement.
In this watchmaking guide by Ocarat, you'll uncover all the secrets of quartz watches and become a true expert on the subject. Get ready to dive into an ultra-precise electronic world of miniature printed circuits…
At its core, a quartz watch is a battery-powered watch. So far, so simple.
But while you may already know that a battery is essential to a quartz watch's operation, do you really know what makes up a quartz movement? Does it contain a printed circuit board? A quartz crystal? Let's explore all of that together.
At its core, a quartz movement is an electrical assembly built around a printed circuit board.
Components of an ETA 955.412 Quartz Movement (Source: Elegance et précision)
The battery acts as an electrical reservoir, supplying the quartz crystal with the energy it needs to vibrate.
Let's pause on this point for a moment. If you look closely at the components of a quartz movement, can you spot the quartz crystal? The answer is probably no - and that's perfectly normal. A quartz movement does indeed contain a small quartz crystal, but it is encapsulated, which is why you cannot see it.
If you're curious - which is very likely if you're reading this guide - know that inside a quartz watch, this mineral has been cut to resemble the shape of a tuning fork.
Tuning Fork-Cut Quartz Crystal (Source: Wikimedia)
With a frequency of 32'768Hz, quartz vibrates fast - extremely fast! To manage this, a integrated circuit is used. It is precisely this component that calculates the quartz vibration and allows the watch to display the time accurately. It is easy to locate, as it is always covered by a plastic casing. Once the calculation is done and the quartz frequency is brought down to 1 Hz, it sends the signal to the stepper motor, which moves the seconds hand once per second.
Stepper Motor of a Quartz Movement (Source: ALPMN)
This component consists of several parts, starting with the coil. Recognizable by its orange appearance, it is made of 50 meters of copper wire wound around itself. Its purpose is to generate a magnetic force and act like a magnet.
The "stator" (admittedly, not the most elegant name) receives the magnetic field generated by the coil. Made of soft iron, it has the ability to return to a non-magnetic state once the coil stops emitting a magnetic field.
Next comes a small moving part called the "rotor." Positioned right at the center of the stator, it is made of a Samarium-Cobalt alloy, which keeps it permanently magnetized. Its toothed wheel is directly connected to the watch's gear train, allowing it to drive the hands.
We just mentioned that the battery plays a crucial role in a quartz watch - and it truly does. It powers the entire system. Without it, a quartz watch simply stops dead in its tracks.
Now that you have a general understanding of how a quartz watch works, let's take a closer look at all their advantages and disadvantages.
As we explored in our guide on mechanical watches, mechanical technology was long considered the standard in the watchmaking world.
The emergence of the first electronic timekeeping instruments is directly tied to scientific advances in the field of electricity.
While studying quartz (a natural semiprecious stone), Pierre and Jacques Curie discovered in 1880 that the mineral before them had a remarkable property: it exhibits what is known as the "piezoelectric" effect.
Quartz Mineral (Source: Wikipédia)
Simply put, it is capable of generating electricity when subjected to a specific pressure!
Nearly 50 years later, the idea of harnessing this unique property of quartz for use in watchmaking was finally brought to the table.
Warren Marrison and J.W. Horton, two American engineers working in New York for the Bell Telephone Company (Bell Labs), tackled the challenge. Their collaboration paid off: in 1927, they unveiled a machine nicknamed the "Crystal Clock."
Warren Marrison and J.W. Horton's "Crystal Clock" (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
The world's first quartz clock had been born - though it had one small drawback: it was roughly the size of a refrigerator. You could say the scale of their invention was enough to cool some people's enthusiasm!
The ambition to create a wristwatch powered by quartz emerged alongside the founding of the CEH (Centre Electronique Horloger) in the Swiss city of Neuchâtel in 1962. This organization, initially funded by 9 watch companies including Ebauches SA and the Fédération Horlogère (the two main shareholders), set itself a clear initial objective: to "develop an electronic wristwatch with at least one advantage over existing watches." By 1966, that goal had evolved, and the CEH was now focused on "creating a quartz wristwatch." To achieve this, it relied on a team of nearly one hundred people, including scientists, engineers, and technicians.
One year later (in 1967), the CEH unveiled the prototype of the very first Swiss quartz movement in history, a mechanism that would be named "Bêta 1."
Swiss CEH Bêta 1 Quartz Movement, 1967 (Source: Le Petit Poussoir)
Without going into technical detail, the CEH had managed to reduce the oscillation frequency of the quartz - rated at 8,192 Hz - down to just 0.5 Hz, simply by using an integrated circuit. 0.5 Hz equals one alternation every two seconds. To make the seconds hand move once per second rather than once every two seconds, the hand's motor had to be configured accordingly.
Yet, despite the major technological leap the "Bêta 1" represented, this quartz mechanism was never integrated into a watch destined for the general public. It was placed only inside a prototype wristwatch, with the aim of competing in 1968 at the Geneva Observatory Competition.
Prototype Watch Fitted with the Bêta 1 Quartz Movement (Source: Wikimedia)
A competition in which it placed ahead of the models developed by Seiko, taking first place in the rankings.
Yet, despite the impressive ingenuity of the Bêta 1 movement, it suffered from one major technical flaw: excessive energy consumption. To address this problem, the CEH set out to develop a new, more efficient movement prototype.
It was in this context that the "Bêta 2" movement was introduced shortly afterward. This new version was less energy-hungry, offered greater autonomy, and delivered a smoother seconds hand motion thanks to its 256 Hz frequency.
In April 1970, momentum builds and the CEH aims to develop a Swiss quartz movement that, this time, would go beyond prototype status and actually equip watches for the market. The CEH decides to build on the Bêta 2 movement to create the "Bêta 21" caliber.
Swiss CEH Bêta 21 Quartz Movement, 1970 (Source: Le Petit Poussoir)
And don't let appearances fool you! With its 110 electronic components and 2 integrated circuits, this new caliber - measuring less than 2 mm thick - was about to leave a permanent mark on the history of Swiss watchmaking.
Among the brands that used the Bêta 21 caliber, several major names in watchmaking stand out, including Omega, Rolex, IWC, Piaget, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Patek Philippe.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master-Quartz with Bêta 21 Caliber (Source: Le Petit Poussoir)
But the Bêta 21 was not without its own flaws either. Critics pointed to its instability, relative fragility, and still-excessive energy consumption. Yet perhaps its biggest shortcoming was simply arriving too late to market.
In fact, some brands had managed to launch their own quartz movement before the CEH - Longines with its "Ultra-Quartz," 8 months ahead, and Seiko with its "Astron" watch, 4 months ahead.
Interestingly, because of this affair, Longines - which had been part of the Bêta 21 development project - was taken to court by the CEH. The CEH accused the winged hourglass brand of having used, for its own benefit, research results it was not entitled to exploit.
From Bêta 1 to Bêta 2 and finally the Bêta 21, the CEH played a pivotal role in the quartz race. However, one important detail deserves mention: while the CEH was indeed the originator of the world's first quartz watch, it was not the first to bring such a timepiece to market.
Indeed, with its Quartz Astron 35SQ unveiled in December 1969, the Japanese manufacturer Seiko is recognized as the first to bring a quartz watch to market.
Seiko Quartz-Astron 35SQ (Source: Seiko Watches)
Bear in mind that this historic watch was sold in a limited run of just 100 pieces, all housed in yellow gold cases. On top of that, its price was extremely - truly astronomically - high, coming in at 450,000 yen. To put that into perspective, that was the equivalent of a Toyota Corolla at the time. Yet despite the stratospheric price tag, all 100 pieces sold out in under a week.
It's also worth noting that the accuracy of the original Seiko Quartz Astron was remarkably impressive for its era, sitting between +/-5 seconds per month - a level of performance that would still be considered perfectly respectable today.
In an effort to recover from the Bêta 21's shortcomings, the CEH introduced a new caliber in 1970: the "Bêta 22." It would go on to be used in the Rolex Oysterquartz 5100, an extremely rare and little-known model from the Crown brand.
Rolex Oysterquartz 5100 with Bêta 22 Movement (Source: Amsterdam Vintage Watches)
Throughout the 1970s, quartz watches steadily won over the general public - setting the stage for the Quartz Crisis. Many watchmakers, including some historic ones, were forced to close their doors. As a reminder, it was precisely Nicolas Hayek's launch of Swatch in 1983 that saved the Swiss watch industry.
To learn more about this fascinating chapter in horological history, browse our dedicated guide to the history of watches.
Quartz watches have their strengths and their weaknesses. Since watch enthusiasts often focus on the downsides, it's worth knowing them upfront so you can make an informed choice and find the watch that truly fits your needs.
If you've read our guide on mechanical watches, you'll notice something here: the advantages and disadvantages of quartz watches are the exact opposite of those of mechanical watches.
While all quartz watches rely on the same technology, their movements don't necessarily come from the same place.
Much like with mechanical movements, only major watch groups have the capacity to develop their own quartz calibers. This leads us to distinguish between two categories of watches:
To help illustrate the concept, let's look at 2 concrete examples. Casio watches are all fitted with calibers developed by Casio - making them in-house movement watches. On the other hand, Lip quartz watches are equipped with movements developed by companies such as ISA France, Miyota, Ronda, or Seiko. They cannot, therefore, be said to feature an in-house movement. Simple enough, right?
Casio watch with in-house movement (left) / Lip watch with Ronda movement (right)
That said, don't assume that an in-house quartz movement is necessarily better quality than a standard quartz movement. The question is more philosophical than anything else. For some people, a quartz watch fitted with an in-house caliber is considered more "interesting" - because the entire watch was conceived and built as a cohesive whole.
Today, quartz movements are sourced from all over the world, but keep in mind that the leading manufacturers are Swiss and Japanese. Among them are ETA, Ronda, Miyota, Seiko, and Casio.
Movements from these manufacturers are widely regarded for their exceptional reliability. So, if you're looking for a quartz watch to wear every day, pay attention to the movement brand when doing your research. This information - often listed on retailer websites - will give you an initial sense of the watch's quality. If you're shopping in-store, don't hesitate to ask the sales staff about the specifications of each model.
Quartz watches are accurate - very accurate, in fact. On this subject, you may well have heard someone claim that even an entry-level quartz watch is always more accurate than a high-end or even luxury timepiece. And to be perfectly honest, that statement is absolutely correct!
At this point, you're probably wondering how that's even possible. After all, it's a fair question - how can a 50 € quartz watch be more accurate than a 10 000 € mechanical watch?
All of this comes down to "operating frequency" - a concept we touched on in the "How Does a Quartz Watch Work?" section, the very first part of this guide.
If you've been paying attention, you'll have noticed that the frequency of a quartz watch is 32,768 Hz. There are exceptions, of course, but this figure - expressed in Hertz - is shared by the vast majority of battery-powered watches on the market.
For comparison, the operating frequency of mechanical watches ranges (depending on the model) between 2.5 Hz and 5 Hz.
The operating frequency of a quartz watch is far higher than that of a mechanical watch - about 6,500 to 13,000 times higher, to be precise. Since frequency has a direct impact on a watch's accuracy, it's easy to understand why a quartz watch is, by nature, always more precise than a fully mechanical model.
In fact, while a mechanical watch's drift is measured in seconds per day, a quartz watch's drift is often expressed in seconds per month - or even seconds per year. That tells you everything about the precision gap between these two types of watches!
Every model is different, of course, but keep in mind that the accuracy of a quartz watch typically falls within +/-20 seconds per month. And the best-performing quartz watches on the market can achieve an even higher degree of precision.
This can be explained in several ways. Quartz watches use movements of varying quality and are assembled with more or less strict tolerances.
Temperature can also have a direct impact on the accuracy of quartz watches. For example, in very hot conditions, they tend to run slow, while in cold conditions, they tend to run fast.
If you're looking for exceptional accuracy, your best options are:
Radio-controlled quartz watches owe their accuracy to a rather unique timekeeping method. They are synchronized with an ultra-precise timekeeping instrument known as an "atomic clock." In addition to automatically switching between daylight saving and standard time, this synchronization ensures they always display the exact time.
Casio G-Shock GMW-B5000D-1ER Radio-Controlled Watch
A radio-controlled quartz watch displays the exact same time, down to the second, as the time shown on your smartphone.
Temperature-compensated quartz watches are models in which the quartz crystal is kept at a constant temperature.
Breitling Endurance Pro Temperature-Compensated Quartz Watch (Source: Revolution Watch)
It is this stability that allows them to deliver excellent accuracy!
In our previous guide on mechanical and automatic watches, we looked at certain certifications that attest to a high level of precision. But here's a surprising fact: did you know that the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres also certifies the most accurate quartz watches?
To be classified as a "chronometer" and earn COSC certification, a quartz watch must meet very specific precision standards - considerably stricter than those applied to mechanical watches, as you might expect.
Minimum Accuracy Requirements for a Chronometer-Certified Quartz Watch (Source: Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres)
And a quick reminder never hurts: be careful not to confuse a "chronometer watch" with a "chronograph watch." A chronometer is simply a watch whose high accuracy has been officially certified, whereas a chronograph is a watch that includes a function for measuring elapsed time.
There you have it - you now know everything about quartz watches, from their history and inner workings to their level of precision. And the next time someone asks why a quartz watch is more accurate than a mechanical one, you'll know exactly what to say.
Psst… Think frequency, frequency!
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