In fact, around 90% of the world’s watches use a battery as their power source. It’s highly likely that a quartz movement is behind the functionality of a standard, everyday timepiece owing to its meticulous reliability. Unlike the smooth sweeping motion of a mechanical movement, the second hand of a quartz watch moves in distinct individual ticks. Those vibrations keep the movement oscillating and power the motor that moves the watch hands.

The battery sends an electrical current through a small quartz crystal, which electrifies it and creates vibrations. It’s the force behind the dial that drives the hands and powers all complications. Its acceptance of quartz as a viable power source has led to the mark of ‘Swiss quartz movement’ being a signifier of excellence in both heritage and craftsmanship.Ī quartz watch movement uses a battery as its primary power source. In fact, the Quartz Crisis is now nothing more than a past chapter in the long and prestigious history of Swiss watchmaking. However, a quartz is well worth the consideration, owing to such precise accuracy alongside considered detail and elegant aesthetics. Quartz technology was embraced by the traditionalists and has since gone on to thrive with advances in innovation, such as solar- and motion-powered watches.įor the traditionalists, quartz watches still can’t hold a candle to the masterful engineering of a mechanical movement watch. It’s estimated that during this period around 900 Swiss watch brands went bankrupt, and two thirds of the workforce lost their jobs.Īfter several decades of industry upheaval, and with watchmakers all over the world taking on the challenge to create the slimmest, most high-quality quartz timepieces, this bleak period in Switzerland’s watchmaking history soon subsided. Watchmakers in the USA and Far East began to thrive at the expense of the traditional brands. The lure of this new, cutting-edge technology that could more accurately tell the time and was significantly less costly, became irresistible. The Astron showcased that instead of an intricate network of mechanics, a timepiece could be simply powered with a small crystal, battery, and motors.

The Japanese brand’s introduction of the world’s first commercially available quartz-clock wristwatch – the Astron – in 1969 caused incredible upheaval in the traditional watch industry, which was late to adapt to these changes in technology. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, Japanese watch company Seiko successfully derailed the industry with what’s commonly referred to as the Quartz Crisis. However, it was not to be smooth sailing for Switzerland forever. One of the innovations of this time was the perpetual watch – the blueprint for today’s self-winding timepiece. During the 16th century, the Swiss watch industry steadily became the home of fine watchmaking and by the end of the 18th century, Geneva was exporting over 60,000 watches per year. Owing to a prestigious history and heritage of exquisite craftsmanship, Switzerland sets a tremendous standard for all other watchmakers. A brief history of quartz watch movements

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