Battery powered quartz
A battery supplies the energy. A quartz oscillator provides the rhythm.
A small cell. A fresh beginning.
The battery is fitted into its contact. It supplies electrical energy to the movement. Scroll to follow what happens next.
A circuit brings it together.
The integrated circuit, or IC, works with the quartz oscillator and controls the electrical pulses sent to the motor.
A remarkably steady rhythm.
A vibrating quartz oscillator gives the circuit its timing reference. Its vibration is much too fast to see; the illustration is slowed down.
A pulse becomes a turn.
The circuit sends regular pulses through the motor coil. Magnetic force turns the motor rotor in small steps.
And the face comes to life.
The gear train carries the motor’s motion to the hands. This illustration shows a familiar one second tick; the display varies between movements.
Hand-wound mechanical
No battery. Winding stores energy in a spring, ready to be released.
A turn of the crown.
Turning the crown drives the winding gears. They wind the mainspring inside its barrel.
Energy, held in a coil.
The mainspring stores mechanical energy as it is wound. As it unwinds, it powers the movement.
A train of tiny wheels.
The barrel drives a series of meshing gears. They carry the spring’s energy towards the escapement and the hands.
The rhythm of a mechanical watch.
The escapement releases the gear train in small steps and gives impulses to the balance. The balance and hairspring oscillate to regulate the rhythm.
A little motion, made visible.
The regulated gear train turns the hands. Many mechanical seconds hands move in several small steps each second, giving the impression of a sweep.
Automatic mechanical
The same spring-powered idea, with a rotor that winds as the watch moves.
Your movement becomes its energy.
Movement of the watch causes a weighted rotor to turn. This animation rocks the rotor to make its role visible.
The rotor does the winding.
The automatic winding system passes the rotor’s motion to the mainspring. Its design and winding direction depend on the calibre.
A familiar spring at the heart.
Just as in a hand-wound mechanical watch, the mainspring stores the energy that powers the movement.
Mechanical, through and through.
An escapement, balance and hairspring regulate the release of the spring’s energy. Automatic describes the winding system, not a different timing principle.
Ready for another day.
The regulated gear train turns the hands. Wearing the watch can replenish its reserve; it still needs enough movement to keep that reserve topped up.
Solar quartz
Light supplies the energy. Quartz still keeps the time.
Let a little light in.
Light reaches the watch’s solar cell. Its position and the route light takes through or around the dial vary by design.
From light to electricity.
The solar cell converts light into electrical energy. The glowing paths here simply illustrate that transfer.
Energy for later.
Energy is stored in a rechargeable cell so the watch can keep running when it is away from the light.
Quartz keeps the rhythm.
The stored energy powers a quartz timing circuit and motor. Solar changes the energy source; it is still a quartz movement.
Light, turned into time.
The motor and gear train move the hands. How long the watch runs away from light depends on its charge and its model.
