Watch Movements: Difference Between Quartz, Mechanical & Automatic 

Look up Kenny g sneaker room. We wear our kicks Brotha

What’s worse: sneakerheads that don’t wear their shoes or sneakerheads that don’t crease their shoes?

Tora Iaito sneakers wear out not watches as long as you have quality watches

@@MrPrush-ji4gs You should still wear your sneakers though, unless you're strictly a reseller because you gotta support the hustle. You just wear them at appropriate times.

"stares at Richard Mille collectors"

Same here lol

Yup same... I now want an automatic watch for some reason

Alejandro Caballero same

@@txflips2106 yeah having the same feeling too. Initially wanting to learn about quartz since looking to get the cheap Tag F1...but now thinking of getting the automatic.

awesome workhorse movement they got.. what type is yours?

I got my dad's Seiko too. His dad gifted it to him back in 1978 or something.

Fossil daily

@@mananmody9355 same 1979

Just I bought Seiko 5 sports watch for Christmas

I wish my Nissan had a Kia engine...

J Johnson And Ferrari brakes. 😂 😂

I wish my skoda had a VW engine... oh wait...

non sense...

I wish my legs had Barry Allen FLASH engine

😁🍻

Its just an automatic movement?

@@nicolajhardbass1608 Yes. With quartz.

Quartz reliable all day long u can keep the rest overated crap.

@@vivprice5926 I kinda get you

I just switched over. Been using a fossil q hybrid smart watch for a couple years as it is really functional and doesnt look as cheesy as the another apple/samsung watches but I also wanted something a bit nicer with the sweeping second hand that really stood out.

I just cant wrap my head around how something that is worse at doing its job is an upgrade. A quartz watch is better at being a watch ie. telling accurate time.. I like watches. I think they look cool and perform a function. I just don't get the draw of the mechanical aspect. I'm not criticizing or judging others....I just don't get it.

@@stimproid Quartz is accurate. Heck they even have Swiss Quartz also! Some mechanical/automatic watches are accurate too. Just depends on what you buy and the brand. Some are overpriced yet cheaper watches get the job done better. It's a jungle of movements out there!

@@stimproid there are a lot of things in the watchworld that make no sense in a practical way. I love mechanicals and automatics just for the tech aspect. But I admit on some days i just grab a quartz when in a hurry, no need to set time, day, date and wind it.

Got a skeletal (open sections in the watch let you see all the inner workings and gears moving) automatic Boderry Urban, it's a cheap little Chinese made thing but it's given me the "mechanical watch bug" now and I've just ordered an Orient "Commuter", and considering getting a diver from them too

Yup...had to glance at my SKN803 when that came up...

"in house movements are gonna be very very expensive" - Laughs in Vostok

Laughs in luch

Look it up

SKN803 on my wrist as well. :D

@Edward Moran it's the right opinion

@Edward Moran why would I ever stop. I mean look at theGS spring drive it's probably the winning feature of the damn thing hahaha

@Edward Moran well to be fair I love mechanical things. Always have. Quartz isnt bad. In fact it's rather pragmatic. But honestly my friend, if everyone liked the same things then this world would be boring. Lol hooray for diversity in passions and love of horology but yeah somethin about sweeping second hands makes me love watches a lot

@@XxXHardcoreshredderxXXxxxxxxxx you speak of diversity of passion but also preach that you have the right opinion 😂 which one is it?

@@shadowgame0630 it's called a joke my friend. Lmao me asserting that I have the right opinion is itself ironic. 'Right' opinion lol sorry if that wasnt implicit

1:17

Thanks, I missed that! :)

@@nd-rt7dl As long as it is activated by the mere movement of your wrist, it is "automatic". If you can also wind it manually, then it's "automatic and hand-wound". If the seconds hand stops when you pull out the crown to set the time, then it's also "hackable". So if you have a watch that does all three, it's "automatic, hackable and hand-wound". It's "mechanical" as long as it is not a quartz and it has moving gears/ machinery inside. That's why an automatic watch is categorised under "mechanical", but a mechanical watch is not necessarily "automatic" as it can also be a "hand-wound" one. These days they have also come up with "mecha-quartz" movements that integrate mechanical parts into a quartz-driven movement. Hope I've explained it clearly enough?

@@nd-rt7dl Cool! =)

Precisely

James Bond is a fictional character

EXCELLENT observation .

Amen to that Sr. Lol. On the fictional coment.

stop using... so many ellipses...

Truely true mate!!!

Omega makes a quartz seamaster??

I didn't know you used a watch to see the time:p

It's a very bad idea to shower with a watch even if it's water resistant. Water will slowly but surely corrode metals and if you expose your watch to it every day, it'll shorten the life of your watch.

biljancanin I feel exactly same way about my Kimber...

@@francowabongo it's fine as long as it gets dried off afterwards. Its actually better to clean all the long and grime off of it doing that than it is just to let it accumulate.

You need put seiko 5 to rest every day. Because their mechanism make the clock slower if it wind constantly and make it faster when it rest. So, wearing it all the time is increasing their inaccuracies.

When you hit puberty, you should upgrade to a Gshock... at the very least.

@@HappyBuddhaBoyd Was that really necessary?

@@rjonzun5828 yes.

Thank you, sir 🙏

​@@BrockMcGoff So, can automatic watches be passed between generations and still work?

Very true, and thanks!

I recommend checking out the urban Gentry on RU-vid. I think he has a video with watch recommendations for smaller wrists

ianmedium all valid points but that doesn’t persuade me to be interested into quartz watches. There is no characteristic to them a watch isn’t just a pretty face its whats on the inside as well and a circuit board with a battery is just boring and is certainly not nice to look at. Now a finely crafted watch with 300 tightly fitted components all working harmoniously together to create a perfectly smooth and seamless tick is what separates watch collectors from watch enthusiasts. When i look at my watch i think for a second ”damn it took 100 people over a year to make this work of art”

I like mechanical watches - You can get a Seiko 5 automatic (Gene Kranz, mission director of the Apollo missions wore one) for about $100. There is just something nice about mechanical watches. You can look at them and watch time go by more slowly rather than a second tick, enjoy the back and look at the mechanism and know it will never need a battery. My concern is that Quartz watches may not last due to the fact that they are based on semiconductors and semiconductors fail after time - Memory loss is one failure mode where the ROM that contains the embedded code loses charge in one or many cells and stops performing normally. Will you be able to get a battery in 100 years? My 2 cents. I have automatic, manual, quartz and solar watches in my collection. I think the thing that ultimately draws me to mechanicals is firstly the engineering (my latest addition is the Omega Planet Ocean 8900) and heritage such as the moonwatch. Whatever you go for, enjoy!

My grandfather gifted me this watch in 1996 when I was 4 years old. It was a Quartz from a company called Titan which dominates the market here in India. Now it is nearing 22 years, and the watch is running as well as ever. It has had absolutely no issues. Only a couple of battery changes. In fact I can confidently bet it will be alive and well in 2028. My grandfather died in 2004.

Kunal Lad hey

You do realize that that argument can be turned around just as easily, right?

Watch Finder would not have made that slip-up. It is good basic information that was researched. That is how it comes across as opposed to a hardcore expert.

I appreciate that, James!

Ben Terry THANK YOU!! I couldn’t help but think this while watching that part of the video.

What's your basis of comparison? Reliable watches of any mechanism are only recent innovations of the last few decades. Most people lose or throw away perfectly good watches before an accurate assessment of reliability can even be made. It doesn't matter how reliable the electrical components of a quartz watch are, batteries will ultimately die, making the lifespan of quartz watch less in comparison to a quality automatic movement. This story changes completely if the watch is in a harsh environment, in which case, a quartz would prove its longevity. It's all about perspectives and situations. Your statement is resolute when it shouldn't be. Then again, you're an engineer and it's impossible to prove an opposite point-of-view to you people.

Jasonhb07 batteries can be replaced. And watch batteries last years.

@@EvelynRoods Did you read my entire comment? I gave reasons impacting longevity and reliability of both mechanisms. Also, what average person do you know who will go through the troubles of replacing a watch battery? If they haven't already lost the watch at that point... It's impossible to say with certainty what mechanism is king because everyone's situation is different.

using a seiko dress quartz from 1974 going fine with gear replacement only once

Required service is about every 3 to 5 years automatics have oils in them and it has to be maintained otherwise it will lose its accuracy

@@techierg1862 Cheap Vostoks have recommended service intervals of 10 years.

Solar, atomic are the best watches if you want to have accurate time with no maintenance.

EveryMan I love short trim too 😉😉

Great 👍

casio is the shit, right now i'm wearing my casio f105w on an olive nato strap with BPVD buckle, low profile yet ice cold little bugger :D

Solar watches also have batteries, though they will last for a very long time. My Casio Riseman has been running for a decade, and the battery indicator is still on High.

Do more expensive quartz or mechanical watches line up right??

@@giorgospapi5979 more or less. Not just expensive but "well made". Though in general cheap tends to be not well made, at least upto a point. I've seen watches a few $100s that line up very well. Others like mechanicals from fashion brands don't. but def. a huge point for me personally when i look at what to buy (also, it may be easier to ignore on a watch that ticks in very small intervals like mechanicals tend to).

I've got a Casio F-84w ($14) that I wear all the time 👍🏼

Love my gshock

Is it driven by a quartz crystal? If it is, it's the second most accurate wrist watch in the world, following only atomic wadtches.

Phillip English benefit is, casios are nearly damn indestructible. The equivalent of having a Nokia phone

@@suomi5454 G shocks are very practical, dunno what you're talking about.

Twenty years ago, I purchased a Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic 6001. I wore it everyday. I took it thru BCT, WOCS, flight school, exercise, swimming, and office. The good part is is that it is durable, accurate, and has some nice timekeeping features. The bad part is is that the replacement watch band cost $20, the five year solar/rechargeable battery cost $15, and no one fixes them. I stopped using it b/c the digital LCD became too faint to see. Also, the watches water seal failed. I purchase another G-Shock as a beater watch and an automatic for business wear.

Dude, I wore a GS for the first time today at their boutique in Manhattan. Damn, those are nice watches (esp the spring drive).

Christos Segkounas A quartz watch is also much cheaper in the long run. I wouldn't probably get any mechanical watch that is cheaper than 500€ although Seiko and Tissot have some good movements, but the first mechanical watch I'd get would be an Oris. I wouldn't recommend a mechanical for someone who uses it to keep track of time because it honestly isn't that good at it.

Absolutely true! Quartz watches are the most acurate watches there are. The reason I like mechanical and automatic watches over the quartz watches isn't the "prestige" ( I dont care if your watch is 5 dollars or 5 million dollars) Its the mechanical beauty of them. The craftsmanship, the time, the effort, the fact that they will tell time to within 2 seconds loss per day does it for me. I am sure you are fully aware of just how amazing that really is. In short, I apreciate the mechanical engineering and precision behind it. I could look at them to check the time, get mesmerized by the movement and then look away to realize that I infact didnt check the time at all.

Christos Segkounas same here man, i only get Casio edifice/g shock and citizen watches, they are durable as hell, i like the look of them, and you don't need to wind it to keep ticking. Also try some solar edifice models, or eco drive citizen, they are better than the battery operated ones, and cost almost the same

I_THE_ME Not necessarily. A Rolex for example is a store of value and even appreciates in value over long term. So in that sense it is an investment that is a marvel of engineering that you can wear on your wrist and admire as well as a heirloom that you can pass down to your progeny. I have 2 mechanicals that I got from both my grandfathers and a large self acquired collection of quartz watches which I also have a tremendous amount of love and respect for. They're made up of mostly Titans, Casios, Maximas and Timexes. Now I want to get a Vostok to add to my collection.

Chris P ffffr

You obviously don't get the point so just rely on your phone then

Jakenova I don’t use my phone to tell the time, b/c I prefer to use a wrist watch, not a pocket watch. 20 years ago when I bought my first mechanical movement watch, only high end brands and their replicas were mechanical. However, just last week I went to the mall, and I saw so many inexpensive brands making automatic watches. The reason? Who knows.. I assume the market is saying to producers to copy luxury watches and make the second hand look ‘smooth’. Inexpensive brands making inexpensive automatic watches is a statement that mechanical movements do not cost lots of money/craftsmanship to make, rather they only cost lots of money to buy when a heritage brand is attached. I asked the salesman about the service requirement, and he responded, ‘well, it’s like owning a car. You need to get it serviced periodically’. Well, if there was an affordable car that didn’t need servicing to keep it running as good as the first day on the road for years, and without needing any fuel, ever, I am certain you would jump on it; there are watches that do the same thing-relatively inexpensive, run well, no servicing needed, and no changing batteries, and they’re not called ‘automatic/mechanical’. Because I have two automatic watches, I need to service them every 5-7 years, at a cost of $750-$1000 each. And I don’t call it a service fee. I call it an inconvenience fee. One watch I find very interesting is the Grand Seiko Spring Drive Spring Drive. Sure it’ll need servicing, but at least the time doesn’t need to be adjusted once a month. Only time will tell what technology will stand the test of time for wrist watches-no pun intended. 😊

@@chrisp5526 ok, I see your point. I agree that with swiss watches you pay premium for that "swiss made" on the dial but you also know what kind of tests those movements have to go through to be able to call themselves "swiss made", nonetheless, I also think that many of the high end brands are vastly overpriced. Japanese movements are sometimes at least equally good but they don't need to go through the swiss testing and meet with their standards, hence they're usually way cheaper. I look at watches the same way I look at cars though, I don't want my car to be just a device that will take me from point a to point be.

What is considered a “Luxury” watch to you? On your first point that is definitely the fault of the salesman that sold you the watch as you seem like the kind of person that would ask the right questions. Your second point could just be that it needs to be regulated not serviced but just have the timing adjusted to the correct specs. I mean you have to change the time on your watch at least two times a year plus if you have other watches and you let your automatic sit for a few days you will have to wind it up and set it again. So if it’s gaining or losing so much that it’s noticeable in a month as in 10-15 minutes then there is something wrong and it need to be looked at. Also the different positions that your arms are in throughout the day do affect how the watch runs. The little hairspring in the movement is constantly having to do try to straighten back out so the watch can run like it wants to.