Quartz Watches vs Mechanical Watches

Quartz watches and mechanical watches are both the most common seen types of watches currently. Merely from appearance, it's hard to differentiate a quartz watch perfect in workmanship with a mechanical one. In fact, quartz watches and mechanical watches differ in many aspects.

First, precision. A quartz watch's timing precision is about 100 times higher than a mechanical one. A quartz watch's daily error is limited into 0.5 second; a mechanical watch's daily error is about 45 seconds, quicker or slower according to the temperature changes.

Second, maintenance. A quartz watch doesn't need to be wound and almost needs no maintenance besides change of batteries every two years. However, a mechanical watch needs regular maintenance to keep its operational life span. And the movement can be repaired from scratch over centuries by able watchmakers.

Third, weight. For a quartz one, the movement and the gear wheel can be made of plastics in a thin, light and micro form. However, a mechanical watch's movement must be made of metals. Besides, the complex structure can hardly be miniaturized. As a result, it's weightier than the quartz counterpart.

Fourth, price. The plastic movement of a quartz timekeeper is easy to process and the circuit board can be produced massively, so the price is not high. However, with fine workmanship and low mass-production capacity, the price of a mechanical watch is fairly expensive.

Fifth, cultural taste. This is the most outstanding advantage of mechanical watches, which are now worn more for their aesthetic and emotional attributes than their basic timekeeping function. A fine mechanical watch states the owner's personality and status and brings the noble honor.

Six, life span. Caused by the problems of the circuit board and the plastic movement, a quartz timekeeper's life span is about 6 years, though some lucky ones survive 10 years. However, a fine quartz watch can serve a family for centuries due to its metal movement. As a result, many regard it as a family heirloom.

If you are going to buy a watch, the best choice is according to your personal preference. If you demand high on the timing accuracy and wear seldom, you'd better choose a quartz one. Generally, the mechanical watch's shockproof and waterproof abilities are better than the quartz ones', if you need the special abilities, you'd better choose a mechanical one.

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