The movement is the engine of a watch. It decides how accurate the watch is, how often it needs attention and a large part of what it costs. Here are the main types, in plain English.
Quartz (battery)
A battery sends current through a tiny quartz crystal that vibrates at 32,768 times per second, and a circuit counts the vibrations. Typical accuracy is within about ±15 seconds per month. Quartz watches are cheap, accurate, thin and need only a battery every few years.
Best for: grab-and-go reliability. Examples: Tissot PRX Quartz, Cartier Tank Must.
Solar (light-powered quartz)
A quartz watch with a light-sensitive dial that charges a rechargeable cell. Citizen’s Eco-Drive and Casio’s Tough Solar can run for months in the dark on one charge, so you get quartz accuracy without battery changes.
Best for: people who never want to think about their watch. Example: Citizen Promaster Diver.
Automatic (self-winding mechanical)
A wound spring powers a gear train regulated by a balance wheel swinging back and forth several times a second. A weighted rotor winds the spring as you move your wrist. Accuracy usually ranges from about ±5 to ±30 seconds per day. Off the wrist, it stops when the power reserve (typically 38–80 hours) runs out. It needs a service every 5–10 years.
Best for: people who love the craft and the sweeping seconds hand. Examples: Seiko 5 Sports, Rolex Submariner.
Hand-wound (manual mechanical)
Like an automatic, but without the rotor: you wind the crown every day or two. Without the rotor, the movement can be thinner and you get an unobstructed view of it through the caseback. Many enthusiasts enjoy the daily ritual.
Examples: Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical, Omega Speedmaster.
Spring Drive (Seiko’s hybrid)
A mainspring powers the watch like an automatic, but instead of a swinging balance it uses a glide wheel braked by an electromagnet and regulated by a quartz crystal. The result is a seconds hand that glides with no ticks at all, with accuracy of about ±1 second per day and no battery.
Example: Grand Seiko SBGA211 “Snowflake”.
Quick comparison
| Type | Typical accuracy | Power | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quartz | ±15 s/month | Battery, 2–10 yrs | Battery changes |
| Solar | ±15 s/month | Light | Almost none |
| Automatic | ±5–30 s/day | Wrist motion | Service every 5–10 yrs |
| Hand-wound | ±5–30 s/day | Winding the crown | Service every 5–10 yrs |
| Spring Drive | About ±1 s/day | Wrist motion | Brand service |
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