Watch Movements - The Different Types Available and Their Benefits
When a person goes to purchase a watch they give little thought to how the mechanics work on the watch. What makes them tick? Believe it or not, there is a great deal to watch movements and some people prefer to go with one movement type over another. Below is a list of the different watch movements and what the benefits are so that you can make the best choice for you where your watch is concerned.
One of the main types of movements for watches is the mechanical movements. This is where the main way for things to move is powered by a mainspring. This spring slowly unwinds and transmits the energy throughout the watch. This type of watch contains an oscillator which is to keep time. It works much like a small wheel that moves back and forth. Watches today have an oscillator that moves approximately 28,000 times each hour.
The major part of a mechanical movement watch is the balance spring as this is what actually controls the turns or oscillations on the balance wheel part. Many people love these types of watch movements as they can have the old fashioned winding watch or a self winding watch. No need to worry about batteries at all.
The next most common watch movement is the automatic mechanical movement. This is a favorite watch of many as these types of watches generally have clear backs so that the wearer can see the mechanics of the watch while they wear it. These watches work by a rotor that is shaped like a fan. This rotor swings on a pivot when the person moves their arm while wearing the watch. There is no need to wind this watch but in order for it to work you need to wear it for about 12 hours daily. This will give the watch enough motion to keep it running smoothly all the time. Today there are many watches that will work for up to a week without having to wear the watch.
There are still watches around that work by hand wound mechanical movement. If you have this type of watch then you will need to wind it at least once a day so that it will keep time with no trouble. This is not one of the more common types of watches today as people like the simplicity of the watches that need no attention at all.
Quartz movement watches are also another type of watch that is very popular. These watches are run by electricity that comes from the battery. The name comes from the small quartz crystal that is used in the watch which oscillates at around 32,786 times each second.
Most of the quartz watches have a digital display but there are still plenty with the analog time display with is a watch face with hands or dials that go around the watch to tell time. Some of the quartz watches offer both analog and digital displays so that you can have the best of both types of watches. This type of watch is called an ana-digi watch as it is both analog and digital at the same time. You can even get watches that show the time in other areas of the world. This can be great for those in the military to help them keep track of the time back home where their loved ones are at.
There are plenty of types of watches but knowing the types of movements of watches can help you in making the right choice in your watch. Some people prefer to have a watch that winds itself where others prefer to have a battery powered watch. There are perks to each one so the type you get will depend on your personal preference. When shopping for a watch, you may want to ask the jewelry what his or her preference is and why. This will give you some insight as to what the jewelers think is the best type of watch that will need little to no maintenance at all.
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Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of WatchzReviews.com, a site that provides information, articles and reviews for people who are interested watches and buying them online.
