Consider the movement to be the beating heart and calculating brain of a timepiece. This essential component bestows upon the watch its purpose and defines its utility, quality, and value. Selecting the right watch for your life includes choosing the movement that will best fit your needs, lifestyle, interests, and budget.
Movement Types:
Mechanical: The fine art of watch-making finds representation best through the mechanical movement which requires painstaking skill and precision to create. To keep time, a mechanical watch uses the regulated release of energy from a wound spring, run through a collection of gears and an escapement. Mechanical watches must be manually wound regularly via the crown in order to apply tension to the mainspring and keep the watch ticking.
Automatic: An automatic movement requires the same artful execution to create and contains virtually all of the same components as a mechanical movement - but with one notable addition. An automatic movement relies on the motion of the wearer's arm to spin an off-balanced weight called the rotor. A collection of gears inside the case utilizes the movement of the rotor to wind the mainspring and power the watch. A slipping mechanism on the mainspring prevents the damaging effects of over-winding. Automatic watches require movement in order to function properly and will stop ticking after a period of dormancy when the reserve power in the mainspring is depleted.
Quartz: Although not as mechanically complex as other engines, the quartz movement provides the most accurate and reliable time-keeping. This type of movement typically draws power from a battery and centers around a small vibrating chip of quartz crystal. Some recent adaptations to the traditional quartz movement include introducing rotors and power cells in an effort to maintain the accuracy of quartz while eliminating the need for a battery.
Movement Terms:
Caliber: Specific layout and design of the various components of a watch movement
COSC Certified Chronometer: High-precision, Swiss Made timepiece tested and certified to meet official standards established by the neutral Swiss governing body, Controle Officiel Suisse des Chronometres
Cotes de Geneve: An example of fine artistry in a timepiece, this elaboration incorporates large ribbons etched into the movement to reflect light
Japanese Movement: The beginning of the horological industry in Japan can be traced all the way back to the arrival of Christianity in the mid-16th century. And while the first quartz wristwatch was developed in Switzerland, it was the Japanese who took advantage of the technology, creating Seiko's first quartz watch in 1969. From clocks to watches, Japanese craftsmanship and quality continues to rival its European counterparts.
Jewels: International term referring to the rubies, sapphires or other gemstones used as bearings in a watch movement; These bearings help reduce friction and ensure smooth and precise operation among the delicate parts of the movement
Skeletonization: Process designed to increase the visual appeal of a movement by trimming away excess metal and leaving only the absolutely necessary parts, or skeleton
Tourbillon: A complication in a mechanical movement that rotates the balance wheel, balance spring and escapement to counteract the effects of changes in gravity