For several centuries, humanity has not imagined life without a watch and is constantly improving these mechanisms. It was possible to achieve incredible accuracy - +/- 5 seconds per day. Such sophisticated devices are very expensive, but in everyday life the accuracy provided by a quartz watch is quite enough, especially since they are available to absolutely everyone.
Today, the vast majority of the world's watch movements are quartz. From time to time, looking at a moving arrow or seconds flickering on the scoreboard, you catch yourself thinking: “I wonder how they work?” And if this article caught your eye, let's stop for a second and finally find out what a quartz watch is.
Briefly about the main thing
The main elements in the watch mechanism are a stepper motor and an electronic unit. Once a second, the unit sends an electric signal to the engine , and it turns the arrows. The engine and the unit are powered by a micro-battery, which is designed for several years. There is no need to start a quartz watch.
The electronic unit consists of an electric oscillation generator and a divider that converts them. A quartz crystal, which is a source of periodic pulses, is located in the generator. They are transmitted with great accuracy, due to the piezoelectric effect of the crystal.
A feature of the quartz oscillator is that the pulses it produces have a very high frequency - 32768 oscillations per second. Therefore, the divider converts them into oscillations with a frequency of 1 hertz and transfers them to the winding of the stepper motor. When passing through the coil, an electric pulse excites a magnetic field in it, which causes the rotor to move half a revolution. That, in turn, rotates the arrows. This is how quartz watches work.
Their mechanism can be considered a mini-computer, because a programmed microcircuit can turn them into a multifunctional device, including a stopwatch, chronograph, alarm clock, compass, etc. Sometimes, instead of a dial, they use a digital display. In this case, time information is displayed in the form of numbers, but the basis for them is still a crystal oscillator.
The design of the mechanism on crystals is very simple. It is noteworthy that quartz watches do not contain elements operating in a state of tension. That is why they are so durable. Their mechanism is constantly being improved. It is not surprising that quartz watches are becoming increasingly popular.
We don’t think about the fact that the mechanisms based on the electronic quartz block work in all known electronic devices that have the function of time recording: computers, mobile phones, navigation systems, heart rate monitors, etc.
We can say that, choosing a quartz watch, we pay tribute to the present, because they were created only a little more than 40 years ago. Supporters of these watch movements are now no less than mechanical. The watch we carry on our hand characterizes us just like our favorite books, car or suit.
It is believed that quartz models are chosen by dynamic people who value their accuracy and unpretentiousness in watches. In addition to wrist watches, there are produced quartz wall, table, and mantel clocks . Almost every home and office has these tireless guardians of our time. Diverse in design and features, original and simple, they are always with us. They are needed and indispensable.