AUTOMATIC WATCHES:

They are called automatic because the wearer does not need to wind the watch to generate power, the watch winds itself automatically once a person put it on the wrist. The arm motion causes the rotor, a metal weight attached to a winding mechanism, to rotate back and forth in a circular motion to wind the mainspring, a flat coiled spring that powers mechanical watches.

Automatic Watch Movement

QUARTZ WATCHES:

This watches are powered by a battery. They need little maintenance, just a change of battery every year or so.

Some quartz watches get their electricity from a mini electrical generator incorporated into the watch movement, powered by the wearer’s wrist, which causes a rotor to spin rapidly. These watches are sold by Japanese or Swiss companies under the name of “Kinetic”, “Autoquartz”or “Omegamatic .

Other quartz watches get their electricity from light which is transformed into electrical power by a solar cell located under the dial. This watch can be found under the name of “Eco-Drive”.

Quartz Watch Movement

MANUAL WIND WATCHES:

Collectors find these kind of watches desirable, even though they are manual wind watches, which means that the wearer has to wind it every one or two days by the crown in order to run. They are still produced in Switzerland and can even cost over $5,000.

Some unique models can reserve up to 8 days of power and will usually have power-reserve indicator on the dial.

Manual Watch Movement

The Automatic watch winds itself when it is worn by a person with only the motion of the arm. This motion is created by a mechanical process that involves the movement of the wrist and the body that makes the rotor (a metal weight attached to winding mechanism) rotate back and forth in a circular motion at the slightest action of the wrist. The rotor’s movement winds the mainspring, a flat coiled spring that powers mechanical watches. That is why this watch is also called self-winding watch.

If you wear your Automatic Watch daily, it is good to wind it once every two weeks with the crown to keep the wheels in motion and oil fluid. Only wind the crown until you meet a slight resistance.

If you do not wear your Automatic watch everyday, you should wind it at least twice a week to ensure continuous operation and to keep the inside mechanism in complete running order as well.

If you haven’t worn an automatic watch in a while, it is best to wind the stopped watch before putting it on. Ten to fifteen turns of the crown until you feel a slightly resistance is usually enough to give full power to the mainspring. Some companies recommend more: Breitling, for example, suggest turning the crown on its automatics 30 to 40 times. But be aware that the barrel in an automatic movement doesn’t have a hook so that you won’t feel any resistance when the mainspring is fully wound. Don’t worry; you will never overwind the watch.

Avoid setting the day and/or date at near midnight. This mechanism is activated during midnight and could be disrupted if set at this time.

If you are playing a sport requiring continuous arm motion, please try to avoid wearing your watch, since this kind of continuous motion could damage the movement.

Take your watch in every year or two to a competent watch repair shop for a maintenance (lube job). Most watches will function just fine with a lube and tune once every two years, although with today’s modern synthetic lubricants, most will run just fine for almost 4 or 5 years.