Mechanical Watches
A mechanical watch has a motion that is powered by a mainspring, which is a metal coiled wire that is wound by hand. Once wound, the mainspring slowly and evenly unwinds, having caused the second hand to move in a seamless, sweeping motion around the face of the watch. The majority of mainsprings are 9-13 inches long. The longer the mainspring, the greater the power reserve of your mechanical watch, and the longer you can go among windings.
Not all mechanical movements are the same.
Automatic Watches
Automatic watches are similar to mechanical watches in that they are powered by a mainspring and use intricate gears to move the watch’s hands, but they do not require the user to wind the watch manually to keep it ticking. Instead, while wearing the watch, your motion throughout the day charges the mainspring. It is a popular choice for a sports watch for men.
How does a fully automated movement watch wind itself? Well, inside the watch is a lighter weight called a “rotor” that keeps moving as your wrist moves throughout the day. It is linked to the mainspring and winds it as it moves.
Quartz
If you’re like most regular Joes, the watch you’re wearing right now is most likely a quartz watch. There’s a good reason for this. Quartz watches are accurate and reasonably priced.
Instead of a wound mainspring, a quartz motion uses electricity from a small battery. The battery sends electricity through a small quartz crystal, which vibrates 32,768 times per second. A circuit measures the vibrations and converts them into a pulse, which moves the watch’s second hand. Quartz watches have a distinct movement because the second hand is moved by electric pulses. It does not have the smoothness of a mechanical or fully automated watch. It is also a popular choice for a sports watch for men.