Three ways to power a watch, three ways to live with it. Each of our watches uses one of them: here is how they work, and what each one changes day to day.
Automatic: a watch that lives on your wrist
An automatic watch is mechanical: a mainspring provides the energy, and a rotor winds it with every movement of the wrist. No battery. It holds a few dozen hours of power reserve, about 41 hours for our Seiko NH35: if you do not wear it for two days, it stops, and you simply wind it with the crown. Its seconds hand moves in a smooth sweep. It gains or loses a few seconds each day: you reset it from time to time.
Our automatics: Seiko NH35, NH05, NH34, NH38 and NH70, and Miyota 8285 for the SharpDate.
Quartz: accurate and carefree
A quartz watch runs on a battery: a quartz crystal vibrates at a fixed frequency and gives a very accurate time, to within a few seconds a month. Nothing to wind, it keeps going even in a drawer. Its seconds hand moves in steps, once per second. The battery is changed after a few years: send us the watch to open it.
Our quartz watches: Seiko VJ24 for the Royal Sharp Lady, VJ20 for the SharpThère and the SharpTank, as well as the SharpPixel.
Meca-quartz: a chronograph between two worlds
Meca-quartz, like the Seiko VK63 in our chronographs, combines both: the time is kept by a quartz, the chronograph by a mechanical module. You keep the accuracy and simplicity of a battery, with the feel of a mechanical chronograph: the hand sweeps across the dial and snaps back to zero. It powers our SharpTona and the Royal Sharp chronographs.
In short
- Automatic: no battery, winds itself as you wear it, about 40 hours of reserve, a slight drift each day.
- Quartz: battery-powered, very accurate, nothing to do, a seconds hand that moves in steps.
- Meca-quartz: battery-powered, accurate, with a chronograph that has a mechanical feel.
Which one is right for you?
If you love mechanics and wear your watch often, the automatic is for you. If you switch between several watches or want the exact time without thinking about it, go for quartz. If you want a chronograph, meca-quartz is a good compromise. To compare our two most common movements, read NH35 or VK63: which movement should you choose?, then browse all our watches or design your own on Create my own watch. A question? Our FAQ has the answers.
