Manual or hand-wound calibers achieve the winding of the mainspring through a physical turning of the crown, a process that must be repeated as often as the power reserve is long. As the coiled spring, called a mainspring, unwinds, it releases energy through a gear train to an escapement and balance, an oscillating wheel equipped with another spring called a balance spring that oscillates at a fixed rate, regulating the release of stored energy in precise amounts, ultimately advancing the hands incrementally to keep the time. Stepping back a bit, all mechanical watches operate with the force of energy being released by a coiled spring. The second major subset of watches falls under the overarching heading of “mechanical”, used to refer to both manual, also known as “hand-winding” or “manual-wind”, as well as automatic watches, which are in many cases almost the exact same thing mechanically - except for the method in which the movement is wound. Although quartz watches are of course still small machines, they are not considered mechanical, at least as it relates to watch parlance. Quartz calibers are also much more inexpensive, durable, and resistant to external forces like shock and magnetism, making them by far the dominant movement type on the overall watch market. The first is quartz, which utilizes power from an installed battery to power a small circuit that measures timekeeping by way of an oscillating quartz crystal, shaped like a tiny tuning fork, which vibrates at exactly 32,768 per second, allowing for an impressively high level of accuracy. In the modern watch world, the vast majority of watches fall into two major subsets. To begin, let’s tackle the term “mechanical” as it relates to watches. First, we’ll create a high-level primer on how the most popular types of watch movements operate before digging into a list of some of the best options on the more attainable end of the spectrum for each respective movement type. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the most prominent types of mechanical movement types on the market. Terms like quartz, mechanical, automatic, manual, and hand-winding are essential basic knowledge for anyone looking to bring their understanding of watches to the next level or purchase a new piece. Understanding the specific nature of the type of movement powering a watch is an excellent example of an area in which a little bit of research goes a long way in elevating your knowledge base and helping you to make an informed purchasing decision. Learn more here.Īs new enthusiasts dip their toes in the waters of the watch world, it’s easy for them to become mired in watch-specific terminology that, while second nature to seasoned nerds, can prove challenging for anyone less experienced. 0% interest for up to 24 months available on select brands.

Hand wound automatic watch winder