The Essential Watch Movements Every Collector Should Know

The emergence of the quartz watch is closely related to the arms and space race of the 1960s. The need for precision timekeeping, especially in the pursuit of a Moon landing, led to a rise in electronic timekeeping. A quartz oscillator resonates at a precise frequency of 32,768Hz when a small charge is passed through it. It is coupled with a series of transistors that reduce the frequency to one pulse per second, which accurately indicates the time. With a magnetized motor, this drives a conventional gear train to display the seconds, minutes, and hours on a watch dial. Since it oscillates at a much higher frequency, quartz offers great precision in the range of seconds per year.

Some collectors worry about battery leakage in a high-end watch equipped with a quartz movement. To resolve this concern, fine watchmakers have adopted the use of solar-powered quartz movements in recent years. These watches have transparent solar cells or translucent/polarised dials that allow light to pass through partially onto a solar panel. The generated electricity goes to a capacitor that drives the quartz movement and also charges a battery to power the movement when no light is available. The benefit of these solar quartz movements is that they don’t require battery replacements, and can run for months without needing light exposure. However, compared with cell batteries, which last for years, they require more frequent use or at least, exposure to light, in order to keep running.

As more details are provided on a calendar watch, the movement becomes more complex in its design. This is because the Gregorian calendar is not consistent. Calendar watches which do not automatically adjust for the changes in days, dates, or months are described as ‘simple’. The full or complete calendar indicates the day, date, and month, either via analog counters or hands; through a window or windows; or a combination of the two. These require multiple adjustments for the days and dates in shorter months every year; hidden adjustors are usually hidden on the sides of the case in order to shift the indicators manually.

There are many different types of chronographs, and they differ in how they are controlled (column wheel or cam-lever), designed, and utility. Each has its own benefits, and although some collectors have opinions on which is better, it is the quality of the movement and skill of the watchmaker that really determines their performance.

Some chronograph movements are integrated into their design, while others are modular add-ons that fit most movements according to common measurements. As the cam-and-lever system and oscillating pinion can be mass-manufactured, they are more commonly modular. Column-wheel chronographs are often integrated, but it’s not a hard rule: the renowned Valjoux 7750 chronograph is an integrated cam-lever chronograph. The easiest way to tell is by looking at the pushers and crown: if they are not aligned, the chronograph is a module added over the base movement (these also tend to be thicker in design). Integrating offers one benefit: activating the chronograph does not affect timekeeping precision significantly.

Cam-and-lever actuated chronographs are like a logic gate for the chronograph function; they only have two settings that can be programmed. Column-wheels have three positions that can be programmed, which is why some of them include a ‘flyback’ or instant reset function. Invented by Longines in 1925 and patented a decade later, the function engages the heart cams of the chronograph gear train without engaging the brakes. The indicators jump back to zero and a new timing event is started.