The technology and history behind quartz watches

The secret to the success of quartz watches is the discovery that a quartz crystal can generate an electrical field if properly prepared and handled. This technology was applied to clocks and watches, and since the 1970s, quartz watches have taken over as the most used technology for keeping time. The first quartz clock was assembled in 1927 at Bell Telephone Labs, and further development occurred over the next three decades.

When cheap semiconductor digital logic was developed in the 1960`s, technology moved toward smaller and lighter quartz technology. By 1967, the first analogue quartz wristwatches were brought into the marketplace. A decade later, quartz clock technology was seen in many more applications involving timing. Today, they are preferred, for their accuracy, low maintenance, and because they do not need winding.
Technically, the quartz crystal is made up of a chemical compound, silicon dioxide. If cut and mounted properly, when in an electric field, the crystal will bend. When that field is then taken away, the crystal will return to its shape and as it does so, it will generate its own electric field. The technical term for this process is piezoelectricity. Discovery of this property of quartz was discovered in 1880 by Jacques and Pierre Curie. Temperature does not change the crystal, which means the quartz watches will stay accurate even with temperature changes.

Quartz crystals in clocks and watches are used to regulate an electronic oscillator. This oscillator creates a signal that is very precise, which helps the clocks maintain their accuracy even over mechanical clocks. The timing is so precise the watch or clock can display hours, minutes, and seconds, with extreme accuracy. The constant frequency of the crystal oscillator is what keeps the clocks accurate to a point where a typical wristwatch using a quartz crystal will be accurate to within a half second per day.

Quartz watches and clocks are used for personal timing devices, such as wristwatches, but also in other capacities as timers, as found in kitchen appliances, alarm clocks, timed fuses, and bank vault time locks. The modern clocks and watches use LED displays (light-emitting diode) instead of LCD displays (liquid crystal display) because LCD requires much less battery power. Quartz watches are so accurate they can be used in performing celestial navigation.

New developments in quartz watches include solar cell power to change light into electricity, and motion power. The motion powered watches generate electricity through the use of a tiny rotor that spins when affected by movement. Modern quartz watches are made in both analogue and digital formats.