What is the difference between automatic and quartz movements?

The History of Watch Movements

Before the first quartz (battery powered) watches were made available in 1969 and into the 1970s, all watch movements were mechanical - powered by a main spring that was either wound manually (manual) or wound automatically by the wearer's motion (automatic).

These complex mechanical timepieces require more parts and labor to assemble than their modern quartz counterparts and are often sought out by watch collectors and enthusiasts the world over for their skilled craftsmanship and assembly, their ties to the history of watch making, and the connection created with watches powered by the wearers, themselves.

While an automatic - like the Shinola Runwell Automatic or Monster Automatic - uses the wearer's natural motion to power the movement, quartz timepieces are powered by batteries and will continue to run even if not worn regularly. In a quartz movement, the battery powers an electronic circuit, sending a charge to a quartz crystal. The charged crystal vibrates at a specific frequency - exactly 32,768 times per second - generating a precise pulse that drives a motor to move the watch hands forward. Because of the precision offered by using quartz crystal and an electrical circuit, quartz movements are also usually more accurate than automatic watches.

All Shinola men's and women's timepieces - with the exception of the Shinola Runwell Automatic and Monster Automatic - utilize precise quartz movements skillfully assembled in our watch factory in Detroit, MI.

Quick Comparison

• Shinola Quartz Watches
  • Powered by a battery
  • Identified by a "ticking" second hand
  • A more precise movement that requires less maintenance for continuous operation
• Shinola Automatic Watches
  • Powered by the wearer's natural motion or by winding the crown (if the watch has stopped)
    • Note: Shinola automatic watches have a 38-hour power reserve, meaning that after 38 hours of inactivity, they will need to be manually wound and reset
  • Identified by a "sweeping," or smooth, second hand
  • A more complex movement that displays masterful engineering and ties to the long history of watch making