# Definition Of Electric Watch ?



## rovert (Aug 2, 2012)

Please forgive a newbie's ignorance but whats the difference between electric , electronic & quartz watches.

Cheers,

Rovert.


----------



## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

I'm sure some of us will have different views on this but these are my definitions:

1) Electric

It has a battery, a set of contact points and a coil --- either on the balance or stationary. Examples are Hamilton 500 and 505, UMF 25 and 26, Epperlein 100

2) Electronic

i) Same as the above but with the addition of electronic components like resistors and diodes to reduce sparking on the contacts. Examples are Landeron 4750, 4760, LIP 148

ii) Also includes 1st generation tuning fork movements like Bulova Accutron and ESA 9162/4 (Omega f300 etc). These also introduce transistors in watch movements.

3) Quartz

Addition of a quartz crystal to control timekeeping. I'm not a collector of modern day quartz watches but in the early days of quartz, there were some interesting hybrids during the transition to quartz....so you end up with quartz-controlled balance wheel movements like the PUWs and some Timex models....as well as the quartz controlled tuning fork movements from Bulova (Accuquartz).

Hope this helps.


----------



## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

Plus One from me to Paul's definition - - :yes:

BUT, I'd also add that personally at least, I don't class "pure" Quartz as Electrics, by that meaning analogue or digital, and in analogue where only the hands mechanism actually "works" - standard cheapo Q movements in other words.









Those don't really have beating hearts, do they? :lol:


----------



## rovert (Aug 2, 2012)

Thanks Paul & Mel for the clarification & the links.

I didn't know that there was such a thing as a pre electronic componenet "electric" watch.

I would have thought that the battery to power the coil, contacts & other bits would have made it a damn big watch ,

So, I've learnt something new today.

Cheers,

Rovert.


----------

