# What constitutes an electric watch?



## JayDeep (Dec 31, 2016)

Surprised this hasn't already been answered and been a sticky on the page.

What does the seconds hand do?

And tell me, can I find one that meets my standards?

43mm minimum diameter

Mineral or Sapphire crystal


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

An Electric watch JD, is one that is largely "electro-mechanical" - - e.g. a mechanical watch mechanism that is driven/powered by a cell/battery driving a small motor of some kind rather than by the power from a tensioned spring. :yes:

An Electronic watch usually has some additional components which are used to regulate or otherwise improve the accuracy or running of the watch, and the earliest Electronics used simply a diode in the electrical circuitry to help prevent any pitting on the contacts used in the watch, amongst other possible things. To find out more you should spend an hour or five prowling through Silver Hawk's website

http://www.electric-watches.co.uk

which lists and illustrates both Electrics and Electronics together with ancillary info on the subject. Most of your other questions will find an answer there - - :yes:


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## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

So, anything powered by an electric current that doesn't have the word "quartz" in the specs is an electric watch.

I'm sure I have oversimplified but someone's got to try and make the answer a one-liner. :laugh:


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## scottswatches (Sep 22, 2009)

I can't think of any that meet your specs. But an older rectangular watch might give the same size impression - rectangular watches have a larger surface area so always feel bigger that the width suggests


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## gimli (Mar 24, 2016)

This is what an electric movement looks like. These were produced during the vintage period so none will meet your criteria but I do wonder if there are modern electric watches/movements out there... Maybe something german ? Didn't they make something like this ?


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## Deco (Feb 15, 2011)

The Calibre S from TAG?










https://www.calibre11.com/review-tag-heuer-carrera-calibre-s/


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

gimli said:


> This is what an electric movement looks like. These were produced during the vintage period so none will meet your criteria but I do wonder if there are modern electric watches/movements out there... Maybe something german ? Didn't they make something like this ?


 My Nivada is not an electric movement, but an electronic one as it has a transistor, capacitors etc. An electric one IMO only has a set of points and coil like this Hamilton 500:


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## gimli (Mar 24, 2016)

Electronic is what I meant to say. I'm assuming that Jay also meant electronic.


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

Anyway, Jay, the seconds hands are smooth sweeping.............well mostly........as far as I know.


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## JayDeep (Dec 31, 2016)

Very interesting, thanks for the info fellas.


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## Nigelp (Jan 28, 2015)

surely the simple answer is one deriving power from a coil...driven via a battery got to be the simplest way of making something move really.


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## relaxer7 (Feb 18, 2016)

Deco said:


> The Calibre S from TAG?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 ...just when you think you know something about watches! I never knew that was one. :book:


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## DryEagle (Apr 3, 2018)

So effectively, the literal reverse of a Kinetic, which is mechanical pendulum charging a battery for quartz movement


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

@DryEagle



DryEagle said:


> So effectively, the literal reverse of a Kinetic, which is mechanical pendulum charging a battery for quartz movement


 Well - - a kinetic as you describe is only possible because of the (by comparison) infinitesimal power requirement of the quartz movement itself - - any Q movement that can run on a 2016 type cell for a year or three/more is not consuming much in the way of power, so you are "topping up" the cell if it is as you describe. I doubt if it would be possible to "charge" a cell from scratch in that situation - - I stand to be corrected if someone knows better.

There is a law of diminishing returns - -  - - otherwise you could have an electric car that could re-charge itself from the wind generated by pie and beans every night!


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## DryEagle (Apr 3, 2018)

mel said:


> @DryEagle
> 
> Well - - a kinetic as you describe is only possible because of the (by comparison) infinitesimal power requirement of the quartz movement itself - - any Q movement that can run on a 2016 type cell for a year or three/more is not consuming much in the way of power, so you are "topping up" the cell if it is as you describe. I doubt if it would be possible to "charge" a cell from scratch in that situation - - I stand to be corrected if someone knows better.
> 
> There is a law of diminishing returns - -  - - otherwise you could have an electric car that could re-charge itself from the wind generated by pie and beans every night!


 You do charge it from scratch. As you say it doesnt take much to run. But when I got my kinetic it had under a weeks worth of charge, and built up to 6 month reserve in about two weeks of regular wear.

more info: https://www.seikowatches.com/global-en/customerservice/knowledge/kinetic-knowledge


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