Automatic vs. Quartz Watches: What's the Difference?

Almost every watch is powered by one of two kinds of movement, and the choice affects accuracy, upkeep, and how the watch feels to own. Here is how they compare.

A quartz watch uses a battery to send a small current through a quartz crystal, which vibrates at a very steady rate. The watch counts those vibrations to keep time. This makes quartz watches very accurate, usually within a few seconds a month, and they tend to be lighter, thinner, and less expensive. The main upkeep is replacing the battery every few years.

An automatic watch is mechanical. A weighted rotor spins as your wrist moves and winds a mainspring, which releases its energy through gears and an escapement to drive the hands. There is no battery. Mechanical watches are less accurate than quartz, often gaining or losing several seconds a day, and they stop if left unworn for a day or two. Owners value them for the craftsmanship, the smooth sweep of the second hand, and the idea that the watch is powered by motion.

Manual-wind watches are mechanical too, but you wind them by turning the crown. They can be thinner than automatics because there is no rotor, and many people enjoy the daily winding ritual.

Cost of ownership differs. A quartz watch is cheap to keep running. A mechanical watch benefits from a service roughly every five to ten years, where it is cleaned, lubricated, and adjusted, and that can cost a meaningful amount. Over a long period, that is worth factoring into the decision.

There are in-between options too, such as solar-powered quartz watches that recharge from light, and quartz watches with very high accuracy ratings.

Which should you choose? If you want a reliable, low-maintenance watch that is always right, quartz is hard to beat. If you want a watch with mechanical character and are happy to set it occasionally and service it over the years, choose an automatic. Many collectors own both. Use the movement filter on the watches page to browse each type.