What is a Quartz Watch?

Is Japan the “Switzerland of the East”?

Swiss are the pioneers of watchmaking, hence earning the title of the “greatest watchmaker”. Renowned for their best quality and craftsmanship, they are highly regarded for designing superior watch movements. However, the Japanese continuous innovation and improvement in their craft have made them an unmatchable force in the advancement of watch calibers.

Japan has produced some of its finest innovations in the watch movement industry. Seiko introduced quartz as a technology, in 1964, at a summer Olympics. What truly revolutionised the watchmaking industry and paved the way for advancements in movement mechanisms was the commercialisation of its first quartz movement watch in 1969 – Astron. Japan became a pioneer of the quartz movement in 1969 when Seiko’s Astron was launched and became phenomenal in the watch industry.

Alongside Seiko, Miyota is another remarkable company that has consistently innovate and introduce new engineering in its movements. These two brands have been an integral part of Japan’s watchmaking industry, producing many movements annually. Prized for their low-cost yet high-quality movements, quartz movement watches have been highly sought-after ever since.

What is a ‘Movement’?

A movement, also known as a caliber, is an internal watch mechanism comprised of several parts. A watch movement is the watch engine that acts as the powerhouse to make the watch and its functions operate. The perfect analogy of a movement is the heart of a human body. Similar to how the heart is the organ that keeps our body operating, the movement is the mechanism that keeps the hands of a watch moving. Without the heart, you won’t be alive. Akin to a watch, without its movement, it won’t function.

What is Quartz Movement?

There may some confusion with a quartz watch movement, a quartz movement watch and a quartz watch. Essentially, they all refer to the same thing – a watch with a Japanese or Swiss quartz movement. Quartz movement in a watch is not as complicated as a mechanical and automatic movement. It is one of the simplest and most convenient watch-powering mechanisms. Some often asked question about quartz movement or quartz watches include “Do quartz watches need batteries?” and “How does a quartz watch work?” Well, here’s your answer. A battery and a quartz crystal are the most critical components required to keep the watch ticking. The battery runs the engine while the crystal vibration makes the second hand ticking at its supposed rate. Thanks to the quartz crystal, quartz watches are the best timekeeper, providing the most accurate time out of the three movements. 

What is Miyota Movement?

Miyota is a famous Japanese manufacturer of quartz and mechanical watch movements and has been providing its movements for leading brands worldwide. Miyota movement is essentially an umbrella term used to describe the different types of movements manufactured by Miyota. The company uses state-of-the-art automation to produce high-quality and precise movement parts, movements, and timepieces. With this key focus, the Miyota movement gained its reputation as one of the best movements in the industry, used by numerous big brands.

Miyota’s Quartz Analog Movement

Miyota’s quartz analog movement is no different from that of other companies. A battery and quartz crystal are indispensable components to operate the watch and power the hand progression. However, Miyota’s quartz movement is distinguishable from other companies in several ways.

Almost all parts of Miyota’s quartz movement are manufactured in-house to maintain high and superior quality. The highly functional mechanisms are designed to consume little power and increase the longevity of every timepiece. The Powercell Saving Reset Mechanism enables battery savings. The function of the Overload Compensation Device can minimise battery consumption. Furthermore, Miyota’s quartz movements feature the company’s patented Shock Detection that maintains the proper function of the watch when it receives a shock. The effort and thought put into designing and ensuring these highly functional movements made Miyota highly deserving of the title as ETA’s (largest movement manufacturer in Switzerland) Japanese counterpart.

Miyota Movement Quality

Miyota movements well-established popularity is a testament to its top-notch quality. This high-quality is the fruition of advanced and fast-working machines and the professional training of employees to produce movements of the highest standards. This combination ensures that the movement standards are consistently met before dispatching it to different watchmaking companies and using it for timepieces.

Even though Japanese movements are cheaper than Swiss movements, never doubt the quality of Japanese movements. Japanese always prides itself as practical and functional, and this is especially prominent in the Miyota movement. Nothing else can describe the Miyota movement quality except outstanding.

If you do own a Japan quartz movement watch, more specifically a Miyota quartz movement, perhaps one from August Berg, here are some juicy answers to some of your concerning questions!

Quartz movement watches provide one of the most accurate times. You may wonder how long do quartz watches last if you were to invest in one. Good news is, you may need to replace the battery from time to time, but you can rest assured that quartz watch battery replacement is cheaper compared to mechanical and automatic movements.

To address the question of “are quartz watch waterproof?”, always check your brand’s watch details. Nowadays, quartz watches are made to be water-resistant. This certainly does not mean that it is waterproof, just that it has some resistance to water such as light rain and hand washing.

Lastly, quartz movement watches are less costly than the other movement options but still as functional and of good quality. As long as you take proper care of your timepiece, they can last for a really long time!