What is a Quartz Watch and Its History

Quartz watches have been a significant invention that has greatly influenced the world of horology, offering a distinct alternative to traditional mechanical watches. While mechanical watches rely on a complex system of springs and gears to measure time, quartz watches utilize technology based on the precise vibrations of quartz crystals.

The adoption of quartz technology is widespread in modern timekeeping, used in various devices ranging from wristwatches to computers and household appliances that require time precision.

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What is a Quartz Watch?

A quartz watch can be defined as a timekeeping device that uses an electronic oscillator regulated by a quartz crystal to keep time. These watches are powered by a battery or solar cell and contain a quartz crystal as part of their circuitry.

Unlike mechanical watches, which get their energy from a wound mainspring, quartz watches use electrical power to drive their mechanisms. Quartz watches are known to be affordable and reliable options and are considered more accurate than mechanical watches.

How Quartz Watches Work (Piezoelectric Effect, Oscillator, Circuit)

The core of how quartz watches work lies in the piezoelectric effect—the ability of quartz crystals to vibrate at a highly precise frequency when an electric current is applied. Inside a quartz watch, there’s a small quartz crystal cut in the shape of a tuning fork. This crystal is powered by a battery through a microcircuit. The electric current causes the quartz to vibrate at a very stable frequency, typically 32,768 times per second (32.768 kHz).

An electronic circuit counts these vibrations and converts them into regular electric pulses—usually one pulse per second. These pulses then drive a tiny motor called a stepping motor. The stepping motor converts the electrical energy into mechanical energy, which then moves the hands of the watch (hour, minute, second) through a series of gears known as the gear train.

Some analog quartz watches have a sweeping second hand driven by a continuous motion motor, resulting in minimal mechanical noise. Additionally, some quartz watches use jewels to reduce friction on moving parts, enhancing the durability of the watch.

Discovery of the Piezoelectric Effect: The Curie Brothers’ Contribution

The discovery of the piezoelectric effect laid the foundation for quartz watch technology.
In 1880, two French brothers, Jacques and Pierre Curie, working as laboratory assistants at the Faculty of Science in Paris, discovered that pressure applied to certain crystals—such as quartz, tourmaline, and Rochelle salt—produced electrical charges on the surface of those materials.
This phenomenon, where mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy, became known as the direct piezoelectric effect.

A year later in 1881, Gabriel Lippmann mathematically predicted the inverse piezoelectric effect, where applying an electric field would cause mechanical deformation in those materials. This prediction was soon experimentally confirmed by the Curie brothers.

Their discovery gained rapid interest among the European scientific community and became a new field of research in the late 19th century. One of the earliest practical applications was the piezoelectric quartz electrometer, developed by the Curie brothers to measure extremely small electric currents.

Early Applications: Quartz Clocks and the Quest for Accuracy

After the discovery of the piezoelectric effect, its early application was in the development of clocks. In 1927, telecommunications engineer Warren Marrison at Bell Telephone Laboratories, in collaboration with Joseph W. Horton, successfully built the first quartz clock.

This clock used a block of quartz stimulated by electricity to generate pulses at a frequency of 50,000 cycles per second. This high frequency was divided down by a frequency-controlled generator to produce regular pulses that could drive a synchronous motor.

These early quartz clocks were far more accurate than mechanical clocks of their time and began to be used as precision time standards in laboratories and observatories. In 1932, Issac Koga in Japan developed a crystal cut that provided oscillation frequencies with greatly reduced temperature dependence.

However, widespread use of quartz clock technology was still limited due to the large and complex counting electronics, which used vacuum tubes. It wasn’t until the 1960s, with the advent of inexpensive semiconductor digital logic, that quartz clock technology could be more broadly adopted.

The Birth of Quartz Wristwatches: Seiko and the Astron

Efforts to miniaturize quartz technology for use in wristwatches began in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Seiko, a Japanese watch company, launched “Project 59A” in 1959 to develop quartz movement technology for wristwatches.

The main challenge at the time was to miniaturize the components and reduce power consumption to fit within a watch case. Seiko overcame these challenges by developing several key technologies, including the world’s first tuning fork-shaped quartz oscillator, CMOS ICs for quartz watches, and an ultra-compact open-type stepping motor.

On December 25, 1969, Seiko launched the Seiko Quartz Astron 35SQ, recognized as the world’s first commercially available quartz wristwatch. This watch had far greater accuracy than mechanical watches at the time, with a deviation of only 0.2 seconds per day or 5 seconds per month.

However, the Astron’s initial price was very high—equivalent to a mid-sized car—highlighting the breakthrough innovation it represented. Seiko’s vision was: “Someday, all watches will be made this way.“

Other Early Competitors: CEH, Longines, and the Swiss Response

While Seiko was the first to market a quartz watch, similar efforts were underway elsewhere.
The Centre Electronique Horloger (CEH) in Neuchâtel, Switzerland—a consortium of around 20 Swiss watchmakers—was also actively developing quartz technology.

CEH developed the first prototype quartz wristwatch, known as Beta 1, in July 1967.
This prototype entered the Neuchâtel chronometer competition that same year and outperformed mechanical watches in terms of accuracy.

Longines also announced its commercial quartz watch, the Ultra-Quartz, in August 1969, a few months before the launch of the Seiko Astron. However, due to production issues, the Ultra-Quartz was released after the Astron and Swiss Beta 21.

The Swiss traditional watch industry was initially slow and cautious in responding to quartz technology. Though several Swiss brands, including Omega, Rolex, and Patek Philippe, eventually adopted the Beta 21 quartz movement developed by Ebauches SA (part of CEH) and showcased it at the 1970 Basel Fair, the industry as a whole did not immediately shift to mass quartz watch production.

Comparison of Early Quartz Watches

Feature	Seiko Quartz Astron 35SQ (1969)	CEH Beta 21 (1970)	Longines Ultra-Quartz (1971)
Release Date	25 December 1969	April 1970	August 1971
Accuracy	±5 seconds per month	Better than mechanical chronometers	More accurate than other production watches
Frequency	8,192 Hz	Not specified	9,150 Hz
Initial Price	¥450,000 (car equivalent)	Expensive	Expensive
Drive Mechanism	Stepping Motor	Micro Motor & Pawl	Vibrating Motor & Pawl
Country	Japan	Switzerland	Switzerland