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Many watch lovers always look at quartz watches with a fixed mindset, thinking that quartz watches are nothing more than electronic cores and are not valuable, and even think that "mechanical watches are watches". But in fact, quartz watches have occupied a large market share for quite a long time, and it was not until 1990 that mechanical watches gradually returned to the mainstream of the market. It is definitely wrong to say that quartz watches have no advantages over mechanical watches. Today, the editor will talk about what quartz watches are, what are their advantages, and how to maintain them?

Quartz watches are watches made of quartz resonators. They are divided into electronic quartz watches and mechanical quartz watches. Quartz watches are divided into three types: pointer type, digital type and dual display type. Quartz watches use batteries as energy.

Quartz watches are mainly composed of quartz resonators, integrated circuits, stepper motors (for pointer type), LCD screens (for digital type), watch batteries or AC power supplies, and also include conductive rubber, fine-tuning capacitors, lighting bulbs, buzzers and other components.

Quartz watch types

1. Analog quartz watches, also known as analog quartz watches, use traditional mechanical hands. The pointer dial of the watch can be made into three or two needles, and can be equipped with a single or double calendar.

2. Digital quartz watch, which displays time with numbers.

3. Dual-display quartz watch, which combines the above two types of quartz watches. It has both the hands of a pointer quartz watch and a digital display, and is fully functional.

Quartz watch batteries are commonly found in five types: lithium batteries, silver oxide batteries, silver peroxide batteries, mercuric oxide batteries, and solar cells.

Lithium batteries ► use metallic lithium as the negative electrode, and have the characteristics of high voltage (generally 3V), low self-discharge rate, and long shelf life.

Silver oxide batteries ► are also known as silver-zinc batteries, which are more common batteries in quartz watches. They have higher energy density and stability, and are environmentally friendly.

Silver peroxide battery ► has a high capacity, but poor voltage stability.

Mercury oxide battery ► is the earliest developed watch battery, but it is rarely used because it has certain harm to the environment.

Solar cell ► can convert light energy into electrical energy, which is more environmentally friendly.

The difference between quartz watches and mechanical watches

1. Different principles

The power source of quartz watches is batteries. Quartz watches only need to replace batteries regularly, while mechanical watches need to be wound. And the core of quartz watches is the electronic system, while mechanical watches are all mechanical systems.

2. Accurate timekeeping

A quartz watch uses a quartz oscillator to replace the balance wheel in a mechanical watch, and uses its accurate high-speed swing to measure time. It has very accurate timekeeping, with a monthly error of less than 15 seconds. However, the movement inside a mechanical watch is easily affected by gravity, and the time error is relatively large.

3. Easy to assemble

The movement uses integrated circuits, and its structure is much simpler than that of a mechanical watch movement, making it very easy to assemble.

4. High comfort

The internal structure of a quartz watch is relatively simple, and it does not use too many parts. The overall weight is relatively light, which is lighter than a mechanical watch, and the wrist will not feel too heavy.

5. Service life

The service life of a quartz watch is limited by the battery. A battery can generally be used for 2-3 years. Some quartz watches use lithium batteries, which can last for about 7-8 years. After about 10 years of use, they are close to the service life limit. Mechanical watches can often be used for more than 10 years as long as they are worn carefully and regularly maintained.

6. Price advantage

Quartz watches are cheaper and have more diverse functions.

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