Gueho Choi
WRIT 340
Prof. Marc Aubertin
February 24, 2013
Quartz Wristwatch: Formation, Fashion, and Function
Introduction
Time is money. You should use your time wisely to succeed. Do any of these sayings
sound familiar? Most likely yes, because these are sayings we have heard of a lot. We live by
time, and these sayings tell us how precious time is to us. Humans are incredible creatures. In
order to measure our precious time, we defined it, and created an internationally accepted
standard unit of time, the second. Nowadays, the most accurate timekeeper in the world, an
atomic clock, has the uncertainty of about 3E-16, which means it will neither gain nor lose a
second even in 100 million years [1]. Perhaps we do not need precision to such a degree in
our daily life. However, we still constantly keep track of time. These days, the convenient and
fashionable watch that uses the quartz movement mechanism to keep time dominates the
wristwatch market, even though there are several different movement mechanisms available.
A brief history of the wristwatch
Although the technology needed for a wristwatch has been available for quite a while,
the pocket watch was the major portable timekeeper up until the nineteenth century because
wristlets were considered women’s accessories. It all changed when soldiers discovered the
usefulness of wristwatches over pocket watches during warfare. Obviously, pulling out a
watch from your pocket, while holding a gun, during combat is going to be much less
convenient than looking at your wrist. As a result of this realization, by the end of World War
I, the preferable form of timekeeping changed to the wristwatch [2]. However, the early
wristwatches did not have much precision, as their oscillating frequency was only 2.5 Hz
(cycles per second) [5]. Frequency plays an essential role in all the clock mechanisms,
especially precision. Simply put, the higher frequency the clock has, the more accurate its
precision is. For example, a day will be more accurately counted by a minute than an hour.
Most people probably remember the
wind-up toy that crashes a cymbal
continuously. The same winding up
mechanism was applied to early
wristwatches when there was no battery
or quartz. We are lucky that we do not
Figure 1 - (1000 Awesome Things, Apr 2010), Wind-up toy.
have to wake up and wind up our
wristwatches every morning.
Mechanical Movement Mechanism
Tedious but now considered luxurious, the mechanical movement wristwatch is the
type of watch that requires winding up every morning. Currently, technological developments
have enabled an automatic winding mechanism. Nevertheless, this mechanism cannot be
closely compared to the quartz watch in terms of precision. However, it is the fruit of pure
workmanship, so it is worth mentioning. There are two main components of the base
movement: the mainspring and hairspring. The source of energy that enables watch
movement is the main spring, which is wound either by the user or automatically [11]. The
energy is released through the gear train of the escapement mechanism, which is a feedback
regulator that determines accuracy of the timekeeper [12]. The hairspring regulates this
mechanism in order to produce oscillatory movements that make the watch tick. According to
Federation of Swiss Watch Industry, the production of mechanical watches in 2006 was only
5% of the total watch output [13]. This is probably because of its limitations on ease of
function and accuracy. The quartz movement mechanism, a much more accurate mechanism,
therefore dominates current wristwatch market.
What is a quartz watch and how does it keep track of time?
If you go to any shopping mall, you will find countless watches under 20 dollars, or
even as low as under 10 dollars. This gives us the false impression that these cheaply priced
products are easy to make, and thus use cheap technology. The truth is that wristwatches are
made from the careful work of craftsmen and engineers. The ability to keep track of time is
made possible with the help of quartz, the second most abundant mineral on earth. Quartz
oscillates at certain frequency when a voltage is applied, depending on its shape. Most
commonly, it oscillates at 32,768 Hz, which means that it vibrates that number of times per
second. The fairly high frequency, as specified, gives quartz its accurate precision. The heart
of every precision clock is an oscillatory device that depends on quartz’s resonance to achieve
a consistent rate [4]. Even the low-priced quartz wristwatch can keep time accurately down to
the second, and the stability of 32,768 Hz quartz crystal oscillators keeps its time reliable and
consistent [6].
Engineering the quartz watch
As mentioned above, several diverse elements
were required to invent a quartz wristwatch. In
particular, this included miniaturization, low-power
and low-voltage integrated circuits, quartz crystal
oscillators, batteries, and micro-motors [8]. All of
these components had to be specifically developed.
-
Piezoelectric effect – crystal and vibration
Figure 2 - Quartz crystal resonator, in the
shape of a tuning fork (wikipedia)
Undoubtedly, the most important element was discovered by Pierre Curie, who is
best known for his research on radioactivity with his wife, Marie Curie. They discovered the
core principle of the quartz watch, the piezoelectric effect—when pressure is applied to
certain crystals, they generate electrical voltage. Inversely, when placed in an electric field or
when electricity is applied, these same crystals vibrate and become compressed [3]. The
discovery of the piezoelectric effect provided the notion to utilize these crystals that vibrate at
certain frequency with the presence of a voltage.
-
Power source: Small battery
The piezoelectric effect would be useless without a source of electricity, just as any
television, computer, or mobile phone is useless without a power source. To apply voltage to
the crystals in a wristwatch, a small battery was needed. In 1954, a team of researchers at the
Hamilton Watch Company, led by chief chemist Phil Lichty, worked in conjunction with the
National Carbon Company to develop a small battery for the electric watch [8].
-
One of greatest inventions of all time, the integrated circuit
The integrated circuit, perhaps one of the most important inventions in engineering
technology today, was invented in different forms independently by Jack Kilby of Texas
Instruments and Robert Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor [8]. Containing millions of
electronic components assembled onto one small semiconductor chip, it can perform
innumerable functions, as can be seen by how it is part of every electronic device that we
know of, from computers to cars to wristwatches. For watches, the integrated circuit provides
control, by making the quartz oscillate, dividing frequency down to one pulse per second, and
implementing special functions like the stopwatch. Saying that quartz wristwatches use cheap
technology would be like saying that computers use cheap technology, since computers use a
collection of integrated circuits, the same thing used in quartz clocks.
-
The first quartz wristwatch
In July of 1967, putting all these elements together, along with
some other components such as micro-motors and crowns, the world's
first quartz wristwatch was created by researchers at the Centre
Electronique Horloger in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The watch, called
Figure 3 - Beta 1, the first
Beta 1, included a quartz resonator with 8192 Hz, a divider circuit,
quartz wristwatch (Armin
H. Frei, Mar 2009)
frequency adjustment, temperature compensation, and a stepping
motor [7]. Over the years, engineers have come to perfect the quartz mechanism found in the
original Beta 1 quartz wristwatch. After doing so, they then turned their focus to engineering
the aesthetics and functions of the quartz wristwatch.
Fashion and function
There is a clock in your car, on your laptop, and even on your mobile phone. Why
bother using a wristwatch? I have encountered this kind of question quite a few times.
Sometimes people may also wonder why there are some watches that cost less than 10 dollars,
while others cost a fortune, reaching prices of over $10,000. The answer is fashion and
function. Engineers in the wristwatch industry have the mission of engineering aesthetics as
well as engineering diverse new functions, because the
products they create must be attractive and useful to
customers to be successful.
-Fashion
Just as consumers are attracted to fancy jackets,
suits, and shoes, wristwatches are also a very attractive
fashion item to them. The Los Angeles Sentinel claimed
Figure 4 - Fashion wristwatch—luxurious
brands love to go back to classical, self-
that watches have become the fashion statement in 1987.
winding
2012)
wristwatches
(Patek
Philippe,
In the article, Kae McCulloch, the fashion consultant to the Jewelry Industry Council,
foreseen the potential of the watches and reported that the quartz movement revolutionized
the function of the wristwatch and its impact on fashion [9]. Among other technological
gadgets, the wristwatch is not the only one that has entered into the fashion industry.
However, it can be said that the wristwatch started the trend of technological fashion, with its
attractive function of accurate and stable timekeeping with style. Tribune Business News also
claims that the wristwatch is transforming from a mere timepiece into an indispensable
fashion accessory [10]. Even in the presence of smartphones, which have so many more
functions than the wristwatch, the wristwatch has survived on the market. Therefore, the
wristwatch is now a fashion essential, and gives the image of a man of wealth. Imagine an
imposing, courteous, and dignified gentleman in a suit; does he have a leather or metal
wristwatch?
-
Function
People have different tastes not only in fashion but also in functionality. Some prefer
to have aesthetically pleasing wristwatches while others prefer to have practical and useful
wristwatches; still others would like to
have both aesthetics and functions
incorporated into their watches. Engineers
quickly realized that the quartz wristwatch
is an electronic device. That is, with the
technology we have, we can build a small
computer in the quartz wristwatch that has
functions capable of meeting consumers’
Figure 5 - Touch screen mobile phone wristwatch with 4GB
Micro SD (ecrater.com)
different tastes.
Far from just being a small clock, watches are now equipped with a variety of
functions and qualities, which not only assist but also provide convenience to its users.
Occasionally, we forget to bring an umbrella and it suddenly rains. When that happens, most
of us run home shielding our electronic devices, such as laptops, while getting ourselves wet.
However, many quartz wristwatches these days are waterproof, so you do not have to worry
when it rains or when you wash your hands, despite the fact that they are electronic devices.
In addition, they can have convenient stopwatch and alarm functions, and even specialized
functions to aid scuba divers and astronauts in their work. Most of these functions are
implemented in the integrated circuit. For scuba divers, these watches not only keep track of
time, but also act as a bottom timer, a depth indicator, and a thermometer. In space, astronauts
can use quartz wristwatches designed for specifically for space, where time is relative. For
the general population, among whom the wristwatch is most prevalent, there are different
forms of watches that can be useful to the wearer. In addition to the traditional analog
wristwatch with an hour, minute, and second hand, there are also digital display watches. The
lighting function gives readability to users even at night. Therefore, the quartz wristwatch,
with its multiple functions, has infinite potential.
Conclusion
Quartz wristwatches are firmly taking the position of the beloved, leading timekeeper.
As civilization progresses, traditional clocks are becoming nothing more than antiques that
slowly disappear because the time we defined, the second, can be more precisely measured
with the quartz wristwatch. Now that engineers have made a clock that has an accuracy that
lasts up to 10 million years, one might think that the quartz wristwatch is becoming outdated
as well. However, this is far from the case, because it is moving into fashion and continuously
acquiring new functions through improved technology, showing the success that engineers
have achieved in their mission of engineering both aesthetics and function. Fashion industries
have already accepted it as a fashion item. Creative engineers are working to develop even
more cutting-edge aesthetics and functions for it. The quartz wristwatch is not just a watch
anymore.
Works Cited
[1] NIST. (2013, February 4). NIST-F1 Cesium Fountain Atomic Clock (2nd) [Online].
Available: http://www.nist.gov/pml/div688/grp50/primary-frequency-standards.cfm
[2] J. E. Brozek, “The History and Evolution of the Wristwatch,” International Watch
Magazine, Jan. 2004.
[3] AIP. (2000). “Marie Curie and the Science of Radioactivity,” (1st) [Online]. Available:
http://www.aip.org/history/curie/pierre.htm
[4] W. A. Marrison. The Bell System Technical Journal, Vol. XXVII, pp. 510-588, 1948.
[5] M. Friedberg. (2001, August). IWC's Earliest Wristwatches (1st). [Online]. Available:
http://www.iwcforum.com/Articles/Cal64/text.html
[6] M. Lombardi, “The Accuracy and Stability of Quartz Watches,” Horological J., pp. 57-59.
Feb. 2008.
[7] A. H. Frei, (2009). First-Hand:The First Quartz Wrist Watch [Online]. Available:
http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/First-Hand:The_First_Quartz_Wrist_Watch
[8] The Quartz Watch, The Lemelson Center: Smithsonian Institution, [Online]. Available:
http://invention.smithsonian.org/centerpieces/quartz/technology/
[9] Los Angeles Sentinel, “General Interest Periodicals—United States,” Los Angeles Sentinel,
pp. C5, May. 1987.
[10] S. Sue, “Smartphones killing the wristwatch? Not so fast,” McClatchy – Tribune
Business News, WA, Dec. 2010.
[11] Mechanical watches. (2006). Metal Bulletin Monthly, (427), 44-45.
[12] C.A. Reymondin, G. Monnier, D. Jeanneret, U. Pelaratti, The Theory of Horology, Swiss
Federation of Technical Colleges, Switzerland (1999)
[13] S. Su, R. Du, Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, Volume 21, Issue 8, November
2007, Pages 3189–3200