Movements
Mechanical vs Quartz Watches: Which Should You Buy?
Accuracy, maintenance, cost of ownership and the 'soul' of a movement — an honest comparison of mechanical and quartz watches and who each one suits.
Section 2 of 8
Movements & Technology
Mechanical or quartz? In-house or ETA? Explore the engines that power a watch, the complications they drive and the materials they are made from.
Movements
Manual-Wind (Hand-Wound) Watches: How They Work and Why They Endure
Everything about hand-wound mechanical watches: how they work, how to wind them, their advantages over automatics and the best models to consider.
Movements
Automatic Watches Explained: How Self-Winding Works
How an automatic (self-winding) watch works, how long it runs off the wrist, whether you need a watch winder and the best automatic movements to know.
Movements
Quartz Watches: How They Work, Types and Best Uses
How a quartz watch keeps time, the difference between standard, high-accuracy and thermocompensated quartz, battery life and why quartz deserves respect.
Movements
Solar Watches: Eco-Drive, Solar and Light-Powered Explained
How solar-powered watches like Citizen Eco-Drive and Seiko Solar work, how long they run in the dark, their lifespan and the best models to buy.
Movements
Kinetic and Spring Drive: Seiko's Hybrid Movements Explained
How Seiko Kinetic (automatic quartz) and Spring Drive (mechanical power with electronic regulation) work, their pros and cons and who should buy them.
Movements
Radio-Controlled Watches and Smartwatches: Connected Timekeeping
How atomic radio-controlled watches sync to perfect time, how GPS and Bluetooth watches work, and how smartwatches compare with traditional watches.
Movements
In-House vs Base Calibers: ETA, Sellita, Miyota, Seiko NH35 and Why It Matters
What 'in-house movement' really means, the workhorse calibers from ETA, Sellita, Miyota and Seiko, and how movement choice affects price, reliability and servicing.
Movements
Watch Complications Explained: From Date to Tourbillon
A clear guide to watch complications: date, day-date, chronograph, GMT, world time, moonphase, annual and perpetual calendars, tourbillon and minute repeater.
Movements
Watch Materials Guide: Steel, Titanium, Ceramic, Bronze, Gold and Crystals
Pros and cons of watch case materials — stainless steel, titanium, ceramic, bronze, gold and carbon — plus sapphire, mineral and acrylic crystals compared.