Quartz watches are one of the world’s most accurate and reliable watch mechanisms. These quartz crystal-powered timepieces are super-accurate and require every little maintenance over their lifetimes- but how long do these watches last?
A quartz watch can outlive its owner, which often becomes an heirloom passed down to the next generation; this means a quartz watch could last more than 50 years. Most quartz watches will last around 20-30 years with regular maintenance, but they have a shorter lifespan than mechanical watches.
The secret to this watch’s longevity lies in the simplicity of the mechanism and the way the quartz is used to generate super-accurate time-keeping over long periods. Let’s open up these fantastic watches and get a close-up view.
The First Secret To The Quartz Watch’s Longevity- The Quartz Crystal
The quartz watch uses a piece of quartz crystal cut in a tuning fork shape as the oscillator in the watch. As the voltage from the battery passes through the circuit, the crystal vibrates at 327868 Hz or 32768 times per second.
The circuit measures the number of cycles and converts them into a single electrical pulse precisely one second in length. This is a frequency of 1hz or one cycle per second or a movement of the second hand on the watch.
The microchip then uses this electrical impulse to drive an electronic motor that drives the hands on the watch face; this is how the quartz watch keeps and accurately tells time. If the crystal is correctly and accurately made, it will keep accurate time for as long as the battery has power!
The Second Secret To The Quartz Watch’s Longevity – The Mechanism
In the world of mechanics, the simpler the mechanism is, the longer it will last and the less likely it will be to break down. The more moving parts it has, the more likely it will develop problems and require maintenance more often.
The designers of the quartz watch were well versed with this precept and subsequently designed a timepiece that is not only mechanically simple but incredibly accurate. Compared to other watch mechanisms, the quartz watch is the second most precise behind atomic clocks (we’ll talk more about that later on), which tells you something!
Mechanical watches can have more than sixty or more moving parts, while a quartz watch may only have half of that. With fewer moving parts, even cheap quartz watches can outlast high-priced mechanical ones, which is part of their appeal.
Not only do they last longer, but they keep better time and are less likely to break down or lose time unless there is a severe problem. Let’s take a quick look at how accurate quartz watches are relative to other timekeepers.
Most digital watches are quartz-powered, and aside from the electronic circuits, they have no moving parts at all. These watches are also very accurate; unless they are damaged by impact, water or moisture, they can last a very long time.
Many digital quartz watches are still in circulation today and are sought after by collectors and nostalgic alike. Amazon, eBay, and other online markets are filled with these old digital and quartz watches, which is a testament to their longevity and durability; even though they were made in the late 70s and early 80s, their resilience shines through 40-50 years after they were produced.
How Accurate Are Quartz Watches
Aside from their inherent longevity, quartz watches are very accurate as well, and due to the precision and consistency of the quartz frequency, these watches can lose less than half a second per day or less than 30 seconds per month.
Some of the very high-end watched may lose then a second a year! To put that in perspective, an atomic clock would only lose one second every 50 million years, and even top-quality mechanical watches can lose 4-6 seconds per day.
In terms of accuracy, quartz watches come in second only to atomic clocks, which is why many watchmakers will use the quartz configuration for their timepieces.
Will A Quartz Watch Last Forever
No watch will last forever, but some will last longer than others simply because of their design and maintenance needs. Quartz watches are durable, but they do have their vulnerabilities.
While quartz watches could seem to last an eternity, this is not the case because their internal structure is electronic, and they can and do fail after long periods. When these components eventually die, they need to be repaired or replaced.
However, one aspect of owning a watch that you will never need to do with a quartz watch is winding it, and when people overwind watches, this can damage the mainspring and mechanism. As a battery-powered watch, quartz does not need to be wound, which is just one feature that makes these watches so durable.
This does not mean that a quartz watch cannot make its way to the next generation, especially if it has been well-cared for, but in general, mechanical and automatic watches are more likely to become heirlooms than quartz watches.
Depending on the watch’s monetary and sentimental value, the owner may elect to have the repairs done or discard the watch and buy a new one. Several factors can cause failure in a quartz watch, so let’s investigate those.
Quartz Watched Require Regular Battery Changes
Regular does not mean every month but refers to the battery changes and other ‘tune-ups’ that would be done to keep the quartz watch in good order. The battery will not last forever; this is one area where the automatic watch is superior.
Automatic watches utilize the kinetic energy of the wearer’s body movement to power the mechanism, so they don’t use a battery at all. The quartz watch uses a battery; depending on the watch’s functionality and features, the battery may need to be changed every year or every two to five years.
A quartz watch that only displays time and date, for example, would only need a battery change every 3-5 years or so, while one with more features like a stopwatch, timer, multiple time zones, alarms, etc. may require a battery change every year or two.
When changing a battery, installing the best quality battery you can afford will mean better performance and lower the chances of the watch losing time as the battery will take longer to lose power and energy.
The casing seal is often replaced during the battery change to maintain the case’s water-tightness. The watchmaker would inspect the mechanism and the circuits to determine whether other repairs need to be done.
How Often Does A Quartz Watch Need Maintenance
Good maintenance on a quartz watch will undoubtedly increase its lifespan, and if you want to ensure yours stays with you for a few decades, then it would be wise to ensure this is done throughout your ownership.
Quartz watches require maintenance every five years to check the movement and ensure the electronic components are in good order. When it comes to repairing quartz watches, they are generally cheaper to repair than mechanical or automatic ones.
The watchmaker can repair damaged components or replace the movement completely- the movement is the term given to the entire watch mechanism, and you can often remove the whole thing from the watch -if you know-how!
What Can Cause A Quartz Watch To Stop Working
There are several reasons why a quartz watch can stop working, and if they are not taken care of, it will affect its lifespan.
- The most common one is where dust or dirt has penetrated the movement and caused it to slow down or stop. Watchmakers fix this by taking out the entire movement and placing it in a small dish with some lighter fluid, which will remove any dust or oil and leave it at the bottom of the dish.
- Wherever you have a battery, there is a risk of oxidation around the battery compartment, which can affect the consistency of voltage delivered to the time circuit. It is more likely to happen in moist or salty climates than in dry areas, and this is also an easy fix and requires residue cleaning.
- The coil that powers the motor is super-thin, thinner than human hair, and this can be damaged or broken when someone who doesn’t know how to change a battery properly cuts or hits the wire. This would need replacing as the thinness of the wire would be impossible to repair.
- A faulty circuit board would cause the quartz watch to fail, and when this happens, the circuit board is replaced entirely, as repairing them is not an option.
- A defective tuning fork crystal is rare but can become damaged under certain circumstances like extreme heat or impact. Fortunately, these crystals are readily available and cheap, too, so replacing your crystal may only cost a few dollars, and your quartz watch will be up and running again!
What Guarantees Do Quartz Watches Come With
Another good idea is to chat with the dealer so he can advise you about the watch’s maintenance requirements and guarantees when you buy it. Most quartz watches will come with a one or two-year guarantee as a minimum, but the better quality models often come with 5, 7, or even ten-year guarantees.
Which Watches Last The Longest
Quartz watches have a great lifespan; when looked after and maintained, they could last 20-30 years. While the casing may last longer, you may need to replace the movement if you want to keep the watch going to the next generation, but some watches will survive that long without significant repairs.
The watches that last the longest are automatic and have been around since the 1700s. These watches use the wearer’s energy to power the central rotor that drives the mechanism, and because of this, they would only require a mainspring replacement once in a lifetime.
Because of this efficiency, good quality automatic watches can last hundreds of years provided they are well looked after. They are less susceptible to mechanical or electronic failure than mechanical or quartz watches.
High-end mechanical watches can also last a very long time, and this is due to the type and quality of the materials used to manufacture them as well as the design and quality of the movement.
Which Quartz Watches Last The Longest
One of the longest-lasting quartz watches is the Grand Seiko Sport GMT, which was made in 1993. Even by today’s modern standards, this is one of the most advanced quartz watches and features thermo-compensation. With its HAQ (High Accuracy Quartz) certification, it will only lose about 10 seconds per year.
At 39 years old, the Grand GMT would only have lost six-and-a-half minutes over almost four decades! Another awe-inspiring feature is that aside from the battery change, the watch is so precisely sealed that it would only need its first service in the year 2043, or fifty years after it was made!
There are countless other cases online of people that have quartz watches dating back even earlier than the Grand Seiko to times in the early and late 80s and report that aside from battery changes, their watches are still running as they were the day they were made.
Casio’s G-Shock models, like the T5600, which have been around since the ’80s, demonstrate the durablity of quartz watches designed to take punishment in everyday life. These watches are still some of the longest-lasting in the world today- especially considering their price.
Conclusion
Overall, quartz watches will undoubtedly last for most of your life and possibly a few years, but their longevity is limited, assuming the entire movement is not replaced. Much like a car could last 100 years if the engine, gearbox, and suspension were replaced every decade, the same could be done with a quartz watch.
With regular maintenance and the occasional battery change, you will get many years of service from your quartz watch as they are durable, robust, and accurate timepieces. The fact that many watches today still utilize the quartz movement is a testament to the success of this design.
