BEGINNERS GUIDE TO WATCH MOVEMENTS
HERE I WILL TRY AND COVER THE DIFFERENT KIND OF MOVEMENTS FOUND IN WATCHES.I AM FINDING THAT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE FINDING THEIR WAY INTO THIS HOBBY AND ARE OFTEN UNAWARE OF THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF MOVEMENTS.THE SPUR FOR THIS LITTLE ARTICLE WAS AN EMAIL FROM A CHAP A FEW WEEKS AGO.HE HAD BOUGHT A WATCH FROM ME AND RECEIVED IT OK.HE SENT ME A VERY NICE EMAIL SAYING HE REALLY LIKED THE WATCH BUT IT WASNT WORKING.I SAW THE MAIL AND WAS A LITTLE PUZZLED WONDERING WHAT THE ROYAL MAIL HAD MANAGED TO DO TO IT !!.BEFORE I HAD CHANCE TO RESPOND I GOT ANOTHER MAIL FROM HIM SAYING THAT ALL WAS WELL AND NEXT TIME HE WOULD WIND IT UP !!.SO HENCE THE ARTICLE !.
MECHANICAL MOVEMENTS
HANDWOUND.... AS SUGGESTED BY THE NAME THIS IS A MECHANICAL MOVEMENT THAT IS WOUND BY HAND EVERY DAY.MOST HANDWOUND WATCHES WILL RUN FOR AROUND 30 HOURS OR SO ON A FULL WIND,SOME A LITTLE MORE.THERE ARE MANY VARIATIONS ON TYPES OF HANDWOUND MOVEMENTS WHICH I MAY TRY AND COVER AT SOME TIME !
AUTOMATIC OR SELF WINDING........A MECHANICAL MOVEMENT THAT IN NORMAL WEAR DOES NOT REQUIRE WINDING BY HAND.THESE MOVEMENTS HAVE A WEIGHTED ROTOR THATS SWINGS WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE WATCH AND PROVIDES THE WINDING IMPETUS.VARIATIONS ON THIS INCLUDE THE BUMPER AUTOMATIC WHICH AGAIN HAS A WEIGHTED ROTOR BUT INSTEAD OF ROTATING THROUGH THE FULL 360 DEGREES IT BOUNCES OR BUMPS OFF 2 SMALL SPRINGS.SOME AUTOMATICS CAN ALSO BE WOUND BY HAND,SOME CANNOT.AUTOMATICS ARE FREQUENTLY AND INCORRECTLY CALLED KINETIC ON EBAY,SEE KINETIC FURTHER DOWN FOR AN EXPLANATION.
ELECTRIC.....A MECHANICAL MOVEMENT THAT IS POWERED BY A BATTERY.THESE WATCHES AE UNCOMMON AND INTERESTING.THEY USE A CONVENTIONAL MECHANICAL MOVEMENT BUT INSTEAD OF A MAINSPRING THAT IS WOUND THEY USE A BATTERY TO PROVIDE IMPULSE TO THE BALANCE WHEEL.THESE WATCHES WERE FIRST PRODUCED BY HAMILTON.
QUARTZ MOVEMENTS
WE ARE ALL FAIRLY FAMILIAR WITH THESE BATTERY POWERED WATCHES BUT THEY CAN DIFFER A GREAT DEAL IN QUALITY FROM THE CHEAP PLASTIC GEARED UNJEWELLED WATCHES TO METAL GEARED MULTI JEWELLED VERSIONS.MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT A QUARTZ MOVEMENT IS THROWAWAY AND TO SOME DEGREE WITH CHEAP MOVEMENTS THAT IS TRUE.HOWEVER A GOOD QUALITY QUARTZ CAN BE AND IS DESIGNED TO BE SERVICED JUST LIKE A MECHANICAL WATCH.
KINETIC...... THESE ARE QUARTZ WATCHES WITHOUT A BATTERY.THEY ARE NOT MECHANICAL.THEY DO HAVE A ROTOR LIKE A MECHANICAL AUTOMATIC AND THAT BUILDS UP A CHARGE TO MAINTAIN POWER TO THE QUARTZ MOVEMENT WHILST THE WATCH IS WORN AND FOR A PERIOD OF INACTIVITY AFTERWARDS.IT WORKS RATHER LIKE AN OLD BIKE DYNAMO.
MISC
TUNING FORK WATCHES.......INTERESTING WATCHES PRODUCED BY BULOVA,ZENITH,OMEGA ETC.THESE WATCHES ARE POWERED BY A BATTERY BUT THE IMPULSE TO DRIVE THE WATCH IS PROVIDED BY A HIGH FREQUENCY TUNING FORK.THIS VIBRATES EXTREMELY QUICKLY AND THE EFFECT IS THAT THE SECOND HAND ON THESE WATCHES MOVES WITH A PERFECT UNBROKEN SWEEP.THE OTHER UNMISTAKABLE CHARACTERISTIC OF THESE WATCHES IS THE HUMMING NOISE THEY PRODUCE,NOT A TICK BUT A HUM.THESE WATCHES HAVE A CULT FOLLOWING AND ARE SOUGHT AFTER. | 
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