The pro's and cons of quartz watches

Quartz watches are still the most popular versions of watches. Of course, automatic watches, Eco-Drives or Kinetics are also popular but a quartz watch is often more economical and definitely worth considering. Quartz timepieces have advantages but also some disadvantages. In this blog, the pros and cons of quartz timepieces.

Bulova quartz watch with 262 kHz movement

What is a quartz watch

Quartz or quartz means that the watch contains a piece of quartz crystal. This quartz crystal gives off a certain vibration when it is energised: it oscillates. Thanks to this vibration, the timepiece is able to display the time with minimal deviation.

Also read: 'Help my Citizen Eco-Drive doesn't charge anymore!'

TW Steel ACE110 Swiss Made quartz watch

The benefits of Quartz watches

Let 's start with the advantages of quartz watches because those advantages are quite ample.

Wide choice
There is a lot of choice in quartz watches. That's a real advantage, every brand has beautiful quartz watches in its range.

Also read: 'The advantages & disadvantages of automatic watches' >

They are cheap
Second advantage is that for not too much money you can already buy a watch with a fine quartz movement. There is a lot of choice in quartz movements and a good movement certainly does not have to be expensive. Quartz watches are reliable and can therefore be cheap too.

Versace quartz watch

High-quality quartz movements
Even in the somewhat more expensive watches, you will see a wide choice of quartz movements. Highly accurate, reliable quartz watches equipped with an energy-efficient movement.

Our most popular quartz watches >

Accurate and precise
Thanks to an oscillating quartz crystal, quartz watches are quite accurate. These watches often deviate a lot less than an automatic watch or one that you have to wind manually.

Which is better, a quartz or automatic watch?
A quartz watch basically runs more accurately than most automatic watches. An automatic watch has slightly more deviation and this is because it has a mechanical movement. Quartz watches are cheaper to buy than an automatic watch. The rule is the more expensive the automatic movement, the more accurate the time display.

The disadvantages of quartz watches

It's not all praise about quartz watches. There are a few drawbacks to these types of watches too.

Versace with Swiss quartz movement

You will have to change the battery every now and then
One of the biggest disadvantages of a quartz watch is that you will have to replace the battery every now and then. How long it takes for the battery to run out depends mainly on the movement used. In some Swiss timepieces, such as the Ronda 5030.D found in many TW Steel watches, the battery can last up to over 4 years. Read how to replace the battery here.

Replace battery = open case
Sooner or later, the battery will run out and you will have to replace it. This means that the case will have to be opened and that can have consequences for water resistance. Especially with diving watches, it is then advisable to do a waterproofness test.

Battery may leak
The battery in the watch may leak if you don't use the watch for a long time or if it is not completely waterproof anyway. Moisture and batteries don't mix well.

They are cheap to produce
It is quite easy and cheap for watch manufacturers to produce a quartz movement. Consequently, there are many cheap quartz watches in circulation of poor quality. For example, wrist watches you can buy on Chinese websites.

Also read: 'Atomic Time Keeping: Radio Controlled watches'

A quartz watch is a great choice for any watch lover. We have a wide range of men's watches with quartz movement but also fine quartz women's watches in every price range. They are reliable and accurate but you will eventually need to replace a battery.