Saudi Luxury / Watch basics
Automatic, quartz or solar: which movement suits you
Compare accuracy, upkeep and daily use, then pick the movement that fits how often you actually wear a watch.
If you want a watch that keeps close time and is running whenever you pick it up, buy quartz, ideally solar quartz. Buy an automatic because you enjoy a mechanical movement, accepting that it gains or loses seconds a day and stops if it sits unworn for longer than its power reserve.
The four types at a glance
| Movement | Typical accuracy | Routine upkeep | Left unworn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quartz | Seconds a month | New battery every two to five years | Runs until the battery is flat |
| Solar quartz | Seconds a month | None routine; the cell recharges from light | Runs for months on a full charge, depending on the model |
| Automatic | Seconds a day | Periodic full service | Stops when the power reserve runs out |
| Hand-wound | Seconds a day | Winding by the crown, plus periodic service | Stops when the power reserve runs out |
Quartz
A battery powers a small quartz crystal that vibrates at a steady frequency, and a circuit counts those vibrations off as seconds, which is why quartz keeps closer time than any ordinary mechanical watch. Ask for the seals to be checked at each battery change, and replace a flat battery promptly, because an old one can leak and damage the movement.
Solar
Solar quartz replaces the disposable battery with a rechargeable cell that charges from light reaching the dial. Citizen calls its version Eco-Drive. Daylight and room light both charge it, and the cell is built to last many years. Charge it by a window or by wearing it, not on a car dashboard, where summer heat can damage a watch. If one stops in a drawer, it usually needs light, not repair. If you want one watch that needs no attention, start with the Citizen Eco-Drive collection.
Automatic and hand-wound
An automatic is a mechanical watch with a weighted rotor that winds the mainspring as your wrist moves. Worn daily, it keeps running; taken off, it stops once its power reserve runs out, and you reset the time and date when you next put it on. Reserves vary widely: the Rado DiaStar Original Skeleton records 80 hours, enough to bridge a weekend, while many automatics manage about 40 hours. Our power reserve guide explains the figure.
A hand-wound watch has no rotor: you wind it by turning the crown, usually as a morning habit. The Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical also has an 80-hour reserve, so a missed day does no harm.
Both need a full service now and then, which costs far more than a battery; our servicing guide covers when and why. If a mechanical watch suddenly starts gaining far more than usual, it has probably been magnetised by a phone speaker, a magnetic bag clasp or a tablet cover. A watchmaker can demagnetise it quickly.
The appeal is the mechanism itself: a balance swinging several times a second, a sweeping seconds hand and no battery to fail. For the full detail, Watch Codex explains how an automatic rotor winds the mainspring.
How to tell which one you are looking at
- Watch the seconds hand. One jump per second usually means quartz; a smooth sweep usually means mechanical. Spring Drive also sweeps and is a type of its own, explained in our Spring Drive guide.
- Read the dial and the case back: “Automatic”, “Eco-Drive” and “Solar” are usually printed there.
- On a listing, check the movement line in the spec table rather than the title.
A quick way to choose
- One watch, worn every day, no fuss: solar.
- Several watches in rotation: quartz or solar, or an automatic with a long power reserve.
- Curious about how watches work and happy to reset one now and then: an automatic, or a hand-wound watch if you enjoy the daily winding.
If you settle on an automatic, start with our ranked list of automatic watches.