Quartz or automatic watch: what is the difference and which to choose?

It is the first technical question in front of a watch: quartz or automatic? Both tell the time, but not in the same way, at the same price or with the same care. Here are the differences, simply put, so you can choose.

The quartz watch: accurate and carefree

A battery sends a current through a tiny quartz crystal that vibrates more than 32,000 times a second; a circuit counts those vibrations and moves the hands. The result: accuracy within a few seconds a month, a light watch and almost no maintenance. The battery is changed every 2 to 3 years by a watchmaker, for a few dozen dirhams.

The seconds hand moves in small one-second jumps: the telltale sign of quartz. Most everyday chronographs use this movement (for example: Titan Chronograph — Steel & Grey Dial).

The automatic watch: mechanics on your wrist

No battery: a spring provides the energy, and an oscillating weight winds it with every movement of your wrist. The seconds hand sweeps smoothly. It is the watchmaking tradition, loved for its craftsmanship and the “heart” you can see through a transparent caseback.

In return, an automatic is a little less accurate (a few seconds a day), stops if it is not worn for a day or two, and needs a service every 4 to 6 years.

Side by side

Which one to choose?

• You want a reliable watch to wear every day without thinking about it: quartz.
• You love mechanics and want a piece to pass on: automatic.
• You rotate several watches: a quartz does not stop while it waits in the box.

Good to know: on every product page of our shop, the movement is listed in the specifications, next to the diameter and the water resistance.

Next step: find the right size with our guide which watch size for my wrist.