How long does a quartz watch battery last?

Usually two to five years, longer on watches with low-power movements. A solar quartz rarely needs a battery change at all.

Is quartz worse than automatic?

No, just different: quartz is more accurate, cheaper and lower maintenance. People choose automatics for the craftsmanship, not the timekeeping.

What is a quartz watch?

A battery-powered watch regulated by a tiny quartz crystal that vibrates 32,768 times a second, making it far more accurate than a mechanical watch.

How it works

A battery sends current through a quartz crystal cut into a tiny tuning fork. Quartz vibrates at a precise frequency when electrified, 32,768 times a second in almost every watch. A circuit counts the vibrations and sends a pulse to a stepping motor once a second, which moves the hands.

A typical quartz watch is accurate to about 15 seconds a month, several times better than most mechanical watches. High-accuracy quartz with temperature compensation reaches a few seconds a year.

History

Seiko launched the first quartz wristwatch, the Astron, in December 1969. Quartz watches quickly became cheap and accurate, and the 'quartz crisis' of the 1970s and 80s nearly wiped out the Swiss mechanical industry until it repositioned mechanical watches as luxury goods.

Variations

Solar quartz, like Citizen Eco-Drive, charges a cell from light. Kinetic and similar hybrids charge from a rotor. Radio-controlled and GPS watches correct themselves from time signals. Seiko's Spring Drive uses a mainspring for power with a quartz regulator.

What's inside, by price

Price	Automatic	Hand-wound	Quartz	Solar	Watches
Under $500	40%	0%	49%	11%	106
$500 to $1,500	71%	2%	17%	9%	98
$1,500 to $5,000	78%	10%	10%	2%	93
$5,000 and up	82%	8%	6%	0%	110

The median automatic we've measured runs 56 hours on a full wind. Browse every caliber on our movements page.

Current watches in our catalog, which is weighted to popular enthusiast models.

Questions

How long does a quartz watch battery last?: Usually two to five years, longer on watches with low-power movements. A solar quartz rarely needs a battery change at all.
Is quartz worse than automatic?: No, just different: quartz is more accurate, cheaper and lower maintenance. People choose automatics for the craftsmanship, not the timekeeping.