In the ever changing technology of the 21st century, everything is expanding it's horizons. If you've been to any jewelry store, including Steven DiFranco Jewelers, lately you've seen the massive amounts of watches available to the customer today, and the technology of some of their inner workings may confuse you. If we were to ask you the difference between an automatic and a kinetic watch, would you be able to describe it?  Or, would you be one of the many customers that comes in for a watch battery replacement even though the watch doesn't even have a battery.  This web page has been designed to clear everything up and help you better analyze you own watch problems so that you can avoid a lengthy trip to a watch "service station".

These days seeing a manual wind watch is a rarity. Older, even antique watches were predominantly manual wind mechanical watches.  This meant that every morning you would put your watch on your wrist, then wind it up until you felt slight resistance. The watch would keep fine time throughout the day.  These watches were the mainstay of worldwide timekeeping for many years. Some of you will even remember having to wind up your alarm clock before going to bed each night! Looking back on this technology today, makes it seem like a pain, back then we didn't know any different.  Filip & Company will be introducing a Gent's manual wind wristwatch in the fall of 2009.

Automatic or self-winding technology has been around for quite some time. These watches are common amongst Bulova and Accutron as well as the fine Filip & Company watches, all of which we carry in stock at Steven DiFranco Jewelers. Today, Rolex brand wristwatches are primarily powered by automatic/self-winding movements

An automatic watch represents its "ability" to wind itself, and yes we said WIND (pronounced whined), no battery here. Your movement actually moves a half-circle shaped winder that winds the mainspring of the watch, giving it a reserve of power which will last approximately 36 hours.

This technology has been around for awhile and that's because it's very reliable. There is no need to change a battery. It only asks that you MOVE. These watches can also be wound the old fashion way by simply rotating the crown (see the watch setting page for an explanation on the crown).

Is this technology for you? Well, if you do not move either because of age or another physical condition, an automatic watch is not for you because of it's need for movement to keep the mainspring of the watch wound. If you have multiple watches, and you will only wear your automatic watch once a week or so, you will have to reset the watch every time you are wanting to wear it. This can be a task you will quickly tire of.

Back in the early '70's Seiko turned the watch/timekeeping world upside down when they introduced quartz powered watches for the masses. This was the equivalent of going from a horse and buggy to a car. I was working at a jewelry store in the Great Lakes Mall when this technology occurred. It was an amazing time for the watch industry.

How does a quartz watch work? A battery provides the power to an integrated circuit that controls the quartz and stepping motor. The quartz oscillates, dividing the time, and the Trimmer regulates the frequency at which the quartz oscillates. The stepping motor then transforms the electrical impulses into mechanical power and starts the gear train, activating hours, minutes, and seconds.

Essentially, the Quartz movement watches are battery operated and run off the oscillations of the quartz, think of a tuning fork. Once the battery dies, the watch stops running. These watches usually require a new battery every year to a year and a half, but some can last longer.

These watches are modern marvels and tap into the power of movement. Like automatic watches, these movements depend on power to keep them going, but this movement doesn't wind a spring, it recharges a battery. The wearer's arm movement causes an oscillating weight to rotate. Gear trains transfer this movement to the rotor, whose spinning generates voltage across a coil block. The electrical current is then stored in a little electrical storage unit, which stores the power and disperses the power as a battery would.

Solar powered watches are one of the latest technological advances in watch development. Solar powered watches contain a light sensitive receptor underneath the dial, which absorbs light (natural or artificial), and converts it into energy to keep the watch ticking. This captured energy is stored in a small permanent battery in the watch so that the watch still functions in the dark.  Click here to view a movie on how the Eco-Drive system works.

One type of these watches is the Citizen Eco-Drive, which is available here at Steven DiFranco Jewelers.