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Wristwatches are powered and tell the time in a number of ways, each way has different advantages and disadvantages. The standard of technology is high for contemporary watches and you are unlikely to encounter powering issues, but you may find that a certain type of watch power will facilitate the way that you use a watch.

Mechanical Watches

The first wristwatches were mechanical. The power comes from energy that is stored in a spring, which was used to turn a number of weighted wheels, gears, to move the hands. This technology came from spring-powered clocks that were around as early as the 1400’s; it began to be used for smaller watches in the 1600’s. To keep a mechanical watch going it must be wound regularly, often every day. Having to remember to wind mechanical watches is seen by many to be an inconvenience so they are often regarded as collectors or nostalgic items.

Kinetic or Automatic Watches

Automatic watches are the modern incarnation of the mechanical watch. Automatic watches are similar inside to a mechanical watch but they rely on the movement of the wearer to power the spring. There is a greater likelihood that an automatic watch will lose time than some of the other powered watches, it can be as much as a few seconds every day. Designer and high quality watch brands such as Police and Seiko have automatic watches as signature pieces in their collections. This is partly because they have the expertise to ensure accuracy. Plus automatic watches never need to have a battery change, which is eco-friendly and advantageous for preserving water resistance ratings. The moving parts inside the watch also are often visable through a transparent case.

Quartz Watches

Quartz watches became available in 1969. Quartz has special properties so when it is shaped in a certain way and subject to an electrical field it will bend. When the field is taken away the quartz generates an electrical field of its own as it moves back to its original shape. This is known as piezoelectricity. Due to this property quartz crystals can be used to regulate the movement of an electronic oscillator. This energy and movement powers and controls the hands of the watch. This revolutionary technology is now the most common form of power in wristwatches. It is also the most reliable timekeeping method which also comes at a low price.

Atomic Timekeeping

Atomic time is measured through the radioactive changes in an atom. It is the most precise measurement of time known to man. An atomic clock deviates by around a second every million years! Many performance wristwatches for example Casio’s WaveCeptor range utilise this technology. A network of radio transmitters emit time signals that are received by the radio controlled watches. When the watch receives the signal it will set itself to the correct time.

Types of Watch Batteries

Other watches are generally powered by one of three types of battery. The most common is the silver oxide battery. This kind of battery is used in watches because they have a high energy to weight ratio. This means that they should last for a significant amount of time. Silver is a costly precious metal so although silver oxide batteries are extremely efficient you are unlikely to see them being used in larger objects.

Lithium batteries are long-life and also relatively expensive. They are used primarily in watches that have lights or other energy draining features.

Solar cells are becoming more common in wristwatches. Advanced battery cells are fuelled by the light that reaches them through the face of the watch. The result of this is that the battery will never need to be changed and the integrity of the watch should be preserved for longer. Citizen’s Eco-Drive range has set the standard for the practical application of this technology. As an additional ecological bonus the batteries do not contain any of the harmful chemicals found in regular batteries.

Wave ceptor radio controlled watches

Atomic clocks are the most accurate time pieces on the planet, but unfortunately far too large and expensive for personal use. Radio controlled watches, such as Casio’s waveceptor range, however give you a practical way to bring that accuracy to your own wrist.

Radio controlled watches utilise a network of 5 time signal transmitters located around the world. These transmitters are connected to super-accurate atomic clocks that deviate by around 1 second every million years, making them the most precise clocks in the world. Radio controlled watches listen out for signals sent by these transmitters and then automatically adjust themselves if they are out of sync, meaning that you never have to worry about your watch being wrong again.

By comparison, a quartz watch will fall out of sync by a few seconds each month. Mechanical watches, even the most expensive ones, will differ by a bit more again. Radio controlled watches will however correct themselves to always show the right time.

Even when the clocks change from GMT to BST or back again, radio controlled watches can automatically adjust themselves to correct for the change. Unless you are looking at them when it happens you won’t even realise that it has occurred.

What about travelling abroad?

Most radio controlled watches, such as Casio Waveceptors let you easily select the time zone that you are in. One this is set they will continue to track the time and make any needed adjustments.

What happens if I am not near a transmitter?

The range of the transmitters is huge, however radio controlled watches continue to function normally and accurately even if you are out of range of one. When a signal cannot be found they simply work like other wristwatches, tracking the time internally. The time will then be checked against the signal again next time you are in range and any adjustment needed made. Again, all of this happens without you having to do a thing.

Differing watch capabilities

Not all radio controlled watches function in exactly the same way.  For instance, some are able to pick up the signals from all transmitters whilst others are not.  We advise checking individual watch descriptions or speaking to one of our staff if you have specific questions.

More information

• Our range of Waveceptor radio controlled watches