The first wristwatches were mechanical. They are powered by the energy stored in a spring which is used to move a number of weighted wheels, or gears as they are also known, that turned 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. These types of watches need to wound regularly; meaning that as well as being prone to losing time they rely on their user to remember to wind them. For these reasons mechanical watches are generally collectors items or created primarily for nostalgic purposes rather than for practicality.

Kinetic or Automatic Watches
The modern variation of the mechanical watch that has recently seen a revival is the kinetic watch also known as an automatic watch. These watches have a similar internal structure as the mechanical watches but rely on the movement of the wearer to power the spring. They are often less reliable than other forms of power for watches; there is a greater likelihood that they will lose time, in some cases a few seconds every day.

Quartz Watches
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 removed the quartz generates an electrical field of its own as it moves back to its original shape. This property 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, controls and regulates the hands of the watch.

Atomic Timekeeping
The most accurate time pieces on the planet are connected to atomic clocks. An atomic clock deviates by around a second every million years! Certain wristwatches such as the Casio WaveCeptor range utilise this technology. This is done through a network of radio transmitters which emit time signals. Radio controlled watches receive this signal and adjust themselves accordingly.

Types of Watch Batteries
There are three main types of battery that are used to power watches. The most common is the silver oxide battery. They are frequently used in watches because they have a high energy to weight ratio. This means that they should last for a long period of time. Due to the silver content they can be expensive to produce which is why they are not often used for products that take larger batteries.

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