In watchmaking, an implicit hierarchy has emerged: automatic would be noble, quartz utilitarian. The reality is simpler, and more interesting. These are two answers to two different needs.
How an automatic movement works
A oscillating weight rotates with the movements of the wrist and winds a spring. This spring slowly unwinds and drives the hands. No battery, a fully visible mechanism — often through a transparent case back.
It's a living object, and that's its charm. But an automatic generally loses or gains 5 to 15 seconds per day, stops after two days without being worn, requires regular adjustment and a complete overhaul every five to seven years. This overhaul often costs more than an entire quartz watch.
How a quartz movement works
An electric current passes through a cut quartz crystal, which vibrates 32,768 times per second. This remarkably stable frequency serves as a reference to move the hands.
Result: accuracy of a few seconds per month, whereas automatic is measured in seconds per day. Several years of autonomy. No winding, no overhaul. And a thinner case, due to the lack of an oscillating weight to house.
Our choice, and its reasons
Our watches use a Japanese quartz movement. Three reasons, in this order.
The slimness
Our cases are 7 to 7.5 mm thick. This silhouette is not achievable with an entry-level or mid-range automatic: the rotor requires height. Yet it is precisely this slimness that allows a watch like the Reine d'Argent to disappear under a shirt sleeve.
No maintenance
A watch that needs to be wound, adjusted, and serviced becomes an object you have to take care of. We wanted the opposite: a watch that tells the correct time for years, and that you forget about — in a good way. The battery replacement can be done by any watchmaker, in a few minutes.
The right price
For the same budget, quartz allows you to invest in what you see and touch: a 316L stainless steel case, a sapphire crystal, a Milanese mesh or a properly selected leather. An automatic at the same price requires compromises on all these materials. This is what allows us to offer our men's models and our women's models at this level of finish.
When automatic remains the right choice
Let's be honest: if what interests you is the mechanism itself — seeing the movement work, maintaining an object, passing on a piece — then automatic is for you, and no quartz will replace that relationship.
If what you're looking for is a precise, slim, discreet, and hassle-free watch, quartz is not a compromise. It's the most direct answer.
A clarification on the battery
The battery is a wear-and-tear part: it is therefore not covered by our 24-month warranty, which covers manufacturing defects of the movement, case, and crystal. Expect several years before the first replacement.
The exact movement of each model is listed in the Details tab of its product page. To see the difference in finish we're talking about, the Émeraude Dorée is a good starting point.
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