Movement

The inner-working mechanism of a watch that can be either mechanical (automatic or hand-wound) or quartz (battery-powered). Most watch manufacturers refer to their movements as “calibers.” In a mechanical movement, the main components are a mainspring, a gear train, an escapement, and a balance wheel. In a quartz movement, the main components are a battery, a microchip circuit, a quartz crystal, and a stepper motor. Many high-end movements (both quartz and mechanical) are manufactured in Switzerland by either watch brands themselves or from large movement makers like ETA and Valjoux, though Japan and even China have their own thriving watchmaking industries.