A quartz watch is a battery-powered watch. The battery sends an electric signal via a microchip circuit to a small quartz crystal that then vibrates at a precise rate. Those vibrations regulate a stepper motor that moves the watch’s hands. Quartz watches are considerably more accurate, more reliable, and cheaper than their mechanical counterparts, though mechanical watch diehards don’t find them as appealing because of their simpler internal components. (See some of our favorite quartz watches here.)
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