What is a mechanical watch?
A mechanical watch is a device for keeping time, which uses the energy from a wound spring, and keeps time through the highly regulated release of that energy through a set of gears (the wheel train) and an escapement. Mechanical watches typically can run for about 40 hours on one full winding of the mainspring.
A mechanical watch is a device for keeping time, which uses the energy from a wound spring, and keeps time through the highly regulated release of that energy through a set of gears (the wheel train) and an escapement. It differs from the typical quartz watch in that it uses purely mechanical components to keep time. Mechanical watches typically can run for about 40 hours on one full winding of the mainspring, with a few designs available with up to 8 days, or even 10 days, of power reserve. The basic design of mechanical watches has not changed very much in the past fifty years. What has changed is the use of high technology and modern materials in the design and manufacture of watches. Even with the fusion of CAD/CAM, electrospark erosion in the manufacturing, and titanium nitride cases; the pinnacle of watchmaking is still an expression of elegance of design, attention-to-detail in finishing and assembly, and the art of hand-tweaking movements for optimum performance.
The power that drives a mechanical watch comes from a specially designed and precision manufactured spring. When a mechanical watch is wound, energy is imparted into this mainspring. The watch keeps accurate time by the highly regulated release of the energy stored in the mainspring. A mechanical watch differs from a typical quartz watch in that it uses purely mechanical components to keep time, rather than batteries or any other external elements. Mechanical watches typically can run for about 40 hours on one full winding of the mainspring. The basic design of mechanical watches has changed little in the past fifty years. What has changed is the use of high technology and modern materials in the design and manufacture of the watches. Why do all watch manufacturers recommend winding automatic watches? Like the mechanical watch, the automatic watch is powered by the energy stored in its mainspring.
A mechanical watch is a device for keeping time, which uses the energy from a wound spring, and keeps time through the highly regulated release of that energy through a set of gears (the wheel train) and an escapement. It differs from the typical quartz watch in that it uses purely mechanical components to keep time. Mechanical watches typically can run for about 40 hours on one full winding of the mainspring, with a few designs available with up to 8 days, or even 10 days, of power reserve. (quoted from Timezone.
