A quartz-piloted electronic movement does for its part provide extreme accuracy and includes time functions hitherto impossible to build into a watch.

The two systems provide very different levels of precision

A quartz electronic movement varies by: 1 second a week 5 seconds a month 1 minute a year	60 X	A Mechanical movement varies by: 1 minute a week 5 minutes a month 1 hour a year

So a quartz electronic movement is 60 times more accurate than a mechanical one. Yet the choice of a mechanical or of a quartz electronic movement should not depend on precision alone. The pleasures and satisfactions that come from wearing one or the other as well as the functions each can offer all help to determine which type of watch to select.

People will collect anything, but who consciously collects quartz? Quartz watches are high volume articles and people do not collect high volume articles. At least not usually. It depends on product utility value. Watches have different look, but have only one real utility value, to tell time.

Mechanical watches require frequent, fairly expensive maintenance. They also do not tell time accurately, compared to today’s technological possibilities. Yet people, especially men, are fascinated with mechanical movement. As far as human fascination is concerned, watch movement with wheels and springs have held their ground against every technical advancement in timekeeping. The principle behind these beloved collectibles function is the same way as it was 100 years ago. Unlike the quartz, mechanical timepiece is not a high volume article and it is considered the special status of luxury item.

Complications are additional display in mechanical watches. In the mechanical watches, functions are the most complicated manner. Complications are the object of wonder and admiration. For example, does anyone genuinely needs a timepiece with 6 to 10 indicators so small that you need a magnifying glass to read them? How many moonphase indicators are really accurate? Are split seconds, tourbillons and minute repeater a basic necessity? Of course not, we buy them because we find them absolutely fascinating.
 

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