1. Components of a Quartz Watch
Energy accumulator
Accumulator, Battery, Capacitor
Gear train, Frequency divider circuit
Counting, transmission
Electro-mechanical Transformer, Stepping motor
Distribution
Regulation
Quartz
Dial and hands, Aperture discs, Diodes, Liquid crystals
Display

2. Analog and Digital Quartz Watches
Principle design of quartz watches

3. Identification of Components
Battery
Insulator
Positive contact
Negative contact
Printed circuit
Integrated circuit
Quartz
Trimmer
9. Coil
10. Coil protector
11. Stator
12. Rotor
Train wheel
16. Train wheel bridge
17. Setting stem

4. Oscillation - Vibration Frequency - Isochronism
Dividing time in equal increments
Recurring event at defined intervals
Vibration
Oscillation
Introduce “Hertz” as unit of measure
Amplitude
Isochrononism
Discovery of Isochrononism Galileo (1583)
Huygens (1656)

5. Frequencies
Relationship of Precision – Frequency – Quality factor
The higher the frequency of the oscillator the more precise the timekeeper (if the frequency doubles the accuracy increases four-fold)
The higher the frequency of the oscillator the more accurate the timekeeper

6. Ohm’s Law

7. The Battery The case – positive pole The cathode – positive electrode
The pressure ring
The separator
The gasket
The absorbent material – electrolyte
The anode – negative electrode
The cover – negative pole

8. Introduction to Electro-chemical Processes
Volta’s battery
Electro-chemical systems used in watch making

9. Types of Batteries, Storage and Handling
Four types commonly used in watches:
Silver oxide (low drain) 1,55 V
Silver oxide (high drain) 1,55 V
Lithium 2 V (Li/CuS)
Lithium 3 V (Li/MnO2)
Storage:
Store at 20 centigrade or 68 Fahrenheit and max. 50% humidity
Batteries have a limited shelf life (due to self discharge, which is the result of a change in the internal resistance over time) – avoid storing batteries longer then 12 months
Manufacturer’s use often a production code – do not use batteries produced more than 6 to 12 ago
Batteries may leak: check gasket seat before installing into watch
Handling:
Handle batteries with insulated tweezers to avoid short circuits. Do not touch with fingers.

10. Sample Battery Chart

11. Theoretical Life-time and Testing of Batteries
Test batteries with a voltmeter (very high internal resistance) preferably installed on the movement
When applying test resistor follow equipment manufacturer’s recommendations
Note: There is no efficient way to determine a battery’s remaining capacity. Changing a battery is less costly than a come-back.

12. The Quartz
The quartz (rock crystal) can be found in alpine regions and has the chemical formula SiO2 (silicon dioxide)
They are “grown” synthetically in autoclaves and cut to the proper specifications
They have three axes, which are set perpendicular to each other:
The piezo-electric effect was discovered in 1880 by the brothers Curie
is a quartz crystal mechanically deformed an electrical charge results at given points
if an electrical charge is applied at certain points the quartz crystal is deformed mechanically.

13. The Quartz as an Oscillator
Like any other oscillator (pendulum, balance wheel) quartz oscillators need to be activated
Quartz has electrical properties which resemble a traditional electrical oscillator consistent of a capacitor and a coil
Once the quartz is oscillating it maintains a very precise and stable oscillation
The quartz has a “natural” frequency and if the external oscillator’s frequency is the same the quartz vibrates “in resonance”

14. The Orientation of the Quartz Cuts
At which angle the quartz resonator is cut from the raw material determines two critical factors:
The frequency of the quartz resonator and their oscillation pattern
X cuts
CD/DT cuts
AT cuts

15. The temperature/frequency curve

16. Quartzes used in Watchmaking
Mainly two “cuts” are being used for application in watchmaking:
Flexion mode
in the shape of bars or tuning forks
Shearing mode
In the shape of lenses

17. The Tuning Fork Quartz
Today the most commonly used quartz resonator in watchmaking
Very stable frequency due to pre-aging quartzes during manufacturing process
Temperature does not vary too much in wrist watches
Good shock resistance (mounting crystal at the base of the tuning fork)
Good mastery of production process

18. Determination of the Frequency and the Dividing Chain
The frequencies are determined by using an exponential factor of the number 2 since binary circuits are used to divide the frequency

19. The Correction of the Frequency
During the manufacture of quartz resonators variations occur and not all will oscillate at 32,768 Hz (32 kHz)
The traditional method is to use a trimmer (an adjustable capacitor) or a fixed capacitor to make corrections to the frequency
Today more often “Inhibition” systems are being used to correct the output signal of the divider chain (inside the integrated circuit)

20. The Function of the Integrated Circuit
The integrated circuit is the “brain” of the quartz watch. It has many different functions:
maintain the oscillation of the quartz
divide the frequency
correct the rate of the watch (inhibition system)
transmit impulses to the motor
end of life indicator (battery)
controlled motor drive (servo control circuit)

21. The Integrated Circuit
Integrated circuits in watchmaking are usually manufactured using C-MOS technology (complimentary metal oxide semiconductor)
They are manufactured on silicon wafers in a step by step photo-lithographical process which requires extreme precision

22. Inhibition System
The accuracy of the quartz watch depends largely on the frequency of the quartz
The frequency of quartzes vary due to manufacturing tolerances
These variations can be corrected outside the IC by either using a trimmer or fixed capacitor
Another system is using a special IC which corrects the frequency inside the divider chain
Watches with inhibition system will always indicate a large gain when the rate is tested using acoustical and capacitive pick-up modes
This gain is corrected every so often (commonly every 60 seconds) by eliminating a set number of impulses at the 16 kHz level of the divider chain
These type of watches must be tested by using the motor (inductive) pick-up and preset the integration time (measurement interval) to 60 seconds

23. The IC of a Digital Quartz Watch
This type of IC’s may contain additional functions such as:
Multiplex circuit
Segment driver circuit for LCD (64Hz)
Alarm
Chronograph

24. Introduction to Electro-magnetism
When an electric current flows through a coil the coil becomes a magnet. By adding a soft-iron core this effect can be “directed” and increased.

25. The Motor
Early on watch manufacturers used various designs of electro-mechanical transformers in quartz wrist watches
Balance wheel
Tuning fork
Micro motor (compact)

26. The Lavet Motor Today most commonly used in quartz analog watches
Introduced during the second part of the 1970’s due to the availability of small and very powerful magnets (samarium kobalt alloy)
Principle components:

27. Evolution of the Lavet Motor
Early design with open stator
Current design with closed stator
Rotor “floats” inside stator opening

28. The Function of the Lavet Motor
The motor impulse
The rotor at rest
The positive motor impulse

29. The Function of the Lavet Motor
The rotor at rest (after 180 degrees)
The negative motor impulse
The rotor has completed one revolution (two impulses needed)

30. The Display
Train wheel and display of an analog quartz watch

31. The Electronic Display
Digital quartz watches use a seven digit display matrix for numbers
In LED quartz watches each segment is made out of several light emitting diodes (gallium arsenide or gallium phosphate). These displays required a lot of energy and two hands to read the time.

32. The Liquid Crystal Display
Liquid crystals are organic substances that have different physical properties depending on the temperature
Liquid crystals can vary by their molecular structure (smectic, nematic, cholesteric or dichroic). Today mainly nematic substances are used for watches

33. The Design of the LCD Design principle Side view 2 1 3 5 4 6 7 8 9 9 811 3 4 10
1. Upper glass
2. Upper polarization filter
3. Individual electrodes
4. Common electrode
5. Frame
6. Liquid crystals
7. Lower glass
8. Lower polarization filter
9. Reflector
10. Common electrode contact
11. Fill hole / Solder point

34. Function of a LCD 1 3 4 5 2 7 8 9 6 1. Reflector
2. Polarization filters
3. Liquid crystal molecules in normal state
4. Incoming light
5. No contrast
6. Electrical field applied (electrodes not shown)
7. Liquid crystal molecules arranged
8. Incoming light
9. Contrast

35. Diagnosis of Quartz Analog Watches3 4 5 2 1
1. Checking the rate (quartz frequency)
Acoustic or capacitive pick-up (Inhibition system)
2. Checking the rate (magnetic field of motor during impulse)
Inductive pick-up (Inhibition system)
3. Testing the battery
4. Checking the motor impulse
5. Checking the coil resistance
6. Checking the insulation of circuit and coil
7. Checking the consumption
8. Checking the lower working voltage

36. Diagnosis ETA

37. Checking the Rate (Acoustic Pick-up)
Checking the rate with case closed

38. Checking the Rate (Inductive Pick-up)

39. Testing the Voltage (Battery Installed)

40. Checking the Motor Impulse (Battery Installed)

41. Coil Resistance (Battery Removed)

42. Checking the Average Consumption (Battery removed)

43. Checking the Base Consumption (Battery removed)

44. Controlled Motor Drive

45. Testing the Controlled Motor Drive

46. End of Life Indication (Battery removed)
Certain movements with seconds hand have an indicator to signal the need for a battery replacement
This function is activated when the battery voltage drops below 1,4 V
When replacing the battery the movement may continue to operate in the EOL mode for up to one minute
Pulling out and pushing back in the stem will reset the EOL function

47. Lower Working Voltage (Battery Removed)

48. Lower Working Voltage (Battery Removed – Fast Action Mode)

49. The Thermo-compensation System (ETA 255.511/561)
In the mid-1980’s the first quartz watches with thermo-compensation systems were introduced in the quest for high-precision watches (deviation of +/- 10sec/year) as alternative to utilizing mega-hertz quartzes.
The design is based on using a twin-quartz solution where the temperature variance of a standard 32 kHz quartz is electronically stabilized by comparing its accuracy to a 262 kHz quartz and (with the help of a sophisticated electronic circuit) introduce a correction every eight minutes via an inhibition system.
To make corrections to the regulation a specified procedure needs to be followed and a timing machine with a 480 seconds integration time is required.

50. Thermo-compensation circuit and Temperature-Frequency Curve
Rate in sec/day
Thermo-compensated quartz
Regular quartz
Temperature-Frequency Coefficients