Meca Quartz Chronograph Explained!

In this article, we will be answering some questions about the meca quartz chronograph. This is a very rare and interesting style of watch. The actual nature of this type of watch may seem somewhat confusing, but we will break it down piece by piece. We’ll start with a simple and concise definition of a meca quartz chronograph, and then explain everything from there.

So, first off, what is a meca quartz chronograph? It is a chronograph watch that uses a hybrid movement which combines properties of both mechanical and quartz watches. If that sounds like a mouthful don’t worry, because we will break that explanation down step by step.


Breakdown of the Meca Quartz Chronograph


In this next part, we will explain in brief detail every aspect of the meca quartz chronograph. The first part of this that we are going to look at is the chronograph. This section will briefly explain the basics of what a chronograph actually is.

What is a Chronograph Watch?

chronograph

A chronograph watch is a watch that functions as a stopwatch. Now while digital watches could also be considered chronographs, most often the term is going to be referring to an analog chronograph.

In an analog chronograph, you have the regular timekeeping functions: minutes, seconds, and hours hands. But you also have circular sub dials.

There can either be two or 3 sub dials usually. These will represent the seconds, minutes, or hours of the stopwatch function only. This is separate from the regular timekeeping features of the watch.

So, that is basically what a chronograph watch is. It is a particular function of a watch. A chronograph could also be considered a watch’s “movement”. And movement is what we will talk about next. We will discuss the different movements of a watch and how they pertain to the meca quartz.

Movement of a Watch

A watch’s movement refers to the mechanism that powers the watch and its function. While chronographs, analog, and digital watches cold also be considered movements, the truth is that there are two main types of movements in watches. Every other type of movement is connected to one of these two. The two main base types of movements are: mechanical, and quartz.

Mechanical

A mechanical movement relies on the use of a mainspring to power the watch. No battery is necessary. In the case of the mechanical watch, this spring must be wound up. Then, it is the gradual unwinding of the watch that goes on to move the gears and power the watch. There are two types of mechanical watches: hand wound, and automatic.

In a hand wound mechanical watch, you have to manually wind the mainspring, usually by turning the crown. In an automatic mechanical watch, however, the watch is wound by the natural movements of a person’s arm. This is achieved by way of a weighted rotor that spins as the person’s arm moves. This, in turn, winds the watch.

Aside from mechanical hybrid watches, mechanical watches will exclusively feature analog displays.

Quartz

Quarz watches work by utilizing the oscillations of a quartz crystal. These types of watches are battery powered. The battery provides power to a circuit. this circuit then transfers energy into the quartz crystal, causing it to vibrate. These vibrations go on to power the watch.

Quartz watches can be either analog or digital. Even smartwatches are powered by quartz movement.

Meca Quartz

A meca quartz combines the principles of both mechanical and quartz watches. This type of movement is referred to as a hybrid movement, as it combines the features of two different movements. The meca quartz movement runs off of a battery.

This is not to be confused with an autoquartz. An autoquartz similarly combines both automatic and quartz movements. In an autoquartz, the weighted rotor, instead of winding the watch, generates electricity to power the quartz that keeps the time. An autoquartz watch does not require a battery.

A meca quartz is always going to be a chronograph. In a meca quartz, the part of the watch that keeps time is controlled by quartz movement. The chronograph functions, on the other hand, are powered by a mechanical module. Both of these aspects of the watch are powered by a battery.

So, that’s it for our entire brief breakdown of the meca quartz chronograph. These types of watches can be difficult to find. The Seiko SSB095 is a good example of a meca quartz. Seeing as how this particular hybrid movement could be hard to get a hold of, the next question would be is there a particular reason or advantage to having one?


Why Wear a Meca Quartz Watch?

There are not really any inherent advantages to a meca quartz chronograph versus just a purely quartz or purely mechanical one. So, why even get one at all?

Most likely this type of movement is only going to appeal to the avid watch collector, or someone who just appreciates the mechanical ingenuity behind such watches. The average person is not going to go through the effort of trying to track one down or spend the money on one.

So, if you are a collector, and you feel like a meca quartz would be perfect for your collection, then by all means, try to find one. Most likely they can be found from online resellers. For everyone else though, you can probably skip over the meca quartz. Now we can go ahead and wrap things up.


Final Conclusion

As we have seen today, the meca quartz is yet another interesting entry in the world of watches. Although this type of technology never really took off and became a hit, it still has its place in history. Hopefully this article has been helpful and informative. By now you should have a much better understanding of this topic.

If you enjoyed this article, then you may also like some of our other informative articles where we explore often overlooked or misunderstood topics about watches. Those articles can be found in our info section. You can check them out here

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