Identifying Timepieces

Typically, it is rather simple to identify the sort of watch in question. Any watch featuring a digital display will possess a quartz mechanism. However, this does not imply that all analogue watches are mechanical. A reliable indicator can be discerned from the seconds hand, if present. In a quartz watch, the seconds hand advances once per second. Nevertheless, in a mechanical action, the seconds hand will traverse in what seems to be a continuous motion. Certain mechanical timepieces feature 'open' or display backs, allowing visibility of the movement and its components in operation. If both methods fail, you can wind the watch using the winding crown; a quartz watch will exhibit no resistance, whereas a mechanical watch may present little resistance and a barely audible sound.