Quartz or Automatic Movement?

Choosing Your Power Source.

First things first...What’s a movement? Put simply, it’s the engine inside every watch that keeps the time and moves the hands around the dial. 

Quartz movements run on electrical power from a small battery that needs replacement every few years. Automatics are completely “analog” — a complex mechanical system of tiny precision parts powered by a spring that’s wound up by the natural movements of your wrist while you wear the watch.

Many Lōcī watches come with your choice of a quartz or automatic movement. Same watch, same mission, just difference power sources. Here’s how to choose the movement that’s right for you.

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The TL;DR

This or That?

Here's a quick guide if you just want some help making the call.

Choose Quartz if:

  • Accuracy, simplicity and minimal maintenance are your top priorities.
  • You don't wear a watch every day — quartz watches keep running whether you wear it or not, so they’re always ready to grab and go.
  • You prefer to spend less up front and also avoid servicing costs in the long-run.

Choose Automatic if:

  • You love the idea of a watch that’s completely “analog” and runs entirely on energy stored from your own movements.
  • You appreciate having a marvel of precision mechanical engineering on your wrist.
  • You’re entranced by the super-smooth sweeping motion of the seconds hand.
  • You don’t mind winding the watch yourself if it’s stopped after not being worn for a few days.

There's no wrong choice. All the movements Lōcī uses are Swiss-made, durable and reliable. Whichever one you choose, you’re getting the same Lōcī watch that carries the Spirit of Place and is built to last for decades to come.

Explore the PCH Collection

Pacific Coast Highway - Surfrider Beach
/

Choose Your Movement Type:

 

Wear the spirit of the Pacific Coast Highway on your wrist. This watch is built for anything an outing on the world’s most iconic road, or anyplace else, can throw at it. Sporty and durable enough to hit the beach, take a swim, even catch a few waves (and wipeouts). Compact and comfortable for a long day behind the wheel or taking in the sights. Relaxed but easily stylish enough for drinks and dinner at the end of the day.

So...Are you ready to hit the beach?

Thanks for subscribing. Welcome to the Movement.
Pacific Coast Highway - Monterey Bay
/

Choose Your Movement Type:

 

Wear the spirit of the Pacific Coast Highway on your wrist. This watch is built for anything an outing on the world’s most iconic road, or anyplace else, can throw at it. Sporty and durable enough to hit the beach, take a swim, even catch a few waves (and wipeouts). Compact and comfortable for a long day behind the wheel or taking in the sights. Relaxed but easily stylish enough for drinks and dinner at the end of the day.

So...Are you ready to dive in?

Thanks for subscribing. Welcome to the Movement.
Pacific Coast Highway - Big Sur
/

Choose Your Movement Type:

 

Wear the spirit of the Pacific Coast Highway on your wrist. This watch is built for anything an outing on the world’s most iconic road, or anyplace else, can throw at it. Sporty and durable enough to hit the beach, take a swim, even catch a few waves (and wipeouts). Compact and comfortable for a long day behind the wheel or taking in the sights. Relaxed but easily stylish enough for drinks and dinner at the end of the day.

So...Are you ready to hit the road?

Thanks for subscribing. Welcome to the Movement.
2023 12 08 12 40 40 B R8 S4 mod lighter WSR dcfcdb54 277b 41bd 95de 085bfd168e90
H6D2022 26509WSR
NEW Pacific Coast Highway - Surfrider Beach
from $595.00
2023 12 08 16 27 01 B R8 S4 mod case lighter dial vibrancy WSR
H6D2022 26508WSR
NEW Pacific Coast Highway - Monterey Bay
from $595.00
2023 12 08 16 39 57 B R8 S4 mod lighter WSR
H6D2022 26517WSR
NEW Pacific Coast Highway - Big Sur
from $595.00

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More About Movements

Still Curious? Read On.

A watch movement is the engine inside every watch that keeps the time and moves the hands around the dial (or displays number on a screen in the case of digital watches). For watch enthusiasts it can be one of the most important factors in their decision to buy a watch.

The movement inside shapes your experience with a watch — how you interact with it, what it costs over time, and maybe how you feel when you wear it and what it means to you. Lōcī build watches with both quartz and automatic movements. Both are precision instruments representing two different philosophies of timekeeping.

Quartz:

High Precision, Low Maintenance

A quartz movement runs on a small battery. The electrical current goes through a tiny quartz crystal that vibrates at an extraordinarily consistent rate — 32,768 times per second. A circuit counts those vibrations and converts them into the one-second pulses that move the watch hands.

The result is exceptional accuracy. A quality quartz watch typically keeps time to within 10-20 accuracy seconds per month — roughly half a second per day or a few minutes per year at worst. For most peoples’ practical purposes, that's essentially perfect.

What quartz ownership looks like in practice:

Set it once. Wear it. Every two to five years replace the battery — a quick, inexpensive visit to any watchmaker or jeweler. That's essentially it. If you leave your watch on the nightstand for a week, it'll still be keeping perfect time when you pick it up again.

The seconds hand on a quartz watch advances in a characteristic one-per-second “tick". It's precise, unmistakable, and for many people, exactly what a watch should feel like.

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Automatic:

Mechanical Marvel

An automatic watch contains no battery and requires no electricity. It's powered entirely by motion — specifically, yours.

Inside every automatic movement is a weighted rotor that spins freely as your wrist moves throughout the day. That rotation winds a coiled mainspring, which stores mechanical energy and releases it through a series of gears and levers that drive the watch hands. The rotor winds the watch “automatically” as your wrist moves. Wear it regularly, and it never needs winding. In a way, it runs on your energy.

What automatic ownership looks like in practice:

The watch stays wound and running as long as you wear it most days. If you take it off for a couple days or more, it will eventually run out of power and stop when the mainspring is fully unwound.

The next time you want to wear it, you give the crown a few turns by hand and reset the time. Some people find this a minor inconvenience. For others it’s a satisfying ritual and a key part of the charm of wearing a mechanical watch.

The seconds hand on an automatic watch sweeps continuously — a smooth, flowing motion tied to the constant release of energy from the mainspring. It's the most immediately recognizable sign of a mechanical movement, and for many, watching it is an entrancing and relaxing experience.

Some Practicalities:

Up Front & Servicing Costs

Why Do Automatics Cost More? Despite being small enough to fit inside a watch, an automatic movement contains hundreds of precision parts manufactured to extremely tight tolerances. Gears, springs, levers, jewels, bearings — all working together to keep accurate time and move the hands of your watch. Manufacturing, assembling, testing and calibrating these movements is skilled, time-intensive work. 

A quartz movement, by contrast, uses much simpler components and has far fewer moving parts. It relies on electronics rather than pure mechanical engineering. That simplicity is part of its appeal, and the reason it costs less to produce.

Both movement types require minimal upkeep, but in different ways. A quartz watch needs a battery replacement every two to five years — a quick, low-cost service available at virtually any watchmaker or jeweler.

An automatic watch benefits from professional servicing where the movement is cleaned, re-lubricated, and regulated. This might be needed every three to five years, and sometimes movements will go longer before they need attention. This service for an automatic takes longer and costs more than a battery change, and must be done by a trained watchmaker.

In the long run, an automatic maintained properly can become an heirloom. And a quality quartz watch is a reliable, always precise companion that needs minimal attention for as long as you own it.

H6D 2022 26517 WSR

Parting Thoughts

Don't Overthink It.

When making your choice, think about your lifestyle, how you wear watches, and what you value in a personal accessory. 

If you want a watch you practically never have to think about or interact with, and low cost of ownership is important — then Quartz is for you.

If you wear your watch every day, or like the idea of winding and setting it once in a while…if you love the idea of something that runs on mechanical ingenuity and power from your own movement — then you’ll enjoy the experience of an Automatic.

Don’t overthink it. Neither approach is inherently superior. They represent different watchmaking traditions, each with its own appeal. With either movement, you’re getting a durable, reliable power source built into the same Lōcī watch. Either way, you're wearing the Spirit of Place and protecting the places we love.

Explore the PCH Collection

Pacific Coast Highway - Surfrider Beach
/

Choose Your Movement Type:

 

Wear the spirit of the Pacific Coast Highway on your wrist. This watch is built for anything an outing on the world’s most iconic road, or anyplace else, can throw at it. Sporty and durable enough to hit the beach, take a swim, even catch a few waves (and wipeouts). Compact and comfortable for a long day behind the wheel or taking in the sights. Relaxed but easily stylish enough for drinks and dinner at the end of the day.

So...Are you ready to hit the beach?

Thanks for subscribing. Welcome to the Movement.
Pacific Coast Highway - Monterey Bay
/

Choose Your Movement Type:

 

Wear the spirit of the Pacific Coast Highway on your wrist. This watch is built for anything an outing on the world’s most iconic road, or anyplace else, can throw at it. Sporty and durable enough to hit the beach, take a swim, even catch a few waves (and wipeouts). Compact and comfortable for a long day behind the wheel or taking in the sights. Relaxed but easily stylish enough for drinks and dinner at the end of the day.

So...Are you ready to dive in?

Thanks for subscribing. Welcome to the Movement.
Pacific Coast Highway - Big Sur
/

Choose Your Movement Type:

 

Wear the spirit of the Pacific Coast Highway on your wrist. This watch is built for anything an outing on the world’s most iconic road, or anyplace else, can throw at it. Sporty and durable enough to hit the beach, take a swim, even catch a few waves (and wipeouts). Compact and comfortable for a long day behind the wheel or taking in the sights. Relaxed but easily stylish enough for drinks and dinner at the end of the day.

So...Are you ready to hit the road?

Thanks for subscribing. Welcome to the Movement.
2023 12 08 12 40 40 B R8 S4 mod lighter WSR dcfcdb54 277b 41bd 95de 085bfd168e90
H6D2022 26509WSR
NEW Pacific Coast Highway - Surfrider Beach
from $595.00
2023 12 08 16 27 01 B R8 S4 mod case lighter dial vibrancy WSR
H6D2022 26508WSR
NEW Pacific Coast Highway - Monterey Bay
from $595.00
2023 12 08 16 39 57 B R8 S4 mod lighter WSR
H6D2022 26517WSR
NEW Pacific Coast Highway - Big Sur
from $595.00

View all