Meca-Quartz: What It Is and Its Advantages
Enthusiasts, collectors, aficionados, watch lovers, and even athletes love mechanical chronograph watches for several good reasons. One of the core reasons is craftsmanship. Fine engineering matters a lot in watchmaking and mechanical watches are meticulously assembled to power the various functions of a watch.
Wearing a mechanical watch is like wearing an impressive art piece. While many serious collectors and enthusiasts prefer a well-built mechanical chronograph over a quartz watch, recent developments have pushed the boundaries between the two and created something extremely remarkable.
Inside the arena of horology, a new movement is taking the center stage and creating a buzz in the watch sphere. Seiko, known as one of the most prestigious makers of iconic watches in the world, released its VK series. The brilliant engineers of the big watch brand listened to the needs of mechanical watch lovers and everyone in between which resulted in the creation of ‘meca-quartz’.
What is Meca-Quartz?
Meca-quartz is a hybrid movement that contains both a quartz module, a battery, and some of the levers and gears that make up a traditional mechanical chronograph movement.
This ingenious infusion is another novel invention by Seiko where we can finally see a chronograph watch with a sweeping hand movement.
It is a design unlike any other in the industry of watchmaking. The timekeeping functions are controlled by a quartz movement while the stopwatch features of a chronograph are handled by a mechanical module. Both of these movements or functions are powered by the same battery.
Advantages of VK Movement
This movement provides a revolutionary performance where it houses the same accuracy as quartz watches and the crisp performance of an iconic mechanical chronograph watch.
This setup also allows the secod hand to return instantly to zero when you hit the bottom reset button. It is perfect for timing multiple events.
A VK quartz chronograph is a remarkable invention and the cherry on top here for enthusiasts is that the visual tick is removed while all the features of a mechanical chronograph remain.
Crafter Blue Bon Voyage is powered by Seiko VK64. It is a quatz chronograph watch but has some mechanical features.
Another advantage is that the VK movement is an elegant and next-gen solution that won’t bleed your pockets dry. It is great for those on a budget but it has the tactility, look and feel, and features of a high-tech watch. It is accurate, reliable, and affordable. Meca-quartz costs only one-third the price of a mechanical watch.
Truth be told, the accuracy of meca-quartz is even better than any mechanical watch in daily use. What watch designers love most about the new movement is that it is slimmer than the traditional mechanical movement. It is simple enough in principle. It remains a classic timepiece but with a value of its own. You get the best of both movements. The meca-quartz will also need less servicing than mechanical chronographs.
