Quartz Conversion
If your mechanical clock, mechanical watch, or electric clock no longer works properly — or if you are unable or unwilling to wind the mechanism when it's needed — we can replace your clock or watch movement with a modern quartz movement.
Quartz movements have a more accurate mechanism (oscillator) for timekeeping than the balance wheel of a mechanical clock or watch. For a history of the quartz watch, visit the Smithsonian Institute.
One disadvantage to a quartz movement in clocks is that you will not always hear the "tick-tock" that makes your mechanical clock work — quartz movements are much quieter. In watches with a second hand, you will notice that the hand jumps from second to second in a quartz movement, whereas a mechanical watch has a smooth, sweeping motion. For clocks, however, a sweeping second hand is available in quartz movements.
If your timepiece has value as an antique, conversion to a quartz movement will likely diminish its value. However if your mechanical timepiece refuses to run properly, then it may have little value to you, both as an antique and in functionality.
While we can offer our opinion on whether or not to convert your timepiece, we are not antique appraisers and cannot take responsibility for affecting the value of your timepiece — the final decision is solely up to you.
Quartz conversions start at $70 for watches and $45 for clocks. Because the price varies according to the size of the quartz movement needed for your timepiece, we will give you the exact cost for quartz conversion when you bring the watch or clock to our store.