Japanese Clock Movements
A clock movement is used to refer to the mechanisms used in a clock or watch to make it function. The Japanese clock movement refers to the quartz movement used by Seiko in its watches and clocks. It was first used in 1959. The Japanese clock movement is differentiated primarily by the design and manufacturing rather than changes to the quartz movement design. Over the years, Seiko has altered and changed the movement, but the overall design and manufacture philosophy have been maintained. Does this Spark an idea?
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Quartz Movement
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Quartz clock movements, such as the one used in the Japanese clock movement, are based around a quartz crystal. An electric current is passed through the quartz crystal causing it to vibrate. The vibrations occur at a regular interval, which is why they can be used to keep track of time. The size and shape of the crystal determine how often the quartz crystal vibrates. Each vibration is counted by a mechanism in the clock, which increments the clock ahead one second each time a specific number of vibrations have taken place. The number of vibrations that equal one second varies based on the design of the clock.
Movement Categories
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The Japanese clock movement has a few different variations. All of these clocks use the same clock movement, but differ in how it is displayed by the watch. The main difference is the step and sweep movements. A step movement moves the second hand of the watch each time a second pasts. You can tell this movement is being used by the jerking motion of the second hand. The sweep movement glides the second hand around in a smooth motion. The second hand is always moving at a consistent speed rather than jumping once per second. Many of the watches also incorporate alarms, chimes, pendulums and calendars into the clock. None of these features actually impact how the clock itself operates. The same mechanism that counts the vibrations of the quartz crystal and moves the clock hands is programmed to increment all of these features in the same way. These features are separate from the clock itself and could be removed without causing the clock to cease functioning.
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Parts Design
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One of the main distinguishing features of the Japanese clock movement compared to other quartz movements is how the parts for a clock are designed. Plastic parts are used whenever possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the clock. However, higher quality metal parts are used for any part that has a direct impact on accuracy. The Japanese clock movement through this strategy manages to be cost effective without sacrificing quality. For example, the Seiko Twin Quartz wristwatch released in 1978 was accurate to within five seconds each year, which made it the most accurate wristwatch ever made at that point.
Manufacturing
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The manufacturing process also plays a significant role in distinguishing the Japanese clock movement. A large-scale manufacturing process is used, but heavy emphasis on quality and consistency is maintained. The materials used for many of the parts are inexpensive, but they are manufactured to very exact specifications. The manufacturing line is made specifically to make the parts used by the Japanese clock movement. This approach is a middle ground of the approaches used by other clock manufacturers. High-end clockmakers have the same emphasis on quality and consistency but do not attempt to manufacture clocks in large quantities. Low-end clockmakers usually make sacrifices to quality to lower costs, such as adapting parts from established manufacturing lines.
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