Everybody knows the story by now: During the 1970s, with the battery-powered quartz movement on the rise, inexpensive, Japanese-made timepieces flooded the market, resulting in enormous layoffs and the near disappearance of mechanical watchmaking. Indeed, the number of Swiss watchmaking maisons shrank from roughly 1,600 to just 600.
Some brands stuck to their guns, foreseeing, perhaps, that there would always be a place for a movement that required only gravity and a bit of lubrication to work — or, perhaps, anticipating a time when a resurgence in interest would result in a new golden era of mechanical watchmaking. Both suppositions, of course, turned out to be true, and these days, mechanical watches have penetrated the zeitgeist like never before.
Of course, there’s still a place for quartz movements, millions upon millions of which are sold each year. For the enthusiast, interest in quartz is generally low. (Batteries aren’t nearly as fascinating to the watch nerd as the kinetic energy of a coiled spring, it would seem.) But there’s a special type of quartz caliber that does indeed seem to pique this person’s interest: the meca-quartz movement.
What Is Meca-Quartz, and How Does It Work?
First, it’s important to understand a bit about the basic quartz movement and its functionality. In a quartz watch or clock, a battery provides power in the form of an electrical current that is passed through a quartz crystal oscillator. This crystal produces a signal with a fixed frequency, making it highly accurate — much more so than an oscillator in a mechanical watch. This signal is amplified, the vibrations of which are used to drive a motor that powers the watch’s hands.
Quartz chronographs, much like quartz three-handers, lack the “feel” of a mechanical watch — and this is even more pronounced given the user’s interaction with the chronograph pushers. On a quartz chronograph, stepped motors are used to drive each of the chronograph’s functions; unfortunately, this results in a long “sweep” back to the starting position when reset, and the pushers lack the satisfying feel of those on a mechanical chronograph.
In the 1980s, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Frédéric Piguet developed a system that would add mechanical feel back into the quartz chronograph: Rather than relying on a multiple stepped motors to control each function, their new movement utilized a single motor powering a set of interconnected gears. Voila: instant reset of the chronograph back to zero, and semi-sweep seconds à la a mechanical watch.
This system — “mechanical quartz,” which came to be styled “meca-quartz” — powered chronographs from Omega, Bulgari, Chopard, Breitling, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Porsche Design, and IWC throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. By the 2000s, however, they had largely disappeared, never really having caught on amongst the greater watch-buying public.
It took Seiko and its own hybrid 6T64 and 8T63 movements to bring the meca-quartz caliber back from the dead. In making its calibers available to independent brands, it spawned an entire movement (pun intended) that saw a resurgence of interest in this special technology among die-hard watch enthusiasts. Additionally, use of meca-quartz technology allows these brands to design watches with the appearance of expensive, highly rare vintage pieces (such as the Patek Philippe ref. 1463 chronograph) but with prices in the sub-$1,000 range.
What’s Available
While certain larger brands such as Yema (and of course Seiko) do produce ranges of meca-quartz-powered timepieces, it’s really the smaller boutique brands that have cornered the market. Still, despite small production runs and the lack of economies of scale available to big-name marques, many of these watches remain ludicrously affordable, with prices beginning at just a few hundred bucks. While most meca-quartz watches are chronographs, more and more brands are making time-only pieces that utilize meca-quartz technology in order to offer “sweep” seconds. (We’ve covered a few below.)
What follows are 10 of our personal favorite meca-quartz timepieces, though there are of course myriad others available. Use this as a starting point toward tracking down your own affordable, innovative watch, and wear it with pride — indeed, quartz has never been so cool!
SEIKO Sport Watch SSB401P1
We’d of course be remiss not to include an actual Seiko on a list of watches that exclusively feature Seiko meca-quartz movements! The SSB401P1 — with its highly angular case, multiple pusher types, and busy dial — is an odd-looking timepiece, to be sure, but we think that’s part of its charm. Featuring an inner tachymeter scale and a three-register chronograph layout with 24-hour, running seconds, and 60-minute totalizers, it’s housed in a stainless steel case with a Hardlex crystal and a screw-down caseback, all of which help to ensure 100m of water resistance. Paired to a striped, black-white-and-grey NATO-style strap, it’s certainly a bargain at just $153, and perfect for someone who prefers his watches on the quirkier side.
- Diameter: 41mm
- Movement: Seiko meca-quartz
- Water Resistance: 100m
- Price: $153
AVI-8 Tuskegee Airmen Meca-Quartz Limited Edition
AVI-8, specialists in watches inspired by military aviation, offer a series of time-only pilot’s watches inspired by the Tuskegee Airman, the famous squadron of Black pilots whose courageous exploits in the skies during World War II inspired awe and reverence. Available in several dial colors, the Tuskegee Airmen Meca-Quartz Limited Edition features semi-sweep seconds coupled with a useful 12-hour bezel, making for an excellent travel watch with good legibility via applied indices and Swiss Newlite lume. Measuring 40mm wide and paired to a leather strap with contrasting top stitching, it’s an incredible value at $159-$290.
- Diameter: 40mm
- Movement: Seiko meca-quartz
- Water Resistance: 50m
- Price: $159-$290
Dan Henry 1964 Gran Turismo Chronograph
Dedicated watch collector Dan Henry managed to translate his love for classic timepieces into a business via the launch of his eponymous brand, which builds affordable watches based upon some of his favorite vintage models. The 1964, inspired by beloved racing watches such as those from Heuer, is powered by the Seiko VK63 meca-quartz movement and comes in more configurations than you can shake a stick at: In addition to five iterations in a two-register format, it’s also available in five configurations in a three-register format, and comes with your choice of date or no date on an included, steel beads-of-rice bracelet — plus an additional leather strap and a canvas and leather watch roll.
- Diameter: 38mm
- Movement: Seiko VK63 meca-quartz
- Water Resistance: 50m
- Price: $280
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Wolbrook Skindiver WT Mecaquartz Watch – Vintage & Steel
Recently resurrected brand Wolbrook reissued a vintage skin diver from the 1960s in meca-quartz form, using the typically chronograph-specific tech to power this supremely useful dive/travel watch. Measuring 40mm wide and positively aglow with C7 Super-LumiNova, the Skindiver WT features an absurdly legible dial ringed with an cool useful feature: a black, unidirectional, rotating world time bezel featuring the names of 12 cities. While a screw-down crown and sapphire crystal provide 150m of water resistance, the bezel provides a simple way to keep track of the time around the world — plus, you get a matching, steel beads-of-rice bracelet and the “sweep” seconds of a meca-quartz movement.
- Diameter: 40mm
- Movement: Seiko VH31 meca-quartz
- Water Resistance: 150m
- Price: $293
Vaer R1 USA Racing Chronograph – Blue 38mm
An ode to vintage “soccer timers” such as the Omega ref. 145.020 — which featured a 45-minute demarcation on its 30-minute totalizer to measure the 45-minute half of a soccer game — the Vaer R1 rethinks classic references along meca-quartz-powered lines. Available in both 38mm and 42mm versions, it features a triple-register design that makes use of the Seiko VK-63 movement within, with a 24-hour display; a “running” seconds display; and a 60-minute totalizer. Multiple brushed and polished surfaces imply a sense of consideration and quality, while the inclusion of two different straps is a nice touch on a watch that costs just $319. (It’s also available in three different dial colors.)
- Diameter: 38mm/42mm
- Movement: Seiko VK-63 meca-quartz
- Water Resistance: 100m
- Price: $319
Yema Rallygraf Meca-Quartz
Not often does a green watch come along that draws enthusiasts away from tried-and-true black or white dials — but the Yema Rallygraf Meca-Quartz, with its matching green leather strap, hits it out of the park. A bi-compax design with a date wheel above 6 o’clock, it boasts a 60-minute totalizer and a 24-hour indicator in a smooth-sided, quadrilateral design reminiscent of vintage race car dashboards. A matching, matte green aluminum tachymeter bezel pulls at the green used within the sub-registers and the 1/5th-seconds scale, while a grained, perforated French leather rallye-style strap completes the automotive picture. What’s more, this watch boasts 100m of water resistance.
- Diameter: 39mm
- Movement: Seiko VK64 meca-quartz
- Water Resistance: 100m
- Price: $369
Brew Metric – Retro Dial
Brew’s Jonathan Ferrer is a trained industrial designer, so it’s little wonder that his creations are so eye-catching and unique. This new version of his Metric chronograph with “Retro” dial is all kinds of cool: With its integrated bracelet and curvaceous case, it bears resemblance to some of the classic luxury sports watches of the 1970s — but without the eye-watering price. Meanwhile, the black dial is beset with colorful accents, especially around the 1/5th-seconds scale (with demarcation for timing the perfect espresso pull) and 60-minute totalizer. Powered by Seiko’s VK68 meca-quartz movement, it has 50m of water resistance, a sapphire crystal, and a clasp bearing a micro-adjust closure. Not bad for $450!
- Diameter: 36mm
- Movement: Seiko VK68 meca-quartz
- Water Resistance: 50m
- Price: $450
Hemel HFT20
With its clear inspiration from watches such as the Type 20, the Hemel HF20 offers vintage military chronograph inspiration at a price that won’t make you sweat. Available in 12-hour, count-up, and sterile bezel configurations, it boasts a legible black dial with white Arabic indices, a dual-register chronograph layout with a 24-hour display and a 60-minute totalizer, and an oversized onion crown reminiscent of those seen on vintage pilot’s watches. At 42mm wide, it’s perfect for someone with larger wrists or who prefers a larger tool watch, while the included leather strap with dual rivets is a nice, period-appropriate touch. What’s more, 100m of water resistance means that this affordable timekeeper doesn’t need any babying — good news for those who like to put their watches through their paces.
- Diameter: 42mm
- Movement: Seiko VK64 meca-quartz
- Water Resistance: 100m
- Price: $450
Furlan Marri Rosso Grigio
Not many people have the disposable income to snag a vintage Patek Philippe ref. 1463 chronograph — perhaps one of the best-designed and handsomest watches of all time. But don’t let that discourage you: The good folks at Furlan Marri have designed a series of meca-quartz-powered homages to that most beloved reference, each of which is beautiful and lists for well under $1,000. The Rosso Grigio, in particular, is quite a looker: Perfectly sized at 38mm, it featured an eye-catching grey dial with red accents, an outer pulsometer scale, a dual-register chronograph display, and the Breguet numerals found on many vintage 1463 examples. The pushers are even engraved with the sunburst pattern found on those from actual 1463s — pretty neat!
- Diameter: 38mm
- Movement: Seiko VK64 meca-quartz
- Water Resistance: 50m
- Price: ~$517 (555 CHF)
Autodromo Prototipo
It’s tough to find fault with this supremely compelling offering from Autodromo, one of the OG microbrands and the brainchild of a most excellent industrial designer (and car guru) in the form of founder Bradley Price. Based on vintage, barrel case-housed tool watches from the 1970s, the Prototipo boldly recalls the heyday of endurance racing: To wit, each example features a radially brushed steel case whose dial (in blue, white, or black) is ringed with a cool tachymeter-pulsometer dual scale, plus a 1/5th-seconds track. Contrasting hands within the 24-hour and 60-minute totalizers are joined by a date window at 6 o’clock, while a leather rallye strap completes the package. Indeed, this might be the coolest watch you can buy for under $600, full stop.
- Diameter: 42mm
- Movement: Seiko VK63 meca-quartz
- Water Resistance: 50m
- Price: $595
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