page_title: Seiko
section_title: Quartz movement
hierarchical_section_title: Seiko / Movements / Quartz movement
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Quarzarmbanduhr Astron mit Cal. 35A, Seiko, Japan, 1969 Erste in einer Auflage von 100 Stück verkaufte Quarzarmbanduhr. (Deutsches Uhrenmuseum, Inv. 2012-047) English: Quartz wristwatch Astron Cal. 35A, Seiko, Japan, 1969 First commercial quartz watch, only 100 copies sold at Tokyo on christmas 1969. (Deutsches Uhrenmuseum, Inv. 2012-047)
context_page_description: Seiko Holdings Corporation, commonly known as Seiko, is a Japanese holding company that has subsidiaries which manufactures and sells watches, clocks, electronic devices, semiconductors, jewelries, and optical products.
context_section_description: On December 25, 1969, Seiko released the world's first quartz watch, the Seiko Quartz ASTRON, which marked the beginning of the quartz revolution. The watch uses a crystal oscillator for accuracy, where the crystal generates steady vibration when voltage is applied to it. During the ten years of development at Suwa Seikosha, Seiko managed to create many parts which enabled the viable application of quartz in wristwatches. For example, Seiko cut the crystal oscillator into the shape of a tuning-fork, and developed an integrated circuit and step motor to operate with the signals from the crystal oscillator.
  Although creating the parts that enabled quartz watches, Seiko did not monopolize the patent rights for the unique pieces, but decided to open them.
  In 1973, Seiko announced the world's first LCD quartz watch with six-digit digital display.
  In 1975, Seiko launched the world's first multi-function digital watch, the 0634.
  In 1978, Seiko released the Twin Quartz watch to address the impact of temperature on the frequency of the quartz crystal oscillator, which put a limitation on the accuracy of quartz watches. Seiko put a second crystal in the watch that is linked with a processor that detects the change in temperature and signals the main oscillator to compensate. The result was a huge improvement in the watch's accuracy from 5 seconds per month to 5 seconds per year.
  In 1988, Seiko combined automatic and electric watches, creating the Seiko Kinetic, a movement that is powered by the movements of the user, converting the energy to electricity for the quartz movement.
caption: Quartz wristwatch Astron Cal. 35A, Seiko, Japan, 1969
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