Quartz Watch History
Electrical clocks came into existance early in the twentieth century, probably at the beginning of the 1930s. However these were large and not mass produced.The quartz based wristwatch really entered the market in a big way in the early 1970s. Improvements in technology and miniaturisation now meant that cheap, accurate wristwatches could easily be produced. Many of the "complications" of traditional mechanical watches could be replicated simply by adding a little more circuitry.
This change of market conditions caused a massive upset in the watchmaking industry. Once an accurate wristwatch became cheap enough to be considered a disposable item, who would buy an expensive mechanical watch?
Many established manufacturers went out of business completely. Others survived by embracing quartz technology and trading on their brand name. Others went up market and concentrated on the luxury market and collectors.
Today, the vast majority of watches on the market are quartz based. Even many of the luxury brands use quartz rather than mechanical mechanisms. Some people do still make, sell and buy traditional mechanical watches, however these tend to be luxury items aimed at the specialist market. In a world of quartz, an old-fashioned mechanical watch from a luxury Swiss brand is a definite status symbol.