By: Bimol Bee
Submitted: 2012-01-02 06:22:04 | Word Count: 554
If we're asked to think about a clock or a mechanical watch the first thing that comes to our mind is vibration and it is clear why. Mechanical watches use mechanical vibration, while electronic watches use electrical oscillation. It should be mentioned that the first oscillator circuit consisted of the inductors and capacitors which are called the LC circuit. This oscillator's frequency stability wasn't on the high level, and with the course of time scientists decided to use LC instead of quartz crystal oscillator. LC has somewhat higher frequency stability.
In a definite position of the quartz crystal it's called under the thin quartz chip. This quartz has an interesting peculiarity: if the chip is subjected to some mechanical force in a definite direction, as a result the electric field is generated and such a physical phenomenon is called "piezoelectric effect." If the quartz plate is connected to the AC field polar and the external changing voltage frequency equals to the natural frequency of this quartz, this quartz acquires resonance. Piezoelectric resonance is the name of this physical phenomenon. The mankind has made very exact watches and quartz clocks with the usage of this stable oscillation.
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Electronic watch was invented fifty years ago in the middle of the 20th century. After that there were invented many types of clocks and watches, and the earliest spreadsheet got the name "balance spring electronic watch". It was invented in 1955. This watch had a balance wheel instead of electromagnetic winding drive that was used for balancing spring as the oscillator. This type of watches had also micro batteries for energy which were driven by electronic circuits for an appropriate working balance.
Electronic watches play an important role in the development of timers. The first electronic tuning fork watch was first sold in 1960 in the United States of America by Bulova Corporation. This sort of watch had a metal tuning fork oscillator as well as an electronic circuit output pulse current which participated in creating the mechanical tuning fork vibration. This is an electronic watch which was attached with an ordinary pendulum wheel so it worked very accurately and showed exact time. This type of watch belonged to the second generation of electronic watches.
In the year of 1969, Seiko presented the first quartz digital watch to the mankind. The appearance of quartz digital watches and clocks caused a real agiotage in sales. These types of clocks were purchased by all people due to a number of advantages they offered. This watch was very easy and convenient in use, showed accurate time and was not expensive, so all people belonging to different social groups could afford such a watch.
Later on, watches also called crystal vibrations electronic watches were invented. They had such a name due to the use of crystal film that was rightfully called the oscillation phenomenon. The voltage response was increased by the external crystal. So, the process caused compression of the crystal, consequently electricity at both ends of the crystal was produced. This physical process deals with the crystals inside this type of watches and is called the piezoelectric effect.
Nowadays, quartz watches are still used by millions of people all over the world. The phenomenon of oscillation of the crystal offers people the most exact time.
