( 二 ) Electronic Timepiece

The basic parts of timepiece are made up of electronic components, such as quartz timepiece.

The working principle of electronic timepiece: design timepiece according to the physical phenomenon of “ electricity produces magnetism, magnetism produces electricity ” . Namely electric energy is transferred into magnetic energy, and then magnetic energy is transferred into mechanical energy, to drive hour hand and minute hand moving, to reach timing purpose.

•  Transistor Balance Wheel Clock

It takes dry battery as energy, transistor as switch, balance wheel hairspring as oscillating system, and takes uniform J1 type movement, with the same appearance with ordinary alarm clock.

•  Crystal Alarm Clock

It has the same function with transistor balance wheel clock with an added time announcing device driven by electric energy.

•  Transistor Pendulum Clock

It takes electron circuit controlling pendulum as oscillation component, with a similar appearance to mechanical pendulum clock.

•  Quartz Clock

It takes “ quartz crystal ” as oscillator, use electron fractional frequency to control the motor operation, to drive the hands. It has high precision. It has many types including desk clock 、 wall clock 、 calendar clock 、 alarm clock 、 music clock 、 grandfather clock, also including automobile clock 、 marine clock 、 astronomical clock and other types for technological use.

•  Digital Clock

It also takes “ quartz crystal ” as oscillator, directly use luminescent tube and liquid crystal to show time, it does not use mechanical transmission. It has many functions such as hour 、 minute 、 second 、 calendar 、 weekly calendar 、 monthly calendar.

•  Electronic Watch

It takes battery as energy instead of clockwork spring; it need not be wind up by hand, it has many structures, has the same appearance with mechanical wristwatch, and is generally called electronic watch, it is sorted into four generations according the structural shape and time of invention.

The first generation is balance wheel hairspring electronic watch; it takes balance wheel hairspring as oscillator, minitype battery as energy, uses electron circuitry to drive balance wheel operating.

The second generation is tuning fork electronic watch; it takes metal tuning fork as oscillator, uses electron circuitry to output pulse electrical current to make mechanical tuning fork vibrating.

The third generation is hand type quartz electronic watch; it takes quartz crystal as oscillator, uses electron fractional frequency motor to drive wheel system and the hands

The fourth generation is digital quartz electronic watch; it also takes quartz crystal as oscillator, but it uses display to show time in digital form after fractional frequency 、 count taking and coding.

The former three generations have traditional mechanical hand mechanism, but the fourth generation adopts Large Scale Integration, completely divorced from traditional mechanical mechanism electronic watch.

With characteristics of high precision 、 longevity 、 multifunction 、 full automatism 、 simple structure 、 low price, digital electronic watch is widely used for all types of timepieces of technological use, it makes timepiece have much more functions than timing.