Offered for sale is a very interesting vintage Timex Electronic wristwatch featuring an unusual early battery-powered balance-wheel movement.
What makes this watch special is the movement. Although battery powered, this is not a conventional quartz watch. Instead of using a quartz crystal and stepper motor, this Timex uses a traditional-style balance wheel and hairspring along with a mechanical gear train. The battery provides the energy that keeps the balance assembly oscillating, eliminating the need for a traditional wound mainspring. Timex developed electronic balance-wheel movements during the transition period between fully mechanical watches and modern quartz watches.
With the caseback removed, you can actually see the balance wheel, hairspring, gears, and other moving components working just like you would expect in a mechanical watch — except the power source is a battery.
That makes these early electronic Timex watches an interesting piece of horological history and a great example of the technological bridge between traditional mechanical watches and the quartz era.
Watch Details