Quartz Pendulum Clock Lifetime, Owner Tips?

Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 9:50 pm     Post subject: Quartz Pendulum Clock Lifetime, Owner Tips?

For someone like me who just bought a nice wooden quartz wall clock, what are some tips to get the most out of it? Any specific type of batteries brand I should use? My clock will have on the wall access which means it has a mounted dial and I won't have to remove it from wall to change time, settings or batteries which I like. How long are these clocks good for? I bought a Loricron with German movement. And how good is a quartz clock that costs around $200 verses a keywound clock that costs $800? I have a quartz alarm clock from the 1970s that still runs fine. Just wondering. Thanks, and glad to be on this forum!

Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 10:42 pm     Post subject:

I can not tell you how long a Loricron movement will last, but typical quartz movements have an average lifespan of about 10 years (give or take a few years). This is a general statement because the movement could last longer or shorter - there's no real way to tell.

No special battery required for standard quartz movements, just an alkaline battery.

Quartz vs keywind? Here's some food for thought... A keywind movement is mechanical, just like a car. If you properly maintain and care for your mechanical movement (much like a car), it will run for years and years to come. Think about it - there are still model A's out roaming the streets - - Nearly 100 years after they were introduced. Like the model A's, there are mechanical clock movements over 150 years old that still maintain proper time. This is a guarentee you don't have with quartz movements. Quartz movements are made with parts that are not meant to stand the test of time. This keeps parts in-expensive, and keeps movement cost down. With movement cost much lower than a mechanical movement, manufacturers view quartz movements as economical to replace (therefore they would not need to be made to last forever - - and they aren't).