Electric watch

An electric watch is one that uses an electric current to power a conventional wheel train and balance. This is differentiated from an electronic watch which uses a circuit and electronic timer (typically a quartz crystal) to keep the time.

The first electric watches were introduced by Hamilton in the United States and LIP in France in the late 1950s.

Ebauches SA debuted a fully-functional electric watch movement, Cal. L-4750, at the Basel Fair in 1961. Their goal was to develop an electric movement that was no more expensive than an automatic lever watch, had comparable timekeeping performance, had a separate battery or accumulator for recharging, and was as simple as possible to manufacture and service. Ebauches SA used an electro-magnetic balance which drove a conventional wheel train. The circuit was made and broken by two contact springs. Although first demonstrated in 1960 with an accumulator, the production watch used a conventional battery that was said to last 12-15 months.