At the core of modern timekeeping lies a surprising hero: quartz. In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy breaks down how a simple crystal became the heartbeat of nearly every watch, clock, and computer on Earth.
Discover the science behind the quartz revolution—from the piezoelectric effect discovered by the Curie brothers, to how Seiko’s 1969 Astron transformed the watch industry forever. Learn why quartz vibrates at exactly 32,768 times per second, and how that rhythmic hum keeps your watch so precise that it only drifts a few seconds per month.
Gordy also dives into the Quartz Crisis, when mechanical watchmakers faced extinction at the hands of battery-powered precision. It’s a story of physics, innovation, and a rock that changed time itself.
Watch till the end to find out why quartz—not diamonds—might just be time’s true best friend.
#Quartz #ScienceFacts #Watchmaking #Physics #Watches #timekeeping #physicsfacts #crystals Music thanks to Zapsplat.
Sources:
Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History. Quartz Clocks and the Quartz Revolution.
Marrison, W.A., & Horton, J.W. (1927). The Precision of Quartz Crystal Oscillators. Bell Telephone Laboratories Technical Journal.
Seiko Museum Tokyo. History of the Seiko Astron (1969).
Encyclopaedia Britannica. Piezoelectricity.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Quartz Oscillators and Frequency Standards.