Why is my mechanical watch less accurate than my quartz watch?

The movement of a mechanical watch is activated by a spring system which supplies the energy required for the watch to work.

• If your watch has manual winding, you need to turn the crown to wind up the spring.
• If your watch has manual winding, you need to turn the crown to wind up the spring.
• If your watch is equipped with an automatic mechanical movement, its spring is wound up thanks to the movements of your wrist, which cause an oscillation that supplies the energy required for the winding system.
• If you are not particularly active or do not often wear your watch, the mechanism of your watch may not be wound up enough for it to work properly. Whether it is mechanical or automatic, your watch may be slightly fast or slow, depending on how you wear it.

If your watch is regularly fast or slow, a Cartier master watchmaker will carry out small adjustments to restore it to good working order. The mechanism of your watch may need a Complete Service in order to restore its original accuracy.

The energy of a quartz watch is supplied by a battery. Quartz watches have no balance, and the timekeeping element consists of a crystal of quartz. Whatever the watch's position, its accuracy will always be identical.