Glossary · Mechanism
Stepping motor
The small electromagnetic motor that advances the hands of a quartz watch in discrete steps.
Explanation
The stepping motor converts the quartz circuit's one-second pulses into motion: a coil pulse flips a tiny permanent-magnet rotor half a turn, and gearing advances the seconds hand in its characteristic one-step-per-second jump. It is the only moving part of a quartz train and a common failure point when coils corrode after battery leaks.