Uhrwerk

Uhrwerk is the internal mechanism of a timepiece that drives its hands and controls timekeeping. In horology, the term corresponds to the movement or calibre. A typical Uhrwerk combines an energy source, a gear train, a regulator, and an oscillator or impulsing element.

Mechanical Uhrwerke store energy in a mainspring. The spring is wound manually or automatically by a rotor that winds the spring as the wearer moves. The released energy travels through the gear train to the escapement, which works with a regulator (a balance wheel and hairspring in modern watches) to advance the hands in regular steps. The escapement also provides impulses that keep the balance oscillating.

For quartz Uhrwerke, a battery or recharge provides energy to an electronic circuit and a quartz crystal oscillator, which generates a stable frequency. A small motor or stepping motor translates each electrical pulse into a single movement of the gear train, advancing the hands with high precision.

Other categories include hybrid or kinetic systems, which combine mechanical and electronic elements. The term "calibre" is often used to describe the specific Uhrwerk design produced by a manufacturer.

Historically, the quest for accuracy led from simple spring-driven mechanisms to the invention of the lever escapement and modern synthetic materials. The advent of quartz in the 1960s–1970s sparked a revolution in timekeeping, expanding the meaning of Uhrwerk beyond traditional mechanical motion.

Modern Uhrwerke may feature complications such as date, chronograph, or moon phase modules, but the core remains the energy source, regulator, and oscillator that convert energy into controlled motion.