In 1880, Pierre Curie discovered the phenomenon of piezoelectricity. He found that quartz crystals produced electricity when pressure is applied. Later, he discovered that the reverse was also true. The crystals deform and vibrate when an external electrical charge is applied to it.

About 40 years, Walter Guyton Cady invented the first quartz crystal resonator in 1821. Cady discovered that a quartz crystal connected to a variable-frequency electronic oscillator would vibrate strongly at a very specific frequency, but that at other frequencies it would not vibrate at all. In this way, the quartz crystal resonator actually controlled the frequency of the oscillating circuit. Cady quickly realized that this circuit could be used as a frequency standard. Cady observed that the cut and shape of the crystal affects the frequency of the resonator that was independent of temperature variations, making the resonator very stable.

Seiko produced the first commercially available quartz watch in 1969. These watched had analog dials and sold for 450 000 Yen (USD$1250). It was the Seiko 35 SQ Astron. It utilized a quartz oscillator that oscillates at a frequency of 8192 cycles per second. Seiko claimed that it was accurate to within about 5 seconds a month, a minute a year.

Shopping for Seiko watches? Why not get it from Amazon.

Quality Seiko Watch from Amazon