Dino clocks, quartz vs. eletric

When did the transition take place from the eletric clock to the quartz?

when getting my very late 74 246gts Dino inspected today, i noticed for the first time that the clock is a quartz clock, not the standard electric clock.

this dino (s/n 08468) is the 25th to last 246 dino made. it has had two real owners that have owned the cars for more than 15 years each. based on the age of the clock and it's relative deterioration (at least compared to the other instruments), it corresponds to the the same age as the other gauges.

does anyone know when the "quartz" clocks first started to appear?

 

First started? No sorry I don't.

But...
are the hands on your 246 clock yellow or white? A GT4 clock has yellow hands and is quartz.
So I'd have to guess the transition took place sometime during the 2xx series Dino.

 

Going on my novice clock/watch knowledge, aren't electronic and quartz the same? Or does "electronic" mean in this case an actual mechanical movement, but instead of a mainspring needing to be wound, it is simply an electric motor (along the lines of the Hamilton 500/501/502 Electric movement. Google that FYI...)?

I've always wondered this, as like Dave Stacy mentions that our GT4's clocks are labled "quartzo". Basic watch identifying techniques tell that if you look at a quartz-regulated clock/watch, the second hand has a stepping action when it moves. These are the watches you buy at Wal-Mart for $10. Proper mechanical clocks/watches (Breitling, Rolex, etc...) that have a mainspring, their second hands sweep in a constant motion, not stepping like a cheap quartz watch.

Problem is, these Veglia "quartzo" clocks (if one assumes that quartzo means quartz in English), the second hand sweeps in a constant motion, not stepping like a quartz-regulated clock. That throws out the above theory. So what's the story with the guts of these clocks?

 

FROM GOOGLE:

"The Shortt clock was replaced as the standard by quartz crystal clocks in the 1930s and 1940s, improving timekeeping performance far beyond that of pendulum and balance-wheel escapements.

Quartz clock operation is based on the piezoelectric property of quartz crystals. If you apply an electric field to the crystal, it changes its shape, and if you squeeze it or bend it, it generates an electric field. When put in a suitable electronic circuit, this interaction between mechanical stress and electric field causes the crystal to vibrate and generate a constant frequency electric signal that can be used to operate an electronic clock display.

Quartz crystal clocks were better because they had no gears or escapements to disturb their regular frequency. Even so, they still relied on a mechanical vibration whose frequency depended critically on the crystal's size and shape. Thus, no two crystals can be precisely alike, with exactly the same frequency. Such quartz clocks continue to dominate the market in numbers because their performance is excellent and they are inexpensive. But the timekeeping performance of quartz clocks has been substantially surpassed by atomic clocks."

FROM WIKIPEDIA:

"An electric clock is a clock that is powered by electricity instead of powered manually or by other sources of energy, specifically in order to wind the mainspring or to drive the pendulum or oscillator.

There are actually three basic design classifications:

Electromechanical clocks that use mechanics to rewind the mainspring (via attachment of a motor or an electromagnet)
Electromechanical clocks that use mechanics to operate the pendulum or oscillator
Electromagnetic clocks that use electromagnetic impulses to operate the pendulum or oscillator"

 

Not ALL electronic automotive clocks are quartz! The crummy DC powered clocks in those 2million dollar 'Cudas are most certainly NOT quartz regulated.

The Veglia quartz regulated clocks are an improvement in accuracy (and likewise 4 wheel disk brakes, DOHC, and independent suspension are all Ferrari improvements over the 'Cuda)

There are actually places that will convert one's non-quartz clock to a quartz clock. I guess if you spent 2 million on the car you would want it to keep accurate time... http://www.clockwks.com/Quartzx.html

Here are two pictures of non-quartz Veglia clocks and the small rectangle one (sorry all I could find) is a Veglia quartz clock.


I currently have the battery disconnected in my GT4 so the clock won't burn out...but perhaps I should keep the battery connected so it doesn't freeze up....decisions, decisions....
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Thanks guys.