How do quartz watches work?

A wide range of watches are quartz or battery operated. 

1) Battery, providing the power

2) Integrated circuit, controlling the quartz and the stepping motor

3) Oscillating quartz, dividing the time

4) Trimmer, regulating the frequency

5) Stepping motor, transforming the electrical impulses into mechanical power

6) Gear train, activating the hours, minutes and seconds hands

7) Analog display

A battery electrically powers an electronic integrated circuit (IC) consisting of transistors, resistors and capacitors on a silicon chip. The IC converts power into pulses which via conducting material vibrate the quartz. The quartz (usually a small sliver of paper thin U shaped synthetic quartz) vibrates at a constant rate of 32,768 parts per second (the frequency). The high frequency keeps the accuracy. The vibration pulse from the quartz returns to the IC where the IC converts the pulse into a reduced signal. Sometimes between the quartz and the IC is a trimmer to regulate the reverse pulse (less often nowadays). The reduced pulse from the IC goes to a rotor which is part of the stepping motor. This is geared to a train which drives the hands