Title says it all.
Citizen
Casio
Seiko
Swatch Group
Ronda
etc...
Citizen
Casio
Seiko
Swatch Group
Ronda
etc...
pwjp2011
Probably all quite similar as most of these are built to a budget to suit a variety of applications. The toughness part is usually the case design, not the movement.
Going solely by your "the title says it all" statement, I don't think you'll find any durability testing of quartz movements which have been removed from their cases.
You don't specify digital vs analog.
There are quartz movements from some of the mentioned brands that have been running fine for 30+ years.
You don't specify digital vs analog.
There are quartz movements from some of the mentioned brands that have been running fine for 30+ years.
i would focus more on the case than the movement. It's not easy to damage most quartz movements. it's worth doing some research on Seiko's 7C46 quartz movement if it really matters to you. advertised as a 'high torque' quartz movement, better/stronger/lighter materials.
spring bars can be a weak point in any watch that have nothing to do with the movement. fixed bars (you can only use a fabric strap) or screw-on bars are more durable than spring bars. Bertucci makes a number of reasonably-priced watches with fixed bars. Tudor rolled out a dive watch, its Pelagos, with fixed bars not terribly long ago. i have a Citizen dive watch, 'ecozilla,' that's a thick, steel watch case with aftermarket lugs & screw-on bars.
Casio G Shocks are light, and the cases tend to be impact-resistant. So do various polycarbonate watch cases, eg Luminox & comparable watches.
If you prefer metal, Victorinox makes chunky cases in both steel and titanium, the INOX watches, someone pictured one above. They claim to put those through all sorts of abusive tests, haven't ever worn one. they seem kind of unwieldy in steel.
Citizen has made watches over the years with a monobloc case, meaning no screw-on back. the promaster tough is one example, some of their older dive watches. some of the higher-priced Seiko tunas have that construction, plus a metal or ceramic shroud that helps protect the watch; the lower-end tuna watches still have the protective shroud but have screw-on backs, if that matters.
spring bars can be a weak point in any watch that have nothing to do with the movement. fixed bars (you can only use a fabric strap) or screw-on bars are more durable than spring bars. Bertucci makes a number of reasonably-priced watches with fixed bars. Tudor rolled out a dive watch, its Pelagos, with fixed bars not terribly long ago. i have a Citizen dive watch, 'ecozilla,' that's a thick, steel watch case with aftermarket lugs & screw-on bars.
Casio G Shocks are light, and the cases tend to be impact-resistant. So do various polycarbonate watch cases, eg Luminox & comparable watches.
If you prefer metal, Victorinox makes chunky cases in both steel and titanium, the INOX watches, someone pictured one above. They claim to put those through all sorts of abusive tests, haven't ever worn one. they seem kind of unwieldy in steel.
Citizen has made watches over the years with a monobloc case, meaning no screw-on back. the promaster tough is one example, some of their older dive watches. some of the higher-priced Seiko tunas have that construction, plus a metal or ceramic shroud that helps protect the watch; the lower-end tuna watches still have the protective shroud but have screw-on backs, if that matters.
I think the small Citizen three hand quartz movements are one of the toughest and most durable movements due to its light weight. The light weight lessens the G-load during shocks and drops.
Definitely Casio, G-Shocks are well known for their toughness and durability. Citizen is also extremely tough. Seiko solar movements are pretty durable, plus their exclusive quartz movement that they use in Tuna watches are very durable I think that majority of modern quartz movements are very tough, however as other members suggested, it comes down to overall package, what materials are used to build a watch, build quality, etc. You can have the toughest movement but if your case is not up to par, the movement will not make a difference.
In general, the design of any quartz movement is fairly robust due to the solid-state elements and minimal drive train (although I did have a Seiko 6T63 mecha-quartz go bad - probably due to getting gummed up). Many are small and have large plastic holders inside the case that provide even more isolation. I've only had one other issue with a quartz movement in 50 years of rough use - a Ronda movement in an early-2000's Victorinox had a poorly-designed battery holder that broke/lost a retention portion due to a drop and permitted the battery to shift and short. It now has Scotch tape keeping it in place and preventing shorting 
I'd concur with what several others have said here - I don't think you'll find extensive research on the durability of the actual quartz movements themselves - most of them are already pretty durable by default since the number of mechanical components interacting are already at a minimum - especially when you look at Digital vs Analog.
What you really want to be looking at is how the movement is shock protected, cased, etc and probably gauge the watches you are interested in based on that, water rating, dust rating, case materials, crystal materials, etc.
From having worked on oil-rigs in the past, I found that my favorite watches to use on the rig typically had the following:
What you really want to be looking at is how the movement is shock protected, cased, etc and probably gauge the watches you are interested in based on that, water rating, dust rating, case materials, crystal materials, etc.
From having worked on oil-rigs in the past, I found that my favorite watches to use on the rig typically had the following:
- 40mm or larger to maximize dial diameter (for legibility)
- Arabic numerals for quick readability (though nothing wrong with non numerical markers as long as they are large)
- White dial for best contrast in poor light (no real difference in good lighting between lighter and darker dials)
At least 100m water resistance to protect against heavy splashes and dousing - Stainless Steel case
- Mineral Glass crystal - somewhat more durable against shattering, and cheaper to replace than sapphire when it does scratch.
Quartz watches are incredibly durable. My only guess for the most durable would be a digital Quartz since it wont have moving hands.
Quartz movement durability is not just a matter of resistance to shock but also to temperature. If you are going to be subjecting your watch to varying temperatures you may want something thermocompensated, especially if you care about accuracy. These movements tend to he more expensive.
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The most durable movements are always mechanical movements. If something should break here, then a good watchmaker can remanufacture parts, even if the manufacturer of the movement no longer exists and the spare parts are no longer available. With a quartz movement, such a repair is often not possible - sometimes it is enough if the production of the right battery has been stopped.
The robustness of "naked" movements (quartz / mechanical) should be comparable, but is clearly influenced by the watch case.
To finally come back to your initial question: If you want a durable and robust movement, choose a mechanical movement from one of the major manufacturers.
However, if you want a robust watch with quartz movement, look for a Casio G-Shock.
The robustness of "naked" movements (quartz / mechanical) should be comparable, but is clearly influenced by the watch case.
To finally come back to your initial question: If you want a durable and robust movement, choose a mechanical movement from one of the major manufacturers.
However, if you want a robust watch with quartz movement, look for a Casio G-Shock.
It's only a guess, but I think the G-Shock 5000 and the Citizen Promaster Tough would be hard to beat.
I agree with what everyone is saying that’s it’s about the case, not the movement. The INOX and G-Shock are the two I’m most familiar with and each has survived a battery of brutal testing.
But to answer your question, I would presume that a quartz movement with a digital screen would be inherently “tougher” than one with hands, by virtue of less fragile mechanical parts. I have zero data to back that up.
But to answer your question, I would presume that a quartz movement with a digital screen would be inherently “tougher” than one with hands, by virtue of less fragile mechanical parts. I have zero data to back that up.
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