Electronic digital watches are a new type of timepiece that only appeared in the 1950s. The earliest electronic watch was called the "balance spring electronic watch", which was born in 1955. This kind of watch uses the electromagnetic balance wheel instead of the mainspring drive, uses the balance wheel hairspring as the oscillator of the electronic watch structure, and the micro battery as the energy source, drives the balance wheel to work through the electronic circuit. Its travel time part is exactly the same as that of a mechanical watch, and it is called the first generation of electronic watches.

It is simpler in structure and more accurate than the balance wheel electronic watch, and is called the second generation electronic watch. In 1969, Japan's Seikosha Company launched the world's first quartz electronic watch. The appearance of the quartz electronic watch immediately became a mainstream product in the watch industry. It has accurate timekeeping and simple structure, and easily eliminated the first and second generation electronic watches and even mechanical watches. Quartz watches use crystals that continuously "vibrate" periodically to bring us accurate time. Digital quartz electronic watch, a watch that combines piezoelectric effect of quartz crystal and diode-type liquid crystal display, its function is completely completed by electronic components.