Q is for Quartz - Quarry
2011-12-1 · In that application, a tiny piece of quartz crystal, cut in the shape of a tuning fork, receives an electrical charge from the watch battery or storage cell. The electricity makes the quartz vibrate (or oscillate) at the rate of 32,768 times per second. As the quartz oscillates, it generates electrical pulses at the same rate of 32,768 per second.
