How do you choose a watch? Do you buy based on its style, its design, technological innovation, or by brand? The answer is inevitably a combination of all these factors. Ask yourself what you want the watch for. Of course, telling the time is the primary function but today you can choose a watch for every occasion. It is increasingly usual to own several watches; for day, for evening, for sports and for leisure.
Watch Styles
When you’re choosing a watch, decide which style best suits the occasion or your lifestyle.
Dress – A dress watch has a certain look and feel that makes it easy and comfortable to wear. Clean styling, elegant lines combined with precision timekeeping. With a wide choice of elegant bracelets and fine leather straps, a classic watch is ideal for day and evening wear.
Fashion – A watch that is more than just a timepiece. It is an accessory that tells the time and is a true reflection of your personality and lifestyle. With many prestigious watch brands introducing designs straight from the catwalk, there has never been a better time to buy a fashion watch.
Sports – A sports watch is for the sportsman or woman who demands a watch that is tough and has specific functionality without compromising on style. Whether you’re a diver or an athlete, whether you need a chronograph or a high level of water resistance, there’s a sports watch that’s right for you.
Watch Movements
A watch’s accuracy and reliability are determined by its movement.
Mechanical – The traditional movement, consisting of a coiled main spring with a regulatory system or balance. The spring is wound up manually via the winding stem.
Automatic – An automatic watch has a movement similar to a mechanical watch, but it “self winds” using the movement of the wearer. The winder is retained as a feature so that the time and date can be altered manually when necessary.
Quartz – A module powered by a synthetic crystal, made to oscillate by an electric current supplied by a tiny battery and is a very precise and accurate time measurement.
Seiko Kinetic Auto Relay – An innovative movement of micro-electronics that responds to the wearer’s wrist action to store energy, maintaining quartz accuracy. The watch “sleeps” to conserve energy if not worn for 72 hours but wakes up when shaken and immediately returns to the correct time. This movement was developed by Seiko.
Watch Functions
In addition to telling the time, a watch can offer a range of functions. Basic functions include seconds hand, day, date, dual time and alarm. More specialist functions include chronograph, a watch that tells the time and acts as a stopwatch, and tachymeter, a set of markings on the outside of a watch, enabling the measurement of the wearer’s speed over a known distance. When making your choice, decide which functions you really need and which are simply an additional benefit.
Water Resistancy
The term water resistance refers to the watch’s ability to withstand splashes of water to varying degrees. Water resistancy is tested in “still”, or static, conditions. So, if you dive into a pool wearing a watch which is 50 metres water resistant, the pressure impacted upon the watch on hitting the water will be far greater than that experienced at a 50 metre static test. Therefore, the number of metres shown on a watch face does not indicate the depth that the watch can be taken to.
Caring For Your Watch
Your watch will require care and regular maintenance to ensure its accuracy and to protect its appearance. It is important to note, however, that each brand and model of watch has its own specific care guidelines and you should always refer to the manufacturer’s instruction manual or warranty, provided with your watch.
Avoid water damage to your watch. Check your watch’s water resistancy and adhere strictly to instructions in your manufacturer’s instructions.
Should water or condensation appear in your watch face, have it checked by a watch specialist.
Avoid leaving your watch in extreme temperatures can cause complications. Generally, extreme heat can shorten the battery life of a quartz watch and extreme cold can cause your watch to gain or lose time.
Avoid contact with chemicals, solvents and gases which may cause discolouration, deterioration and damage to your watch.
Although most watches are, to a degree, shock resistant, do avoid extreme shock or impact to your watch.
Avoid exposing your watch to strong electric fields and strong static electricity.
Generally, electrical household appliances will not affect your watch.
If your watch has been worn in salt water and is not designed to avoid corrosion, have it checked by a watch specialist.
Watches, including their straps, are best cleaned by a watch specialist.
Have your watch checked and serviced regularly by a watch specialist. The manufacturer’s instruction manual will tell you how often you should have your watch serviced.