How to Pick Out a Watch

Watches serve a bevy of roles from being a fashion adjunct, serving as diving equipment, to assisting as a exercise aid. Before acquiring a new watch, here are some points to mull over: 1. Determine what you will be using the watch for, and how many watches you will have in your collection. If you just want to have a single watch, that watch must serve in a variety of conditions depending on your lifestyle and intended usage. If you are planning on buying several watches, you can consider specialty watches that are built for the activities in which you take part.

2. Weigh other characteristics that may pertain to you. Some watches combine both digital and analog faces on one watch. A water-resistant watch is fine for swimming and general use and can be worn in the shower.

But for diving, be sure to check the depth rating. If you are a biker or you take part in other competitive events, a stopwatch (often referred to as a chronograph) will be highly desirable. If you travel frequently, an alarm feature is very handy, as is the ability to support several time zones. If you are buying a watch as a fashion statement, gemstones are an elegant, although sometimes expensive, addition high-end watches. 3.

Understand the workings of the watch in which you are interested. Almost all contemporary watches use a battery-powered quartz crystal to maintain exacting time. Mechanical watches use gears and springs to keep the time. While mechanical watches are evocative of times past, they require periodic servicing.

The elite watch makers build their own mechanisms. Lesser watch makers acquire their mechanisms from third-parties. 4. Take a close look at the watch casing. Most expensive watches will make use of a screw-on back and screw-down crown ; this results in the most security from water and grime.

Some watches feature a display back that affords a view of the mechanism that drive the watch. Common case materials used for watches include titanium, gold, silver, stainless steel, and platinum. If you are searching for a durable casing material for your watch, stay away from gold.

While it appears fashionable, it is the softest case material used. 5. Carefully look at the crystal on the watch (the transparent face that covers the watch). Acrylic crystals are more cost-effective, they offer reasonable shatter resistance but may be more easily scuffed than glass. Sapphire crystals are fantastic, and the most expensive, option for watches. They offer excellent clarity, shatter and scratch resistance.

6. Be certain the band is comfortable and secure. Leather bands provide a rugged, clean look. Nylon bands are quick drying, secure, and strong.

They are the best choice for sports watches, but you won't be blazing any fashion trends with one. Segmented metal bands have a clean look, a smooth feel, are quite popular. They can be difficult to adjust however. 7. If you are considering a self-winding watch, consider how often the watch will be worn.

Self-winding watches do not in fact wind themselves. They use the movement of your body to charge their winding mechanism. If your self-winding watch may frequently spend multiple days in a drawer, you'll discover that it will slow down and often need to be reset after sitting.

The contributor is an avid collector of watches. He enjoys writing watch reviews, many of which can be perused at watch-reviews.com.