|
|
| How
To Buy A Watch |
 |
How To
Buy A Watch
For many people, choosing a timepiece means
finding the right mix of form and function. In terms of function,
you will want quality construction and reliable performance
built to suit your lifestyle. A watch built to meet the needs
of an adventurer will be very different from a watch built
for a business person.
|
How To
Buy A Watch
For many people, choosing a timepiece
means finding the right mix of form and function. In
terms of function, you will want quality construction
and reliable performance built to suit your lifestyle.
A watch built to meet the needs of an adventurer will
be very different from a watch built for a business
person.
Once you find a watch that suits your lifestyle, you'll want
to find one that suits your tastes. Do you like the feel of metal
or leather on your wrist? Do you prefer the look of gold or silver?
Do you want a traditional round face, a modern square face or
some futuristic new shape? To help you find the look you want,
Hannoush Jewelers carries a selection of quality watches from
many watch designers and manufacturers, running the gamut from
highly functional to high fashion.
We have assembled this information to help you understand the
different descriptions used when talking about watches. You can
use the glossary to find definitions or read the comparisons
of different types of metals used in watches, from steel to gold
plate to titanium. There also are sections that compare the different
types of movements, crystals and water resistance, as well as
descriptions of the different manufacturers we carry.
|
Glossary
Ana-Dig: A watch with both an analog and digital display. The analog
display has a traditional dial with hour, minute and, sometimes,
second hands. The digital display shows the time numerically with
a liquid-crystal display.
Bezel: The upper portion of the watch that encircles the face and
holds the crystal. In some cases it contains an extra ring to beautify
the case or a rotating ring with a special function.
Bracelet: Also known as the watchband, it is the part of the watch
that goes around the wrist. Can be made of metal, leather or other
material.
Cabochon: Used to indicate a smooth round or oval convex shaped
polished gemstone. In watch terminology, it describes a decorative
stone set in the watch crown.
Case: The outside shell that houses the moving parts of the watch.
It is always made of a durable material and often sealed to some
degree to provide water protection.
Chronograph: A stopwatch function sometimes built into a wristwatch.
Crown: Small round serrated knob usually located at the 3 o'clock
position. Some people refer to it as a winder, as it once was used
to wind the spring in clockwork watches. Today it is normally used
to set the time when pulled outward and rotated.
Crystal: The transparent protective covering
fitted tightly over the face of the watch.
It is held in place by the bezel. May be
made from plastic, glass or synthetic sapphire. See the "Crystal" section
of this page for more details.
Dial: The face of an analog watch, where the numbers are usually
displayed.
Gasket: A rubber or plastic ring that seals the internal works
of the watch against dust, moisture and water.
Gold Plating: An application of gold over the surface of an item.
Gold plating is used to manufacture watches that have the look
of gold at a fraction of the price.
Jewels: Small hard gemstones used in certain moving parts of some
mechanical watches. They are used in sensitive parts of the machinery
because they are smooth and very durable, helping the watch stay
accurate and last longer.
Liquid-crystal Display (LCD): A digital display where the numbers
are formed in a liquid layer sandwiched between a pair of clear
crystals.
Movement: The means by which a watch keeps
time, often including the power source.
For example, a watch with mechanical movement
uses a spinning balance wheel powered by a tightly wound spring,
whereas a watch with quartz movement measures the vibrations in
a piece of quartz and often is powered by a battery. For details,
see the "Movements" section of this page.
Stainless Steel: The metal of choice used to make high quality
watchcases and bracelets because it is durable and can withstand
more wear and tear than a similar watch in brass or gold. It is
also hypoallergenic because it doesn't contain nickel.
Solar Tech: Solar powered quartz watch. This technology provides
the accuracy of quartz, without the inconvenience and cost of regular
battery changes.
Titanium: Titanium is one of the lightest and strongest metals
on earth and is used to make top-end watchcases and bracelets.
It is extremely durable and is hypoallergenic.
Water Resistance: Describes the level of
protection a watch has from water damage.
See the "Water Resistance" section
of this page for a description of the different levels. |
Movements
The majority of the watches sold today have quartz movements. The
best way to explain the differences between watch movements is
to compare them to mechanical watches which were first introduced
in 1910.
Mechanical: Watches use a balance wheel for time measurement and
a mainspring for power. They require manual winding.
Automatic: Watches are self-winding mechanical watches. They have
a rotor which includes an oscillating weight that swings backwards
and forwards with every movement of the wrist. The oscillations
are converted by means of a gearing into a rotary motion that winds
the mainspring.
Quartz: Watches use a quartz crystal for time measurement and a
battery for power. They require no winding.
Kinetic Quartz: Kinetic quartz is exclusive technology to Seiko.
It is a quartz watch without a battery. The Kinetic quartz generates
electrical energy to power itself from the natural movement of
the wearer's arm and wrist. It stores the energy in a capacitor.
The reserve energy lasts 3 to 14 days in a motionless watch.
Solar Quartz: Watches use a quartz crystal for time measurement.
Any light source is absorbed through the crystal and dial. A solar
cell converts the light into energy to power the watch.
The crystal is the
transparent protective covering fitted tightly over
the face of the watch. Since it is exposed to all
sorts of shocks and blows, the crystal should be
as hard as possible. Softer materials will scratch
and break easily, which will make the watch less
attractive and possibly unreadable, or if shattered,
can damage the watch beyond repair. The crystal is
held in place by the bezel.
A crystal can be made from any clear material, from plastic to
synthetic sapphire, which is the hardest and most expensive crystal
available. The following chart lists popular crystal types and
their relative hardness. |
 |
Water
Resistance
Water resistance is a measure of the degree to which a watch will
resist the intrusion of moisture. The following chart describes
the amount of water measured in feet or meters that each watch
can resist.
|
|
|
