There seems to be quite a bit of confusion regarding the various types of watches and classifications out there. And even as a watch enthusiast myself, I get the occasional perplexing question that involves some research. Sometimes that research is something as simple as a Google® click away and sometimes it involves a trip to the library or a phone call. That’s why I love getting questions! There is little doubt that I know some things about watches, but there is even less doubt that there is always someone out there that knows one or two things more.

In this guide, I am going to attempt to demystify some of the confusion behind watches, their costs, branding, and selecting the right seller online. I do not plan to go into a lot of detail, rather, just give an overview in order to give you an idea of what the different terms mean and represent. This, in no way, is intended to be a buying guide and I am not responsible for any inaccuracies contained herein. I plan to break it down into five parts as follows:    

1. Different classifications (Quartz, Automatic, Mechanical)
2. Components (Crystal, Movements, Casing, Bezel)
3. Legal (Swiss Watch, Authentic, Replicas)
4. Brands (Why do some seem to have similar components yet cost differently?
5. Who should I buy from?

Part I
Different Classifications

There are several different watch classifications, but the ones we are going to concern ourselves with in this guide are Quartz, Automatic and Mechanical. Digital watches will not be covered in this guide as I personally don’t really classify them as anything more than something with which to tell time. If you are an enthusiast, you know that a real watch has many intangibles and does much more than just tell time.

Quartz Movement

The quartz movement has been around since the 1930s when it was used in some clocks. However, it was not until the 1970s that the quartz wrist watches were to become the replacement of everything everyone had known up until that point. Rather than utilizing a type of winding mechanism, the “quartz crystal” watches were able to utilize a small battery in order to power the watch. This meant that rather than using a mainspring that all watches used up until this point to power the watch, it was electrically powered and, therefore more accurate.

Today, quartz is the most utilized type of movement used in wristwatches and because of the ability to mass-produce electric watches they will also be the least expensive type of movement. Ironically, they are also the most accurate.

Mechanical Movement

A mechanical movement is a movement which uses the power from a wound mainspring and keeps time by utilizing the energy from the tension of the spring to power a set of gears. It is different from most quartz movements because it uses mechanical components to keep time rather than electric or solid state components.

Mechanical movements utilize jewels (usually rubies or synthetic rubies) as “bearings” for the wheel trains as well as some other parts of the movement. The reason that rubies are used is because they are extremely hard and extremely smooth. They are installed in the high-wear parts of the movement in order to ensure years of service.

Because a watch with a mechanical movement is, as the name suggests, utilizing mechanical parts to keep time, these watches are not as accurate as quartz movement watches (however, there are some quartz powered mechanical movements which are a bit more accurate). The appeal of these watches is that of aesthetics and appreciation. If you are one that appreciates fine craftsmanship and you do not mind having to wind and reset  your watch from time to time, then a watch with a mechanical movement is your kind of watch.

Automatic Movement

An automatic movement watch is simply a mechanical watch with a self-winding mechanism (usually utilizing kinetic energy for winding). Many times these watches will have a skeleton (see-thru) back and partial skeleton front which allows you to actually see what the watch is doing. These movements tend to have more jewels than a mechanical movement and they also tend to be a little bit larger. There are many slim automatic movement watches out there, but you will definitely expect to pay for the convenience of the small size.

As with mechanical movements, the Automatic movements are not exactly known for accuracy.  Both Mechanical and Automatic movement watches can gain or lose as much as 10 seconds a day whereas quartz watches can gain or lose up to .5 (1/2) second per day, on average. However, to wear a watch with an automatic movement, in many cases, shows that you have arrived and more often than not, will become a conversation piece.

Part II
Components
 

Following are the basic watch components that you will find in every watch. When you read a description of the watch, this should help to give you a BASIC understanding of what is being spoken about.

Band or Bracelet: This is the part of the watch that attaches to the watch and wraps around the wrist in order to keep it on

Clasp: This is part of the bracelet and is the part utilized to attach both ends of the band together. There are many different types, but the most popular are:

·         Folding Clasps: These can come with and without push buttons or safety locks and are the most common in watches with metal bands.

·         Butterfly Clasp:  Often a characteristic of more expensive watches, the butterfly clasp is a type of fold-over clasp that, once closed, looks almost as if the band is a solid bracelet with a series of links. In other words, when closed, the clasp itself is almost unnoticeable.

·         Some leather bands also utilize a folding clasp, however, most use a “buckle” type which is similar to a belt buckle.

Bezel: This is the metal ring that, as a general rule, holds the watch crystal in. Bezels can be made of many things, but generally they are made of a kind of metal. They are also the part of the watch that usually contains the diamonds or other adornments to give a watch its personality.

Case: The case is what is used to contain all of the moving parts, the dial of the watch and holds the bezel on.

Crown: This is the part of the watch that is normally at the side of the watch and is pulled out in order to set the time and date.

Crystal: This is the part that covers the dial for protection. They tend to come in mineral glass, which can be found on most inexpensive watches, and sapphire crystal which is a man-made crystal that is almost as hard as diamonds and virtually scratch proof.

Dial: The actual display of the watch which contains markings (if any) and hands for telling time

Markings:  The time increment symbols located on the watch dial

Movement: The inner workings of a watch that actually do the work of keeping time.

Part III
Legal
 

Confusion about what is and is not legal to state when referring to a watch, its movements and its components? I am not a lawyer, nor do I ever aspire to be, so do not take this as 100% legal guidance. However, the following is based on information gathered from various sources including some legal documents. Where possible, I will make references to the research I have done.

First of all, let’s talk about the two main countries that manufacture movements that you will find on the Internet.  These countries would be Japan and Switzerland (China is also coming on the scene with movements and manufacturing that is getting closer and closer to rivaling that of its competitors). As most of you probably know, the Swiss have had a reputation for making superior time-keeping movements for hundreds of years. They have and continue to work very diligently to preserve this reputation through various methods, including a governing body (Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH) and specific requirements and classifications in order for a watch to be considered Swiss or contain markings that indicate Swiss in any way.

Japan, on the other hand, does not have such a board and the majority of the movements that come from Japan are quartz movements. This is not to say that they do not produce quality. In point of fact, a watch containing a Japanese quartz movement can outlive a Swiss watch.  So for the sake of this article, let’s discuss what it takes for a watch to contain the word “Swiss”, as stated on the Federation of Swiss Watch Industry’s web site (You can email me for the link if you are interested). I am giving a brief overview, however, if you want all the details, please feel free to visit their site.

The main classifications/guidelines set up for a watch to be called “Swiss” are as follows:

Swiss Watch, Swiss made, or Swiss:

·         Its movement is Swiss

·         Its movement is cased up in Switzerland

·         Manufacturer carries out the final inspection in Switzerland

Swiss Movement:

·         Movement Assembled in Switzerland

·         Movement has been inspected by the manufacturer in Switzerland

·         The components of the manufacturer account for at least 50% of the total value without taking into account the cost of assembly (This has just been increased to 60% as of their last meeting)

If the movement is Swiss but the rest of the watch is assembled elsewhere, then it can only indicate that the movement is Swiss and not that it is a Swiss watch. Some manufacturers will get around this by putting “Swiss Watch” on the box or manual for the watch, however, just put “Swiss Movement” on the watch itself.

Furthermore, if it is only a Swiss movement, the word movement is required to be of the same typeface and size as the word “Swiss”.

Wristlet & Case:  Similarly, at least 50% of the production costs of the wristlet must have been incurred in Switzerland in order to carry the “Swiss Made” marking. It must also be assembled and inspected in Switzerland.

Swiss Quartz: This is an indication that the movement is Swiss. However, according to the guidelines, this is not an acceptable marking as by the FH regulations, this actually indicates that the watch is Swiss made. A more proper indication would be the “Swiss Movement” indication.

Swiss Parts: This is purely an indication that the part blanks were made in Switzerland, but assembled elsewhere.

As a general rule, a watch that does not indicate Swiss in any way, shape or form, is likely to be a Japan movement.  However, as stated earlier, there are other countries manufacturing movements now, China being the next largest producer.

Part IV
Brands
(Why do some brands cost more than others, yet seemingly use similar components?)

When I am out with friends or talking to others about what I do, there always seems to be at least one person that asks the question, “why do I want to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a watch, when my $3.00 digital watch does exactly what I want it to do?” What a great question!

Why should you spend thousands on a Rolex or Omega watch when you can go down to the local Cheap-mart and pick up a watch that keeps time better, or at least as well? My typical response to them is that if they have to ask, then there is no reason.

The truth of the matter is that just like many things in life, there is no PRACTICAL reason why one should spend the money. But buying a nice watch is a lot more than practicality. It is purchasing something that is a reflection of who you are and it gives people a quick and easy way to tell what you’re about. As an example, if you wear a watch that is diamond encrusted, it tells me that you like a little bit of splash and you like to make a splash. If you wear a Stainless Steel Rolex, it means you appreciate fine craftsmanship, but don’t need to make a big show of yourself.

But the bigger question is, exactly WHY does one watch cost more than another. And unfortunately, the answer is a complicated one. Without going into who makes a better watch, which is many times just a matter of opinion, I hope to cover a few of the reasons.

Let’s start with what many people think of as the big daddy of fine watches: Rolex. Now, the truth of the matter is, there are watches out there that rival in price and even exceed some of the most expensive Rolex watches, but Rolex is a name that almost everyone knows, so I will use it as an example.

One of the main reasons that Rolex is as expensive as it is, is simply because of the man hours that go into manufacturing a Rolex watch. They are not mass produced and each watch goes through very rigorous testing before it even gets to be called a Rolex. Similar to a piece of Waterford Crystal, if there is the slightest flaw found in the movement of a Rolex, it goes back to the beginning and starts all over again.

But beyond the strict guidelines with manufacturing a Rolex, there are even stricter guidelines for being able to sell a Rolex. First of all, to sell a Rolex, you better know what you’re talking about. But secondly, Rolex regulates their resellers strictly. Each serial number can be traced right back to its origins. Should you ever want to know who owned a Rolex before you, Rolex would have that information. They may not give it to you, but they definitely have it. It is the responsibility of the jeweler to send that information TO Rolex. Furthermore, the reseller has to abide by the guidelines regarding pricing of their product. Should a reseller fail to comply, Rolex will pull their dealership in a heartbeat. By doing this, Rolex is able to control the value of their products and that is why their resale value is so high and it does not appear as if Rolex will lose their stronghold on their market any time soon.

Now, for another example, let’s look at a line that I carry – the Aquaswiss Watch, a very nice watch to be sure. But they are in the $100 to $300 range as opposed to a Rolex which is the multi-thousand dollar price range.

The Aquaswiss watches are watches that utilize a Swiss Quartz movement as opposed to Rolex which uses a Swiss Automatic Mechanical movement. Quartz movements are far less expensive to manufacture for reasons as stated earlier in this article and easier. A mechanical movement utilizes jewels and several parts in order to function, whereas Swiss Quartz is electrical.

The Aquaswiss, while utilizing a Swiss movement are not necessarily assembled in Switzerland, whereas a Rolex is a 100% Swiss watch.

Both the Aquaswiss and the Rolex utilize Sapphire Crystal for its crystal. However, the Rolex will utilize a screw-in bezel whereas the Aquaswiss bezel and case are one in the same.

And now for the intangible: Reputation. Rolex has been known for quality and superiority for years. They have established themselves as a world leader for time keeping and engineering, whereas Aquaswiss is fairly new to the market. When speaking of Rolex, you’re speaking of a status symbol. When speaking of Aquaswiss, you’re speaking of a nice looking watch that provides a lot of value for what you’re getting.

Because of this, even if you have the money to spend on a Rolex, it may still not fit who you are and what you want. And that’s ok too! Remember, that the watch you pick is supposed to reflect who you are and not everyone has a Rolex mentality.

Lastly, on this subject, I want to talk about watches as jewelry as opposed to watches as watches. Many of the watches you will see contain Swiss quartz yet, they cost as much as a watch with a mechanical movement. Many times, this is because the watch is more a piece of jewelry than it is a time piece. Jacob & Co, Cartier and Tiffany are just a few examples of watches that come from people that were jewelers first and their work will reflect that fact. You can bet that a company that puts only the best quality diamonds on a watch is only going to use the best components for the watch as well.

Part V
Who Should I Buy From?

Please Read Part Two of This Guide