A luxury watch is a must-have for most men. In almost all cases, there will most certainly be a time and a place where you will need to be taken seriously. Nothing speaks volumes than a well-dressed man wearing a luxury watch. The only downside with purchasing a luxury timepiece is going to be the cost. An exceptionally well-crafted and professional timepiece will cost a pretty penny. However, when purchasing a luxury watch it should not be considered a lavish and frivolous purchase. Instead it should be considered an investment. An investment of ones’ character and influence. If taken well care of it also makes the perfect family heirloom.
Below, in order to help navigate you through the world of luxury timepieces, we have written up a short guide that you can read through in order to make an informed decision on where your money should go.
What is movement?
Also called a caliber, this refers to the mechanism used to power a watch. Affordable and cheaper watches feature a quartz movement which makes use of an oscillator, regulated by a quartz crystal and powered by a battery, for accurate measurement. Luxury watches, on the other hand, use mechanical movements.
Why is that?
This is because mechanical movement requires craftsmanship and precise engineering to create. Only highly skilled expert watchmakers can do this. Also, the mechanical movement represents how timepieces used to be made in the good old days.
There are two types of mechanical movement watches. The traditional one is manual where you wind up the watch by hand to produce energy in the mainspring that will power the watch.
The other type of mechanical movement is automatic or self-winding. The wearer’s random motion harnesses energy and uses it to wind the mainspring which will power the watch. As long as you wear the watch regularly, it will continue to run.
Now, a lot of watch manufacturers don’t make their own movements. Instead, they buy it from suppliers like Sellita or ETA, a well-known European watch movement maker. Some manufacturers like Patek Philippe, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Audemars Piguet, and A. Lange & Sohne don’t need to purchase movements because they make their own.
A luxury watch that has its own exclusive movement almost always means that it is beautifully decorated, unique, and possesses a complex watch movement.
Can you tell the difference between a quartz and a mechanical watch?
Yes, you can. The movement of the second hand of a watch using a quartz movement has a tick-tick motion. It moves one “tick” for each second that passes. A mechanical movement, on the other hand, has more of a sweeping motion.
Quality Materials
When it comes to purchasing a luxury watch, you will need to make sure that the quality of the timepiece matches or even exceeds that of the price of the watch. The materials that are used from the metals to the polish and finish; all should be top quality. Do not rely on the sales description of the watch for this part.
Inspect the case personally. Check the edges – how well they are done, how the polish or finish was applied, if it looks like the polish and or finish will fade fast. Of course, if we’re talking about the really high-end luxury watches that cost you $20k or over, then the metal should not only be top quality. It should be downright precious like gold or platinum. Some may even feature natural, quality stones like sapphires of diamonds.
What are complications?
The basic function of a watch is to tell time. Anything else that a watch is able to do such as displaying the date or phases of the moon is what is called a complication. To help you become familiar with watch complications, we’ve listed a few of the more common ones below.
Chronograph: This is the stopwatch feature where there are extra dials that measure hours and minutes separately. You can use it to calculate speed and distance if you’re training as an athlete.
Calendar: While plenty of watches have this feature, luxury watches have sophisticated perpetual ones that will automatically readjust should there be date irregularities like a leap year.
International time zone dials: Separate dials that display multiple time zones.
Moon phase: It is a dial that has a rotating disk underneath showing the current phase of the moon.
Does the size of the watch matter?
Size really comes down to personal preference and then again it will also depend on what you plan on using the timepiece for. First, when it comes to fit, you should choose a watch that perfectly fits around your wrist. If it is too big then you may look silly and if it is too small then you may look like you are wearing a lady’s watch.
Usually you can get away with a case diameter that ranges between 34 – 44mm. Guys with small wrists can stick with 34 – 40mm cases whereas guys with larger wrists should opt for 44 – 50mm. Size is also measured in the terms of thickness. If you purchase a thick timepiece that you plan on wearing under the cuff, well, good luck with that. Chances are it won’t fit. In this scenario, you should stick with something that is no more than 10mm thick.
What’s the price on luxury watches?
When it comes to prices, well, the sky is the limit. You can find low-end luxury timepieces starting for around $500 and under a $1000. Mid-range timepieces usually range from $1,000 all the way up to $20,000. This is typically where Rolex and Jaeger LeCoultre timepieces will typically fall. Then again, there are also high-end luxury timepieces where the cost could be anything over $20,000.
Brands like A. Lange & Sohne and Audemars Piguet would belong to this category. The steep price tag of these watches is not just due to the top-quality materials used. Take note that these are meticulously handcrafted watches that are rare and take somewhere between months to years to be produced. However, no matter your budget, you can find an exceptionally well-crafted timepiece in any of these ranges that will be to your liking.
About Matheu’s Fine Watches & Jewelry
Matheu’s Fine Watches & Jewelry has been providing quality products and professional services to the metropolitan Denver, CO area since 1951. The very first watch repair and service facility ever opened in Colorado. Dan Matheu, watchmaker, pioneered watch repair and services in Colorado. Today, Scott Matheu is at the helm steering Matheu’s Fine Watches & Jewelry. With his vision, Scott opened a watch store in Highland Ranch and has made Matheu’s Fine Watches & Jewelry not only one of the largest watch stores to provide watch repair in Castle Rock, CO but also the entire state.
Whether you need watch repair in Castle Rock, CO, watch engraving, or even if you have an antique watch that you would like appraised, you can count on Matheu’s Fine Watches & Jewelry to provide you with superior service each and every single time. All of our watchmakers are factory trained and we have CW21 Certified by the American Watchmakers and Clockmakers Institute (AWCI) on site. This certification has the most stringent standards for watchmakers performing repair, restoration, and service work on watches. With one of the largest service centers in the metropolitan Denver, CO we are not only able to provide watch repair in Castle Rock, CO but to the entire 50 states as well.
Matheu’s Fine Watches & Jewelry is also a factory authorized service center for Cartier, Tag Heuer, Philip Stein, Swiss Army and many more brands. When you use Matheu’s Fine Watches & Jewelry for your watch repair in Castle Rock, CO, you can rest assured knowing that you will receive our (3) three-year warranty on major watch repairs that we provide. If you are looking for the best watch repair service center throughout the United States, you cannot go wrong when you choose Matheu’s Fine Watches & Jewelry. With certifications from not only AWCI but SAWTA too, we not only stand out from the pact; we lead it.”
