If you are new to luxury watches, you might be wondering exactly what are the most important things to know about these timepieces? With virtually hundreds of years of history, innovation, style and prestige, learning the most important aspects about the industry can be rather daunting. However, we have an organized a simple and easy to read list of the things you should know about luxury watches.
Different Types of Watch Movements
Watch movements, which are also commonly referred to as calibers are the internal components of a watch that power it. There are two types of watch movements:
- Mechanical Movements: Typically found within more expensive luxury watches, mechanical movements are composed of small and intricate components. With mechanical watches there are two different subtypes, manual and automatic.
Manual mechanical movements must be wound by hand in order for the watch to keep track of time. In order to accomplish this, the watch’s crown must be turned multiple times which winds up the mainspring. The mainspring will then slowly unwind over time until it needs to be wound again which could be anywhere from 24 hours to several days depending on the make and model of the manual mechanical movement timepiece.
Automatic mechanical movements, which are also commonly known as self-winding watches, accrue their energy through the wearer’s natural movements of their wrist. If the timepiece is worn on a regular basis then an automatic watch will not need to be wound. However, if it is only worn on special occasions then it will need to be wound.
- Quartz Movement: The second and last movement is the Quartz movement, which makes use of a quartz battery as a power source for the watch. Quartz movements are very accurate and require minimal maintenance due to the fact that they have very few mechanical parts. With that in mind, quartz movement watches tend to be cheaper than mechanical movement. However, many watch enthusiasts are more so attracted to mechanical movements due to the intricate craftsmanship that is involved in mechanical movements.
Timepiece Styles
There are many different types of luxury watch styles. Below we go over some of the most popular styles:
- Dress Watches: Dress watches make the perfect compliment for formal or business attire. A dress watch must be thin enough in order for them to easily slip in and out of a shirt cuff. Dress watches typically feature minimal design in order to seamlessly blend with most outfits. Also, dress watches tend to not have complications in order to maintain a sleek dial.
- Diving Watch: These types of watches are designed to endure tough diving conditions and assist deep-sea divers. Diving watches are manufactured with superior water resistant and corrosion resistant metals. As you can imagine, accurate timekeeping is critical for deep-sea divers whom will rely on the time for their limited supply of oxygen. Diving watches will usually feature large and easily readable dials as well as a unidirectional rotating bezel.
- Sports Watch: These watches are perfect for runners, cyclists, mountain climbers and just about any active enthusiast. Sports watches can also be quite versatile as they tend to look great for a day in the office as well as with outdoor activities. These watches tend to have very strong cases and some will even offer water resistance. Sports watches come with many different types of complications such as a chronograph and tachymeter.
The Seal of Geneva
If you have never heard about this before, then this is the official seal that is awarded to watches that meet exceptionally high standards of Genevan workmanship. This seal guarantees that the timepiece will be reliable, accurate and comparable to a work of art. The movements for the timepiece must also be made, cased and adjusted in the Canton of Geneva. Timepieces with this seal will have it stamped on their movement and case. With over 20,000,000 watches crafted in Switzerland every year, only about 24,000 per year will have the Seal of Geneva. Brands that have received this seal include Cartier, Vacheron Constantin Chopard and Roger Dubuis.
Complications
A complication is a function that exists on a timepiece in addition to keeping track of time. Timepieces that have multiple complications are much more difficult to create. Some of the most widely used complications on watches are the date, chronograph, power reserve indicator, moon phase, and world time.
How to Take Care of a Luxury Timepiece
Like most things, a luxury watch must receive proper care and maintenance. Regardless of how careful you are, eventually components will wear out over time and the watch will need to be serviced. It is recommended that you have your watch serviced every 4 to 5 years. Beyond the infrequent servicing, you should also take care of the watch by adhering to the following:
- Use a soft microfiber cloth to wipe the watch’s case and bracelet to prevent dirt from building up.
- Understand your watch’s water resistance as non-water resistant models must be kept away from moisture at all times.
- Avoid magnets because they can negatively affect your watch’s performance. Keep in mind that there are magnets in electronics like TVs, microwaves and speakers.
- If you have a quartz watch, be sure that you replace its battery before it dies or else the dead battery can potentially leak and damage the movement.
- When you are not wearing your watch, keep the timepiece in its box for safe storage.
- Most importantly, never open the watch yourself; watches should only be opened by a certified watchmaker.
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 Englewood, CO but also the entire state.
Whether you need watch repair in Englewood, 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 Englewood, 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 Englewood, 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. “
