Fine Watches
Reasons to buy a watch
It's practical. Watches today not only tell time, but they can tell you the day, date and time in other time zones, remind you of an appointment, wake you up and monitor your heartbeat.
It's fashionable. Watch styles reflect and define the times, from sports chronographs to ultra-thin dress styles. They're an important accessory.
It's prestigious. Some watches carry the grace and tradition of names recognized around the world as signifying the highest elegance in jewelry and timepieces.
It's artistic. Fine watches are designed by artisans and craftspeople who fashion case, bracelet, dial and sometimes gems into not just a functional timepiece, but a work of art.
It's a potential heirloom. Your watch can be an investment in beauty and value. Certain gold and diamond watches, over time, even increase in value. Witness the prices some prestige timepieces fetch at famous auction houses. And, it is a lovely remembrance of a loved one.
It's priced to fit your pocketbook. Whatever your price range, whatever your need, there's a watch for you. If you enjoy changing your watch to fit your activity, fashionable less-expensive yet highly accurate watches are available from your jeweler in a variety of styles and price ranges.
If you can afford the most extravagantly designed, precious metal watch encrusted with gemstones, your jeweler can offer you a wide selection to choose from.
It's practical. Watches today not only tell time, but they can tell you the day, date and time in other time zones, remind you of an appointment, wake you up and monitor your heartbeat.
It's fashionable. Watch styles reflect and define the times, from sports chronographs to ultra-thin dress styles. They're an important accessory.
It's prestigious. Some watches carry the grace and tradition of names recognized around the world as signifying the highest elegance in jewelry and timepieces.
It's artistic. Fine watches are designed by artisans and craftspeople who fashion case, bracelet, dial and sometimes gems into not just a functional timepiece, but a work of art.
It's a potential heirloom. Your watch can be an investment in beauty and value. Certain gold and diamond watches, over time, even increase in value. Witness the prices some prestige timepieces fetch at famous auction houses. And, it is a lovely remembrance of a loved one.
It's priced to fit your pocketbook. Whatever your price range, whatever your need, there's a watch for you. If you enjoy changing your watch to fit your activity, fashionable less-expensive yet highly accurate watches are available from your jeweler in a variety of styles and price ranges.
If you can afford the most extravagantly designed, precious metal watch encrusted with gemstones, your jeweler can offer you a wide selection to choose from.
Types of Watches
MECHANICALS are the traditional "wind-up" watches.
They work because of a mainspring inside the watch which the wearer winds by turning the crown on the side of the watch.
The spring gradually unwinds and turns tiny interlocking wheels which move the watch hands to measure seconds, minutes and hours.
The AUTOMATIC or SELF-WINDING watches wind themselves as the wearer moves their wrist.
The wearer's arm actions cause a weight behind the movement to rotate, winding the mainspring. They can also be wound manually.
QUARTZ watches are powered by batteries, rather than a mechanical spring.
The batteries send electronic impulses through a small bar of synthetic quartz crystal which vibrates more than 32,000 times per second. Those vibrations are channeled through a series of gears that result in one impulse per second.
The terms ANALOG and DIGITAL refer to the way time is displayed on the dial.
Analog simply refers to a watch with traditional time-telling "hands."
Quartz analogs are watches in which the hands are moved by the electronic impulses passing from the battery
through the quartz crystal to a step motor which moves the hands.
Digital watches display the time with digits - numbers -instead of hands.
The numerals are created by either light-emitting diodes (LED) or liquid crystal displays (LCD).
Quartz watches are generally more accurate than mechanical watches, for two reasons.
One, mechanical watches have many moving parts. That means more friction and less accuracy as the parts interact.
Digitals have no moving parts. Two, the quartz crystal's constant and amazingly frequent vibrations per second
enable watches to measure the second with unprecedented accuracy.
A quartz watch should function properly for years with a battery life of one to up to five years
SPECIAL FEATURE watches perform a variety of tasks.
Besides telling the hours, minutes and seconds, many watches reveal the month, day and year.
Some also give the phases of the moon or the time in other countries or time zones.
CHRONOGRAPH watches measure small fractions of a second. Some are used to calculate speeds, distances and altitudes.
There are specialized watches for astronauts, pilots, parachutists and skin divers-
even timepieces that meet the special needs of blind persons.
Also, most fine watches today are specially made to resist water, dust, wind, shock and magnetic fields.
Price & Style
Watch prices range from around $20 to more than $10,000.
The most expensive watches are those made with precious metals such as gold or platinum and decorated with precious gemstones.
They also require the labor of skilled craftspeople. Some of the finest watches are handmade by master watchmakers
who have spent a lifetime developing their craft.
Selecting a watch, like selecting any piece of jewelry, should be based on personal taste.
Today's watches are not only timekeepers, but are considered important fashion accessories.
Men and women make a definite fashion statement by the watch they choose - sporty, dressy, youthful, tailored or sophisticated.
People today are replacing their old-fashioned watch with a complete wardrobe of watches to suit their lifestyles.
For sport or leisure, a person may want to wear a chronograph. For business use, a more tailored-looking watch with a leather strap and neutral color dial is sometimes desired. For evening and dress wear, the sky is the limit for decorative and elegant watches.
Gold or platinum bracelets with or without precious gemstone accents - for men and women - provide an excellent way to show off your fashion panache. To achieve the expensive luxury look without the expense, watches of gold overlay are also available.
Where to buy your watch
No matter what style of watch you choose, there are some guidelines to follow.
Buy a watch with a familiar trademark or one whose performance has a good reputation.
To avoid being "ripped off," always buy from a reputable jeweler whom you know and trust in the community,
who is available today for advice in making your purchase and tomorrow for service and future reliable purchases.
Since it is difficult, if not impossible for the untrained person to detect a counterfeit, avoid the transient street peddler
or questionable mail-order promotions which advertise huge discounts on so-called designer or "famous name" watches.
Read your warranty. Be sure that the manufacturer is behind the warranty.
Take the time to show you care
Wind a mechanical watch in a clockwise direction, preferably about the same time each day.
Take it off your wrist so as not to place undue pressure on the stem.
Although many watches are equipped with shock-resistant devices, it's not wise to subject it to overly vigorous treatment.
Replace broken or scratched crystals immediately:
even a hairline crack can let dust or moisture into the mechanism, threatening its accuracy.
Unless the degree of water-resistance was clearly specified when you bought your watch,
don't risk wearing it into the shower or pool, or on a moist wrist.
No matter how handy you are, don't attempt any "do-it-yourself" watch repairs.
Only an expert watchmaker should be trusted to put your watch back into working condition if there is a problem.
It's best to replace a battery in a quartz watch before it runs out. Dead batteries left in the watch can leak or corrode and ruin it.
Also, don't attempt to change the battery in a watch yourself. Take it to a specially trained jeweler
or manufacturer's authorized watchmaker or watch repair person.
(Batteries can run for one to five years, depending on the watch.)
Finally, if you have any questions, ask your jeweler. Your jeweler values you as a customer, and you should trust their judgement.
As time goes by
From the beginning of recorded history, it has been important for man to know the age-old question, "What time is it?"
Although we know the sun rises and sets on a regular schedule, increments of time in between
have come to dictate to us our daily individual lifestyles.
Cavemen used a pointed stick and a circle of stones to make the first crude sundial.
Generations followed with equally rudimentary devices which gradually became more intricate:
knotted ropes, hour glasses, water clocks, notched candles, candle clocks and clock lamps.
Finally, mechanical clocks driven by wheels and weights made their debut during the Middle Ages.
These were made more accurate when Galileo discovered the pendulum principle.
Locksmith Peter Henlein then invented the coiled mainspring around 1500 and used it in the first portable clocks.
In 1571, Queen Elizabeth I was presented with the first known wristwatch:
unfortunately, like most watches of that day, it kept atrocious time.
Eighteenth and Nineteenth century craftsmen made the watch a work of art while improving its efficiency.
Today, modern technology has brought the watch to a peak of accuracy and beauty,
and has invented some totally new ways to mark the passage of time.
Water Resistance
Few mechanical devices are more vulnerable to accidents than wrist watches.
They face three major and persistent hazards: shocks and jarring, water and moisture, and fine dust.
The temperature variations to which wrist watches are inevitably subjected induce exchanges
between the inside of the case and the atmosphere around it.
This circulation causes dust particles and moisture to be sucked into the case
and gradually foul and damage the watch movement or mechanism.
The only satisfactory way of keeping water and moisture out of a watch is to use a totally watertight case.
Standards set by the US Federal Trade Commission and the Swiss Normes de l'Industrie Hologere Suisse
define a water-resistant watch as one designed for daily use that must not admit water in the course of activities such as swimming.
It should be also be operational despite substantial atmospheric and temperature variations.
Water-resistant watches must be able to withstand pressure equivalent to a depth of 20 meters (66 feet) below water.
Such watches are safe in or around a pool or beach.
However, while this is more than enough water resistance for everyday life,
even the finest water-resistant watches should never be used for skindiving.
A water-resistant watch and a waterproof divers watch are emphatically not the same thing!
The latter is designed for skindiving, a demanding and occasionally dangerous activity
in which being able to read the correct time to the exact minute can make the difference between life and death.
For example, a special divers watch, considered virtually waterproof, is made by IWC and known as thePorsche Design Ocean 2000.
This is a titanium watch developed for the West German Navy to be waterproof at a mind-boggling ocean depth of 2,000 meters (6,600 feet). The sealing construction of this watch is unique. The crown threads tightly to its shaft sleeve and three pressure barriers definitively keep the movement sealed in any environment.
Checking Water Resistance. The most common failure of a watch to be water resistant is caused by a faulty contact between the case at an opening around the glass, crown, or pushbutton and the opening's gasket. Worn or defective rubber O-rings are often a cause of failure. Condensation forming under the crystal of a watch following a sharp temperature change (a swim after a stretch in the sun, for example) tells you to have the watch checked without delay. This can be an indication of additional moisture elsewhere inside the case. It is also the only water-tightness check a consumer can perform.
Of course non-water-resistant watches don't contain the additional seals and gaskets found on water-resistant models. Consequently, moisture-laden air can easily enter the case. Once inside, a pronounced change in temperature may cause condensation to form under the crystal. Very little can be done to prevent this. A high-quality water-resistant watch, however, properly serviced and maintained, will be sealed to prevent internal water damage and will more than outlast an ordinary watch.
Proper Maintenance. At our service center, after closing a water-resistant watch, we check it with our most sophisticated testing equipment to simulate underwater pressure conditions. To keep the watch properly sealed, we replace any defective parts we find, such as gaskets, crystals, and crowns. Water-resistant watches should be tested for case tightness at least once a year, as well as every time the watch is opened, such as when a battery is replaced.
MECHANICALS are the traditional "wind-up" watches.
They work because of a mainspring inside the watch which the wearer winds by turning the crown on the side of the watch.
The spring gradually unwinds and turns tiny interlocking wheels which move the watch hands to measure seconds, minutes and hours.
The AUTOMATIC or SELF-WINDING watches wind themselves as the wearer moves their wrist.
The wearer's arm actions cause a weight behind the movement to rotate, winding the mainspring. They can also be wound manually.
QUARTZ watches are powered by batteries, rather than a mechanical spring.
The batteries send electronic impulses through a small bar of synthetic quartz crystal which vibrates more than 32,000 times per second. Those vibrations are channeled through a series of gears that result in one impulse per second.
The terms ANALOG and DIGITAL refer to the way time is displayed on the dial.
Analog simply refers to a watch with traditional time-telling "hands."
Quartz analogs are watches in which the hands are moved by the electronic impulses passing from the battery
through the quartz crystal to a step motor which moves the hands.
Digital watches display the time with digits - numbers -instead of hands.
The numerals are created by either light-emitting diodes (LED) or liquid crystal displays (LCD).
Quartz watches are generally more accurate than mechanical watches, for two reasons.
One, mechanical watches have many moving parts. That means more friction and less accuracy as the parts interact.
Digitals have no moving parts. Two, the quartz crystal's constant and amazingly frequent vibrations per second
enable watches to measure the second with unprecedented accuracy.
A quartz watch should function properly for years with a battery life of one to up to five years
SPECIAL FEATURE watches perform a variety of tasks.
Besides telling the hours, minutes and seconds, many watches reveal the month, day and year.
Some also give the phases of the moon or the time in other countries or time zones.
CHRONOGRAPH watches measure small fractions of a second. Some are used to calculate speeds, distances and altitudes.
There are specialized watches for astronauts, pilots, parachutists and skin divers-
even timepieces that meet the special needs of blind persons.
Also, most fine watches today are specially made to resist water, dust, wind, shock and magnetic fields.
Price & Style
Watch prices range from around $20 to more than $10,000.
The most expensive watches are those made with precious metals such as gold or platinum and decorated with precious gemstones.
They also require the labor of skilled craftspeople. Some of the finest watches are handmade by master watchmakers
who have spent a lifetime developing their craft.
Selecting a watch, like selecting any piece of jewelry, should be based on personal taste.
Today's watches are not only timekeepers, but are considered important fashion accessories.
Men and women make a definite fashion statement by the watch they choose - sporty, dressy, youthful, tailored or sophisticated.
People today are replacing their old-fashioned watch with a complete wardrobe of watches to suit their lifestyles.
For sport or leisure, a person may want to wear a chronograph. For business use, a more tailored-looking watch with a leather strap and neutral color dial is sometimes desired. For evening and dress wear, the sky is the limit for decorative and elegant watches.
Gold or platinum bracelets with or without precious gemstone accents - for men and women - provide an excellent way to show off your fashion panache. To achieve the expensive luxury look without the expense, watches of gold overlay are also available.
Where to buy your watch
No matter what style of watch you choose, there are some guidelines to follow.
Buy a watch with a familiar trademark or one whose performance has a good reputation.
To avoid being "ripped off," always buy from a reputable jeweler whom you know and trust in the community,
who is available today for advice in making your purchase and tomorrow for service and future reliable purchases.
Since it is difficult, if not impossible for the untrained person to detect a counterfeit, avoid the transient street peddler
or questionable mail-order promotions which advertise huge discounts on so-called designer or "famous name" watches.
Read your warranty. Be sure that the manufacturer is behind the warranty.
Take the time to show you care
Wind a mechanical watch in a clockwise direction, preferably about the same time each day.
Take it off your wrist so as not to place undue pressure on the stem.
Although many watches are equipped with shock-resistant devices, it's not wise to subject it to overly vigorous treatment.
Replace broken or scratched crystals immediately:
even a hairline crack can let dust or moisture into the mechanism, threatening its accuracy.
Unless the degree of water-resistance was clearly specified when you bought your watch,
don't risk wearing it into the shower or pool, or on a moist wrist.
No matter how handy you are, don't attempt any "do-it-yourself" watch repairs.
Only an expert watchmaker should be trusted to put your watch back into working condition if there is a problem.
It's best to replace a battery in a quartz watch before it runs out. Dead batteries left in the watch can leak or corrode and ruin it.
Also, don't attempt to change the battery in a watch yourself. Take it to a specially trained jeweler
or manufacturer's authorized watchmaker or watch repair person.
(Batteries can run for one to five years, depending on the watch.)
Finally, if you have any questions, ask your jeweler. Your jeweler values you as a customer, and you should trust their judgement.
As time goes by
From the beginning of recorded history, it has been important for man to know the age-old question, "What time is it?"
Although we know the sun rises and sets on a regular schedule, increments of time in between
have come to dictate to us our daily individual lifestyles.
Cavemen used a pointed stick and a circle of stones to make the first crude sundial.
Generations followed with equally rudimentary devices which gradually became more intricate:
knotted ropes, hour glasses, water clocks, notched candles, candle clocks and clock lamps.
Finally, mechanical clocks driven by wheels and weights made their debut during the Middle Ages.
These were made more accurate when Galileo discovered the pendulum principle.
Locksmith Peter Henlein then invented the coiled mainspring around 1500 and used it in the first portable clocks.
In 1571, Queen Elizabeth I was presented with the first known wristwatch:
unfortunately, like most watches of that day, it kept atrocious time.
Eighteenth and Nineteenth century craftsmen made the watch a work of art while improving its efficiency.
Today, modern technology has brought the watch to a peak of accuracy and beauty,
and has invented some totally new ways to mark the passage of time.
Water Resistance
Few mechanical devices are more vulnerable to accidents than wrist watches.
They face three major and persistent hazards: shocks and jarring, water and moisture, and fine dust.
The temperature variations to which wrist watches are inevitably subjected induce exchanges
between the inside of the case and the atmosphere around it.
This circulation causes dust particles and moisture to be sucked into the case
and gradually foul and damage the watch movement or mechanism.
The only satisfactory way of keeping water and moisture out of a watch is to use a totally watertight case.
Standards set by the US Federal Trade Commission and the Swiss Normes de l'Industrie Hologere Suisse
define a water-resistant watch as one designed for daily use that must not admit water in the course of activities such as swimming.
It should be also be operational despite substantial atmospheric and temperature variations.
Water-resistant watches must be able to withstand pressure equivalent to a depth of 20 meters (66 feet) below water.
Such watches are safe in or around a pool or beach.
However, while this is more than enough water resistance for everyday life,
even the finest water-resistant watches should never be used for skindiving.
A water-resistant watch and a waterproof divers watch are emphatically not the same thing!
The latter is designed for skindiving, a demanding and occasionally dangerous activity
in which being able to read the correct time to the exact minute can make the difference between life and death.
For example, a special divers watch, considered virtually waterproof, is made by IWC and known as thePorsche Design Ocean 2000.
This is a titanium watch developed for the West German Navy to be waterproof at a mind-boggling ocean depth of 2,000 meters (6,600 feet). The sealing construction of this watch is unique. The crown threads tightly to its shaft sleeve and three pressure barriers definitively keep the movement sealed in any environment.
Checking Water Resistance. The most common failure of a watch to be water resistant is caused by a faulty contact between the case at an opening around the glass, crown, or pushbutton and the opening's gasket. Worn or defective rubber O-rings are often a cause of failure. Condensation forming under the crystal of a watch following a sharp temperature change (a swim after a stretch in the sun, for example) tells you to have the watch checked without delay. This can be an indication of additional moisture elsewhere inside the case. It is also the only water-tightness check a consumer can perform.
Of course non-water-resistant watches don't contain the additional seals and gaskets found on water-resistant models. Consequently, moisture-laden air can easily enter the case. Once inside, a pronounced change in temperature may cause condensation to form under the crystal. Very little can be done to prevent this. A high-quality water-resistant watch, however, properly serviced and maintained, will be sealed to prevent internal water damage and will more than outlast an ordinary watch.
Proper Maintenance. At our service center, after closing a water-resistant watch, we check it with our most sophisticated testing equipment to simulate underwater pressure conditions. To keep the watch properly sealed, we replace any defective parts we find, such as gaskets, crystals, and crowns. Water-resistant watches should be tested for case tightness at least once a year, as well as every time the watch is opened, such as when a battery is replaced.
| WATER RESISTANCE CHART USED BY CITIZEN | |||
| Designation | Spec | Dial | Case Back |
| Water resistance for saturation diving |
800M | 800M, Professional Diver's | Water Resist(ant) Engraved Diver's Helmet |
| 300M | 300M, Professional Diver's | ||
| Water resistance for diving | 200M | Diver's 200M | Water Resist(ant) 200M |
| Diver's 200M | |||
| Reinforced water resistance for daily life |
20 bar | WR 200 | Water Resist(ant) 20 Bar |
| 10 bar | Water Resist 100 | Water Resist(ant) 10 Bar | |
| WR 100 | |||
| Reinforced water resistance for daily life |
5 bar | Water Resist 50 | Water Resist(ant) 5 Bar |
| WR 50 | |||
| No Indication (some models) | |||
| Water resistance for daily life |
3 bar | Water Resist | Water Resist(ant) |
| No Indication (Some Models) | |||
