Time Matters - The Watchfinder.co.uk advice thread
Discussion
If you have any watch related questions, here's the place to ask them. This thread is manned by the team from Watchfinder.co.uk - more specifically by Alex the sales manager, Jon the purchasing manager, Sean the servicing manager and Andrew editor of The Watch magazine.
We will be on hand to give you advice and satiate your curiosity when it comes to watches, from the most popular to the most obscure, from the most affordable to the most lavish. Got a question about Rolex bracelet fitment? Ask it. Want to know what a tourbillion is and how it works? We can tell you. Wondering what Jacques-Yves Cousteau's OTHER watch was? Put us to the test.
So if you have any questions, feel free to ask them here, or if you'd prefer to phone us, you can do so on 0844 247 8884 and you can also email us at PH@watchfinder.co.uk. Don't forget, you can also download our free iPad magazine, The Watch, for the very latest news and reviews from the horological arena too.
http://www.watchfinder.co.uk
http://app.thewatchmagazine.com
To get things started, we've compiled a short list of frequently asked questions to help you on your way to owning and enjoying fine watches:
FAQs
Q) Which is better, mechanical or quartz?
A) First things first - a mechanical movement is one that uses no electrical components in its operation, and most often stores its power in a coiled spring that is released in controlled intervals (called regulation) via a type of ratchet mechanism known as an escapement. A quartz movement uses an electrical current to generate a very precise vibration through a quartz crystal, regulating the timekeeping extremely accurately.
Neither is better than the other, and your choice is dependent on your requirements. Both mechanical and quartz movements can be made cheaply and expensively, and have very different flaws and benefits. For some, the attraction of a fully-mechanical movement is enough to sway them, whereas for others, the shock-resistance, battery life and accuracy of a quartz movement is much more convenient.
Q) What's the difference between a manual movement and an automatic movement?
A) Both manual and automatic movements rely on the winding of a coiled spring for power, and the difference lies in how those springs are wound. For a manually wound movement, it must be coiled by turning the crown, around forty times from completely unwound for most watches with a two day power reserve. An automatic watch can also be wound via the crown, but in addition it has an oscillating weight that winds the watch up through regular wrist movement as well. These automatic movements usually have a clutch to stop overwinding.
Q) Can I take my watch in the shower/swimming/to the bottom of the Mariana Trench?
A) The water resistance of a watch is not as clear cut as it could be, so here is a general guide to what you can and can't do with your watch in water:
Q) Does my watch need servicing?
A) Manufacturer guidelines will state what the servicing intervals are for your watch, but they are usually set at around three to five years apart. The scaled torque produced by a mechanical watch movement is higher than that of a sports car engine, so it is imperative that it is cleaned and re-oiled at the recommended intervals for a long, accurate life. Manufacturer or third party warranties may also require servicing at set periods to remain valid.
Q) I've scratched my watch! Argghhh!!!
A) This isn't really a question, but here's an answer anyway. Depending on the material, finish and severity of the damage, a watch can be repaired in different ways, often with refinishing rather than replacement. The rule of thumb is that if the damage can be felt with a fingernail, it will require a professional refinish, but for light swirls on a polished steel finish, a microfibre cloth and some gentle metal polishing compound (with adequate masking around the affected area) will do the trick. For brushed/bead-blasted steel and titanium, a professional refinish is most likely required. Be careful when polishing white and rose gold, which may have a surface plating to achieve its colour.
Metal bezels can usually be replaced at fairly little expense, but ceramic ones are a lot more costly, as are ceramic/PVD coatings on cases. Older crystals, made from acrylic, can be polished with a light plastic polishing compound, but modern synthetic sapphire crystals will need replacing.
Q) Is my watch fake?
A) If you have a cause for concern that your watch might be fake, the chances are that it probably is. Unfortunately, the fake watch industry is producing imitations that are extremely close to the originals, and, in isolation, can be near on impossible to spot. The best advice is to research the seller before purchasing to make sure that they are trustworthy and that you have a source of recompense should things go awry. To be one hundred percent sure that your watch is not fake, take it to a reputable retailer and ask them to look inside the watch for you. They will be able to run the serial number against manufacturer databases, as well as inspect the movement for authenticity.
Q) Are in-house movements better?
A) It's always nice when a manufacturer creates their own movement, but it's not the be-all and end-all of watch appreciation. For time-only watches, or watches with fairly standard complications, the element of reinventing the wheel does not always outweigh the extra cost of in-house production. An off-the-shelf movement from the likes of ETA, Soprod or Sellita, for example, can be set up to be just as accurate, and can be manufactured with a number of different grades of finish. Some manufacturers will even replace and refinish parts of these bought-in movements, a good halfway-house between the two options
We will be on hand to give you advice and satiate your curiosity when it comes to watches, from the most popular to the most obscure, from the most affordable to the most lavish. Got a question about Rolex bracelet fitment? Ask it. Want to know what a tourbillion is and how it works? We can tell you. Wondering what Jacques-Yves Cousteau's OTHER watch was? Put us to the test.
So if you have any questions, feel free to ask them here, or if you'd prefer to phone us, you can do so on 0844 247 8884 and you can also email us at PH@watchfinder.co.uk. Don't forget, you can also download our free iPad magazine, The Watch, for the very latest news and reviews from the horological arena too.
http://www.watchfinder.co.uk
http://app.thewatchmagazine.com
To get things started, we've compiled a short list of frequently asked questions to help you on your way to owning and enjoying fine watches:
FAQs
Q) Which is better, mechanical or quartz?
A) First things first - a mechanical movement is one that uses no electrical components in its operation, and most often stores its power in a coiled spring that is released in controlled intervals (called regulation) via a type of ratchet mechanism known as an escapement. A quartz movement uses an electrical current to generate a very precise vibration through a quartz crystal, regulating the timekeeping extremely accurately.
Neither is better than the other, and your choice is dependent on your requirements. Both mechanical and quartz movements can be made cheaply and expensively, and have very different flaws and benefits. For some, the attraction of a fully-mechanical movement is enough to sway them, whereas for others, the shock-resistance, battery life and accuracy of a quartz movement is much more convenient.
Q) What's the difference between a manual movement and an automatic movement?
A) Both manual and automatic movements rely on the winding of a coiled spring for power, and the difference lies in how those springs are wound. For a manually wound movement, it must be coiled by turning the crown, around forty times from completely unwound for most watches with a two day power reserve. An automatic watch can also be wound via the crown, but in addition it has an oscillating weight that winds the watch up through regular wrist movement as well. These automatic movements usually have a clutch to stop overwinding.
Q) Can I take my watch in the shower/swimming/to the bottom of the Mariana Trench?
A) The water resistance of a watch is not as clear cut as it could be, so here is a general guide to what you can and can't do with your watch in water:
- 30m (3ATM/3BAR) - Accidental splashes, contact with light rain
- 50m (5ATM/5BAR) - Surface swimming, wearing in the shower
- 100m (10ATM/10BAR) - Snorkeling, Shallow diving
- 200m (20ATM/20BAR) - Scuba diving
- 1000m+ (100ATM+/100BAR+) - Professional saturation diving
Q) Does my watch need servicing?
A) Manufacturer guidelines will state what the servicing intervals are for your watch, but they are usually set at around three to five years apart. The scaled torque produced by a mechanical watch movement is higher than that of a sports car engine, so it is imperative that it is cleaned and re-oiled at the recommended intervals for a long, accurate life. Manufacturer or third party warranties may also require servicing at set periods to remain valid.
Q) I've scratched my watch! Argghhh!!!
A) This isn't really a question, but here's an answer anyway. Depending on the material, finish and severity of the damage, a watch can be repaired in different ways, often with refinishing rather than replacement. The rule of thumb is that if the damage can be felt with a fingernail, it will require a professional refinish, but for light swirls on a polished steel finish, a microfibre cloth and some gentle metal polishing compound (with adequate masking around the affected area) will do the trick. For brushed/bead-blasted steel and titanium, a professional refinish is most likely required. Be careful when polishing white and rose gold, which may have a surface plating to achieve its colour.
Metal bezels can usually be replaced at fairly little expense, but ceramic ones are a lot more costly, as are ceramic/PVD coatings on cases. Older crystals, made from acrylic, can be polished with a light plastic polishing compound, but modern synthetic sapphire crystals will need replacing.
Q) Is my watch fake?
A) If you have a cause for concern that your watch might be fake, the chances are that it probably is. Unfortunately, the fake watch industry is producing imitations that are extremely close to the originals, and, in isolation, can be near on impossible to spot. The best advice is to research the seller before purchasing to make sure that they are trustworthy and that you have a source of recompense should things go awry. To be one hundred percent sure that your watch is not fake, take it to a reputable retailer and ask them to look inside the watch for you. They will be able to run the serial number against manufacturer databases, as well as inspect the movement for authenticity.
Q) Are in-house movements better?
A) It's always nice when a manufacturer creates their own movement, but it's not the be-all and end-all of watch appreciation. For time-only watches, or watches with fairly standard complications, the element of reinventing the wheel does not always outweigh the extra cost of in-house production. An off-the-shelf movement from the likes of ETA, Soprod or Sellita, for example, can be set up to be just as accurate, and can be manufactured with a number of different grades of finish. Some manufacturers will even replace and refinish parts of these bought-in movements, a good halfway-house between the two options
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