"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it
you can never get it back." - Harvey MacKay
We all abide by, lose track of and long for more time. Perhaps this is why the seemingly simple wristwatch comes in so many different shapes and styles. Finding the watch that accommodates your personal preferences can be tricky, and many times defining what is important in a watch is dependent on your own lifestyle and activities.
Sierra Trading Post is proud to offer a wide array of dress watches, sport watches and other wristwatches to suit your individual needs. Due to the variation of styles and combinations of features available, you'll need an overview of what makes these time-keepers tick and we're more than happy to lead the way.
In this wristwatch buying guide, we'll take a look at the different roles a watch can play and point out features that might help your select watch fulfill its purpose. Next, let us guide you into the internal workings of your wristwatch - how it works, common terminology, and so on. We also want to tell you about some specific features, like water and scratch resistance, that can really increase the value and performance of your watch, as well as what to look for in these areas in order to maximize your purchase! Finally, we'll `up' the comfort factor, giving you tips on how to find the right watch for a perfect fit on your wrist.
Form & Function
It's important to keep in mind where your watch will go with you and what purpose you want it to serve. An athlete will need a completely different watch than a businessman, while casual watch-wearers place a higher value on durability than a person in the market for a formal dress watch.
Casual watches typically offer comfortable bands, easy-to-read date windows and water resistance.
Fashion watches often have unique designs and colors as well as unexpected band materials. These watches are usually less expensive for people who like to have many watches to use as creative accessories.
Formal watches/ Business watches combine a classy or more professional look with a broad selection and can be fine-tuned to your individual standard of excellence with materials like diamonds, gemstones, gold or silver.
Sport watches vary in accordance with their intended use. For example, titanium is useful for those who are involved in water sports, as it is highly impermeable as well as extremely lightweight. Sport watches often include chronographic features such as:
- Tachymeters - convert time intervals to speed or measure distance based on speed.
- Split timers - let the wearer time segments of a race.
- Stopwatches - measure a particular amount of time elapsed.
Finding a watch to accommodate your activities may mean finding not just an accessory, but a lifestyle-aid and companion.
Fun Fact! The Tour de l'Ile Swiss watch from Vacheron Constantin was voted the world's most expensive watch in 2005 by Forbes magazine. Worth $1.5 million, this watch took seven years to develop and three years of assembly. Also known as the world's busiest timepiece, it has 834 separate parts and 16 complications, including a tourbillon, power reserve, striking-mechanism torque, moon phase, perpetual calendar, sunrise time, leap-year indicator, sunset time, sky chart and even more.
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Movement
A watch's "movement" refers to the mechanisms that measure the passage of time and display the current time. The movement may be mechanical, electronic or a blend of the two (see Power Sources). Today, most watches have an electronic movement with mechanical hands on the face of the watch. As with any important investment, a watch of quality construction with a dependable movement ensures a longer life.
Quartz movements use a paper-thin piece of synthetic quartz that vibrates as a result of electric charge. Quartz watches have either an analog dial with rotating hands or a digital display, which shows the time with changing numbers. Almost all analog watches have quartz movements, and all digital ones do.
Swiss movements are another common term you will hear in the watch industry. What exactly is different about a Swiss watch movement?
- A Swiss movement must have been assembled in Switzerland under the supervision of a Swiss factory, and the parts of the watch movement that are Swiss in origin must constitute at least 50% of the movement's total value.
- Watch movements that meet these exacting requirements earn the right to be stamped with the word "Swiss." Although the stamp may instead say "Suisse," "Swiss Quartz," "Swiss Made," "Produit Suisse," or "Fabrique en Suisse," the meaning remains the same.
- If the watch case is not of Swiss origin, then this inscription cannot be visible - it must be concealed by the case - but the watch case may be stamped with the words "Swiss Movement" to indicate that it's Swiss on the inside, even though it's not on the outside. In a vice-versa situation, the case is permitted to be stamped with the words "Swiss Case."
Fun Fact! The English horologist Daniel Quare is believed to have introduced the minute hand to the watch around 1691, though it did not come into general use until the early 18th Century.
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Watch Parts
Band
Whether made from links, leather or rugged rubber, watch bands all convey an individual look and feel. They also play a role in the watch's use. If you're going to wear your watch during strenuous activities, a hard-wearing substance such as stainless steel or titanium would be a smart choice. If fashion is more important than function, the possibilities are endless.
There are two classic types of watch bands:
"Bracelet-style" watch bands are usually formed from links and are made from the same materials as the case.
"Bracelet-style" Band
"Strap-style" watch bands are made up of two separate pieces (usually leather, nylon or rubber) and linked to the face of the watch either by a spring-loaded pin, a lever or a screw. They usually fasten with a buckle.
"Strap-style" Band
Both types of watch bands are available in high-caliber materials that will last and perform the way you want them to. Settling for a poorly-made, low-quality watch band is a mistake any buyer will surely regret.
Face
Because our wrists come in different shapes and sizes, so too must the watch face. The face is the front, visible part of the watch and it can do more than tell time. it can display lavish decoration such as diamond accents and colored backgrounds. It can also include a date window, lunar phases and numerals marking the passage of regular and military time. It can even be enhanced with luminous features.
Luminosity in a watch face enhances visibility, an attribute that's well worth any additional cost. How many times have you squinted in the dark, straining to read the nearest clock? Luminescent watches are equipped with certain elements that emit self-generated light, making it easy to see in low-light situations. The luminous elements may be glowing hands, a glowing face, or in some instances, an actual bulb inside that lights the watch face.
Case
The case of a watch encapsulates the visible face as well as the movement and other interior components of a watch.
Bezel
The watch bezel is the surface ring that surrounds the watch face and holds it in place. Bezels can be embellished with scalloped edges, jewels, engraving and more. Bezels can also have a rotating function to keep track of elapsed time or distance.
Crystal
The crystal of a watch is the transparent cover that protects the face (see Scratch Resistance link to section below.).
Crown
The small knob on the case of the watch that lets you set or wind the watch.
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Analog vs. Digital Display
Display refers to the way time is shown on the watch. It does not refer to the timekeeping technology used within the watch.
An analog watch denotes time by the continuous motion of a rotating hour hand and a longer, rotating minute hand on a circular, numbered dial. Many watches also incorporate a third hand that shows the current second of the current minute.
A digital watch display denotes time by showing numeric digits that track time in a digital sequence, such as "12:01," with A.M. or P.M. indicators.
Fun Fact! Digital watches were very expensive and out of reach to the common consumer up until 1975, when Texas Instruments started to mass-produce them housed inside plastic cases.
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Power Sources
Choosing what powers your watch is yet another factor to consider when buying a timepiece. Traditionally, all watches had to be wound manually to keep the mainspring ticking. Modern watches, however, are powered by a variety of energy sources.
Manual winding requires regular hand-winding of the crown on the watch case.
Cell batteries are one of the most common energy sources for watches today. Their small size and ability to dispense extremely small amounts of power over a long period of time makes them a practical choice for most watch wearers, though battery replacement usually requires a trip to a watch dealer or jeweler.
Solar power works through a photovoltaic cell on the face of the watch. This cell converts light to electricity, which in turn charges a re-chargeable battery. As long as you expose this type of watch to fairly strong light regularly, you will never need to replace the battery. Some solar-powered models can run for weeks after being exposed to sunlight for only a few minutes!
Kinetic-powered quartz makes use of the motion of the watch-wearer's arm. As you move, a rotating weight turns a generator which then supplies power to a rechargeable battery. This source of energy gives the wearer the advantages of quartz without the environmental impact of batteries.
Automatic (Self-winding) watches use the same concept as the kinetic watch, only the motion of the wearer actually winds the mainspring of the movement itself. These watches cost more than others because they are far more expensive to produce, having many more moving parts inside the same small case size. They are assembled by hand and offer the utmost in precision. They can be stored in a winder when not in use to maintain timing.
Fun Fact! The first electrically powered watch, named the Hamilton Electric 500, was released in 1957 by the Hamilton Watch Company of Lancaster, Pa.
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Water Resistant vs. Waterproof
Water Resistant
Before you set out on that kayaking adventure with your newfound timepiece, you'll want to have some knowledge regarding the level of water resistance it offers. There are several features that help make a watch water resistant. Most importantly, every water-resistant watch is armed with gaskets or O-rings. These can be made of rubber, nylon or Teflonr, all which form a watertight seal where the crystal, case back and crown meet the watch case. Water-resistant watches will also be lined with a sealant.
So, what are the most common levels of water resistance in watches and what do they really mean? When a watch is labeled "water resistant" without providing a maximum depth rating, it means you're getting the lowest level of resistance. These types of watches can withstand a splash here and there, but should never be submerged.
When a maximum depth is given for a watch, it should be interpreted as a general guideline only, as depth designations are only hypothetically based on a best-possible scenario. What these depth ratings denote is how deep a watch can be submerged before water will enter when the watch, surrounding water and wearer are all perfectly motionless. Most often, this designation will be shown in feet, meters or ATM (stands for "atmospheres" or multiples of standard air pressure; 2 ATM of pressure occurs at a water depth of about 10 meters).
Here are some guidelines for applying depth designations to actual watch usage:
| Depth: |
Usage: |
| 50 meters/165 feet/6 ATM |
Swimming and bathing |
| 100 meters/330 feet/11 ATM |
Snorkeling |
| 200 meters/660 feet/21 ATM |
Recreational scuba diving |
| 1,000 meters/3300 feet/101 ATM |
Deep sea diving |
Quick Tip: Never wear your watch in a hot tub! The heat can cause the gaskets to lose their shape and their ability to keep out water. High exposure to chlorine can also increase gasket wear and tear, so avoid frequent usage in heavily chlorinated pools.
Waterproof
The Federal Trade Commission has guidelines barring watch manufacturers from labeling their watches "waterproof". Even watches built to withstand the depths of the deepest seas are only considered "water resistant" to a certain depth recommendation, because no watch can ever truly be fully waterproof to any water depth under any conditions.
Fun Fact! There are dive watches designed for extreme depths that are filled with silicone oil instead of air. This keeps the inside and outside pressure of the watch roughly equalized, so these watches can be certified to a depth of 12,000 meters! That's deeper than the Challenger Deep, the deepest surveyed point in the oceans!
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Scratch Resistance
Watch crystals can be made from three different materials, each of which offers a varying degree of scratch resistance.
Plexiglass is the least expensive watch crystal material, but also the most likely to scratch - it is not considered scratch-resistant.
Mineral glass is more scratch-resistant than plexiglass, but is also more likely to shatter. This type of watch crystal can be scratched by hard metal objects such as a steel knife or screwdriver.
Synthetic sapphire is used for a truly scratch-resistant watch crystal. When aluminum oxide is crystallized at very high temperatures, it becomes this very hard, transparent material. Crystals made up of this compound are extremely difficult to scratch.
Fun Fact! Sapphire, whether natural or synthetic, measures 9 on the Mohs scale--a system for rating the relative hardness of a material--making it one of the hardest substances on earth. But because a diamond measures 10, a diamond can actually scratch even the most expensive of scratch-resistant watches, so it is best to keep your watch face some distance from your diamond rings and jewelry!
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Watch Fit
The concept of watch fit basically breaks down into three categories:
Gender-based sizing is a fundamental way to separate men's watches (usually equipped with wider bands, larger faces and sizing for larger wrists) from women's watches (more delicately proportioned with thinner bands, smaller faces and sizing for smaller wrists).
Bracelet-style watches are usually highly alterable with removable links and clasps that can feature an inside mechanism permitting you to adjust the length. The owner's manual is an excellent "how-to" source for resizing these watches; jewelers can also assist in this area.
Buckle watches can have bands made of leather, rubber, nylon or other material into which approximately eight holes are punched. A corresponding pin fits into any of these holes to customize the fit to your wrist.
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Our Guarantee
100% customer satisfaction, guaranteed!
If for any reason you are unsatisfied with your product, feel free to send it back for a full product refund or exchange. Our goal is to provide the best possible care and service for you. No hassle, no fuss - just send it back to us! We'll take care of the rest. With the UPS return service label, your refund is processed immediately, getting you the value you deserve.
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