Professional Ring and Jewellery Cleaning Services in Melbourne

30 January 2018

When shopping for a quality watch, there are many details to consider, including what type of watch movement it contains. Since this varies according to the type of watch that you select, it is helpful to educate yourself about this subject prior to going to a jewellery store. The result of this is that you will be an informed shopper who understands which watch is suitable for your needs. For this reason, we explain the different styles of watches and their movements or mechanical parts in the following details.

1. Mechanical watches are the oldest type of watch and date back to the 17th century. Their movements contain a series of oscillating gears that are spring driven. All of them do need hand winding each day to keep them operating smoothly. If they wind completely down, you will need to reset the time before you rewind them. Quality ones of this nature are skillfully made to ensure their accuracy, but also there are many poorly made models on the market today, so only purchase these watches from a reputable jeweller.
2. Self-winding or automatic watches never require winding since their mainspring mechanism keeps the watch powered by the natural motion of the wearer’s arm. These watches date back to 1770 when Abraham-Louis Perrelet, a Swiss horologist, invented the first self-winding pocket watch. In fact, ‘Swiss Made’ watches still hold the distinction of being innovative, accurate timepieces today and are manufactured 100 percent in Switzerland or cannot carry this mark. However, watches can contain parts from Switzerland without qualifying for this mark.
3. Quartz watches are powered by batteries and their movement consist of an electronic oscillator that is synchronized with a quartz crystal. Sieko’s Astron was the first of this type of watch to hit the market back in 1969. They are heavy competition for automatic watches containing Swiss movements or the ones that qualify to carry the ‘Swiss Made’ since they are equally as accurate, but are less pricey. Some of the models today even include GPS capabilities or can be solar powered rather than just battery powered.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS WHEN PURCHASING A WATCH

What style that you need in a watch may also be a major part of your decision. You might need a dressy style for the office or to wear to formal events. On the other hand, if you are going to just wear it at home, camping, hiking, shopping or playing with the kids, you should search out a casual style to suit your purposes. Another consideration is whether or not you need a watch that is waterproof down to a certain depth since you deepwater dive.

For additional information about the factors to consider in watch movements and other watch features, turn to Ken Ross Jewellers. We sell quality watch brands that include Seiko, Lorus, Adina, Cover Switzerland and Michel Herbelin. Also, we perform watch repair here at our store and offer other types of fine jewellery.

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