Philippa is an accomplished rock climber, backpacker, cyclist, and skier. She has traveled all over the world in pursuit of her outdoor passions. Her most memorable adventures have been in the remote corners of the globe, where she's had to rely on her own skills and resilience to survive. Julina loves testing her limits and pushing herself to new heights (literally).
This is a “Beginner’s Guide to Buying a Watch,” which is self-explanatory given the title. This article is written to assist readers who are new to watches and need aid in recognizing the fundamental components of an arabic watch to make an educated purchase choice when purchasing one.
Quartz vs. Mechanical
Whether you want a “quartz” or a “mechanical” watch is one of the first questions you should ask yourself while shopping for a high-quality wristwatch.
Quartz watches are often quite affordable, in addition to being simple to service and accurate (the normal accuracy is 15 +/- seconds each month). Batteries power them, and the average lifespan of a high-capacity lithium battery is around three years. When the battery is rechargeable, the watch is either “solar-powered,” as in the case of a Citizen Eco-Drive, or “rotor-powered,” as in the case of a Seiko Kinetic, which is a hybrid model. In other circumstances, the battery is both solar-powered and rotor-powered.
Even though they are not as precise as quartz watches, most current timepieces are quite accurate. Quartz watches are often more costly than mechanical watches. The power comes from a mainspring, which may either be wound by hand (the traditional method) or automatically (self-winding) by a rotor that oscillates in response to the movement of your wrist, which then winds the mainspring.
Case and Caseback
You must consider many aspects, such as the material, the form, and the size. Because the vast majority of timepieces are circular, selecting one won’t steer you astray. The principal alternate watch case forms are rectangle, square, oval, and octagonal watches and tonneau-shaped watches.
Because everyone’s wrists are unique, the diameter of a watch case is essential; as a result, it is strongly advised that you try on any watch you are considering purchasing before making a purchase. Also, the lug-to-lug distance might be considered just as significant, if not even more so. This is the measurement that is taken across the top of your wrist. The watch will hang off your wrist if the distance between the lugs is higher than the width of your wrist.
Which Comes First: Functions or Complications?
A clock with only three hands will show the hours, minutes, and seconds. Dual time zone, world timer, clock, alarm, battery reserve, and date are a few of the most common and useful capabilities. The tourbillon, the split-second chronograph, the flyback chronograph, the perpetual calendar, and the minute repeater is all advanced functions, also known as complications.
Strap or Bracelet
When it comes to straps or bracelets, you have a wide variety of fantastic options to select from. In addition to bracelets made of metal, there are also bracelets made of materials such as calfskin leather, alligator leather, cloth, antique leather, suede leather, rubber, and NATO bracelets. It is helpful to have a number of bands that are interchangeable or a strap and bracelet that you can wear with your watch so that you can adapt it to a variety of outfits and environments.
