Lifestyle Choices

A fine watch is not only practical but a great fashion asset too! Learn to balance beauty and utility in a single choice, or maybe you’ll want two or three watches, to match your outfits, and your moods.

• Mechanical watches are the traditional “wind up” variety that operate by means of a mainspring, which the wearer winds by turning the crown on the outside of the watch.
• Automatic or self-winding watches “wind” themselves. The action of the wearer’s arm causes a weight behind the movement to rotate, which in turn winds the mainspring. These watches can also be wound manually.
• Electronic watches are powered by batteries rather than a spring. The battery sends electronic impulses through a small bar of synthetic quartz crystal, which vibrates more than 32,000 times per second. Those vibrations are channeled through other watch parts to result in one impulse per second. Quartz watches tend to be more accurate than their mechanical counterparts. The quartz crystal’s amazingly constant and frequent vibrations enable the watch to measure the seconds with unprecedented accuracy. With a new battery every 18 to 24 months, a quartz watch should function smoothly for years.
• Watches can be analog, i.e., with traditional time-telling “hands,” or digital, meaning that the time is told with digits. Either one is an attractive wrist choice; analog being the more formal and traditional; digital, the more sporty and contemporary. You can even buy a watch that indicates the day, month, and year as well as phases of the moon and the hour in various countries and time zones.

The most expensive watches are made with precious metals such as gold or platinum and decorated with gemstones, but a great- looking watch needn’t cost a fortune. Think gold-plated, instead of solid gold, or the new plastic quartz models. The band also determines the look: leather and reptile skins are traditional and elegant, but grosgrain ribbon, plastic, or metal are equally fashion-savvy alternatives. Don’t forget watches with interchangeable bands to alter your look from day to day!

Caring for Your Watch

• A mechanical watch should be checked at regular intervals by your jeweler and serviced according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Wind your mechanical watch in a clockwise direction and at about the same time every day. Remove it from your wrist to prevent putting pressure on the stem.

• Although many watches are shock-resistant, if you’re planning some really vigorous activity, take it off.

• Replace a cracked or scratched crystal immediately; even a thin crack can let dust and moisture into the mechanism, which could cause damage.
• Unless the degree of water resistance was clearly specified at the time of purchase, don’t risk wearing your watch into the shower or pool.
• Never attempt to perform repairs yourself; you will only make the problem worse. Ditto with changing the battery in a quartz watch. Only your jeweler should handle delicate operations like these.

Don’t wait until the battery in a quartz watch dies before you have it replaced. Dead batteries left in the watch can leak and possibly corrode the mechanism.

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