The short history of men's watches
The first time pieces were developed in the 14th century and featured mechanical movement, batteries had not been invented yet. The big milestone for the timepieces was the clock button, which enable us to wind up the clock thus storing enough energy to run the time piece. The next 500 years saw continuing improvements in mechanical movement. Until the late 1900s when quartz watches started replacing mechanical watches in the era called the "quartz crisis". High-end watch brands are still making mechanical watches. They have recently started gaining popularity again because most now show the actual inside workings of the mechanical movements. It really brings back some old-school charm, especially the pocket watches!
Watches and the various movements
Men's watches vary widely in thickness as they sit on your wrist. That is strictly a question of the watches' inner workings. Many people have a penchant for mechanical watches because their seconds hands sweep in a fluid motion whereas quartz seconds hands have a more choppy movement as illustrated below.
Mechanical movements – Expensive watches
The mechanical clockwork contains no electronics and functions solely from the mechanical energy it stores from the winding process. Inside the watch, a spring is wound tightly and provides between 1 to 5 days of operation until it is literally wound down. Run time depends on the quality of the watch as a rule. There are two kinds of mechanical watches: manual and automatic.
The manual mechanical watch is wound up by turning the knob on the side of the watch,
but with an automatic mechanical watch they are actually getting their energy from your kinetic movements so you never have to wind them up, if you wear them a lot. Because mechanical watches are both thick and wide they are not suitable for boys and they tend to be in the higher price ranges.
Quartz movements – Inexpensive watches
Quartz movement watches rely on the energy derived from the vibrations of a quartz crystal that oscillates in a specific and precise interval. That interval is what makes the seconds hand move in a choppy manner instead of a clean sweep. There are many reasons why quartz movement replaced mechanical movement watches.
- Quartz is much more accurate
- Quartz is less expensive to make
- Quartz inner workings need much less space
- Quartz watches can be smaller and not as thick
So if you are in the market for an inexpensive watch, quartz movement is for you.
Daniel Wellington They keep accurate time and the battery lasts approximately two years. So for good quality at very reasonable prices, quartz is the solution.
At Trendhim we virtually never have sales unless individual watch models are going to be phased out of our product offerings. This does not mean that you cannot find an inexpensive watch with us. See our prices drop down menu.
Watch functionality.
What is the difference between chronograph, chronometer and tachometer? We have listed their distinctions below.
Chronometer
Chronometer describes the precision of a watch being accurate enough to be used for celestial navigation my mariners. In its day, it was mandatory to have a chronometer when going to sea. Although many people still have them as back ups, they have mostly been replaced by wireless systems. To get the official stamp of approval as a chronometer, a watch must undergo rigorous testing at the famous Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute. There the watch is tested for over 2 weeks at different temperatures and locations. All of that maximum precision does come at a higher price of course.
Chronograph
Essentially a chronograph equipped watch means that it has stopwatch functionalities.
Tachometer
A tachometer is a watch function that can help you measure speed by relating time passed to distance covered. The tachometer scale is usually placed on the crown or the face of the watch.
Watches and water
How much water can watches endure, what happens when it rains? Can you wear a watch when you go swimming? Yes and no, it all depends on which watch you are looking at. On the back of the watch casing you sometimes see " Waterproof 10m ", which in no way means that you can wear it to a depth of 10m. It seems very misleading doesn’t it?
Below you can find a list that shows how the different depths / pressures must be interpreted.
10m depth = 1ATM (atmospheric pressure).
10meter / 1ATM
| The watch can handle a little water spray or drizzle. |
| 30meter / 3ATM | The watch can easily cope with rain and splashes of water. |
| 50meter / 5ATM | The watch is save to wear in the shower or during a swim in shallow water.
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| 100meter / 10ATM | The watch is water resistant for any activity except deep diving.
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| 150meter / 15ATM | Use for any under water activity. |
Can I purchase a boy's watch?
Yes we estimate that any quartz watch would do but not any of the mechanical watch because of their size. A boy's watch face should be 4cm or less in diameter and a leather strap would be preferable. Use the menu at the top to find quartz and leather strap combinations.
