Monday, November 14, 2011

Men's Watches - History and Current Buying Trends

Time is important to all of us. We live our lives by the clock, literally. Time pieces have been around since the 1400's when mechanical spring powered clocks where first invented. Later around the 1600's, when the technology was miniaturized, pocket watches were invented and became highly fashionable. Not until the 20th century did our modern idea of a "watch" come in to play. Typically one thinks of a watch as a wrist watch, a time keeping device strapped to the arm by means of a band or chain. Though some men still wear pocket watches for their aesthetic charm, wrist watches have dominated the watch industry for nearly a hundred years.

Today there are two main types of watches for men, digital such as sport watches, and analog, typically fashion watches with physical hands and annotated faces. There are also two main types of watch mechanisms (for watches with physical hands), quartz crystal, and spring powered. Quartz crystal watches keeps extremely precise time by means of a tiny crystal and an electrical circuit which produced precisely measured movements. Spring powered watches on the other hand can become extremely inaccurate because they rely on a small coil spring to produce movement. This tiny spring can lose consistency as it is vulnerable to changes in weather and climate and can wear out with extensive use. Most analog watches today rely on quartz crystal because of their precise timing, though spring powered watch are still popular because of their craftsmanship and beauty.

Dive Watch

There are a variety of watches on the market today, from high end designs such as Omega and Rolex to athletic brands such as Timex and Seiko. Watches often feature a variety of features, especially sport watches which can often include stopwatches, duel time zones or even GPS uplinks which allow the user to know exactly where they are on the planet. GPS has also become a popular feature in fashion watches which automatically updates the time via a satellite network. A variety of specialty watches are also available to the more adventurous wearer, such as dive watches made by Swiss Army and Citizen Watches. Virtually all watches today include some sort of date function, and many have extra playful features. Modern watch designs can range from the traditional conservative look we all know to neon colours, using modern materials such as plastics and even hemp bands. Watches come in such a variety of choices, colours and designs anyone can find a watch they really love.

Men's Watches - History and Current Buying Trends

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