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The Watch Aficionado
Voor de horlogeliefhebber
21-06-2013
Entry Level Luxury Brands
Entry Level
Luxury Brands
Brands
like: TAG Heuer, Baume & Mercier, Longines,
Bell & Ross, Tissot, Raymond Weil, Oris, Rado.
Price range:500 - 2.500
Things to
look for in this region:
1.Sapphire Crystal
A watch
crystal is the transparent cover over the face of the watch. Crystals have been
made using different materials over the years, but only a few major materials
dominate the market today. Most of the watches youll look at have one of two
types of crystals; mineral glass or synthetic crystals. Mineral crystals are
cheaper and offer one benefit over sapphire they dont tend to shatter if
struck hard. Meaning they will crack, but not shatter. Shattered sapphire
crystals are relatively rare and typically occur with a harsh impact. The
better the watch, the thicker the sapphire crystal will be, and thus less likely
to crack. Sapphire crystals are incredibly scratch-resistant though. You often
see well-worn watches with beat up cases but a flawless crystal. Thus,
sapphire crystals are more desirable to mineral crystals and should be
preferred the majority of the time.
2. Solid Metal Construction
To some
people it might be obvious to get a watch out of solid metal, but youd be
surprised at how some cheaper watches cut costs. Steel watches should be made
from grade 316L stainless steel. Plus, the watch case and bracelet links should
be solid pieces of metal rather than folded metal or anything hollow. It is
easy to tell a solid bracelet by looking at the side of it. In watches at this
level, cases are best made from the fewest amounts of pieces and using the most
metal possible. This means the least (or no) amount of materials such as
plastic or otherwise.
3. Swiss movement
Switzerland
is known for making high quality watch movements. Most of the time Swiss
movements come from ETA or Ronda, especially if they are quartz movements
(though this is not always the case). Lastly, at this price point you dont
need to worry too much about finding mechanical watches, you are fine with a
quartz movement, even though there are plenty of mechanical movements
available.
4. Solid Feeling Construction
You want
your watch to feel well put together and solid. Check to see how well the strap
or bracelet fits to the case. There should be little to no wiggle room. Put the
watch on your wrist and see how well the clasp or buckle operates. If the watch
has a rotating divers bezel, again twist it around and see how much movement
it gives in a resting position. A good watch should not make too much or any
noise when shifting around briskly on your wrist.
5. Designed by Actual Watch Makers
Consider
that two types of people are designing watches. Those that care about how well
a watch functions as a timepiece, and those that just care about how they look.
The best watches are designed using fundamental watch design principles that
value function AND form. The alternative fashion watch may look nice, but
actually have superfluous design cues. Worst case scenario is a watch that is
so poorly designed it does not even function properly. Examples of this are
missing chronograph sub dials, inoperable measuring scales just placed for show
or hand that are too small or the wrong size. So when buying a watch, allow
yourself to take the time and really look at the dial and all its features,
figuring out what each function does, along with making the decision whether it
is usable given your standards.
6. Locking Deployment Clasp if on Metal
Bracelet
Cheaper
watches with metal bracelets still have what is called a single locking clasp.
This is the type a bracelet that literally just snaps or clicks into place. The
best metal bracelets have what are known as double or triple locking clasps.
The image below has a bracelet with a double locking clasp (deployment). The
piece on the left locks via clicking down when it attaches to the bottom
segment. That is the first lock. The second is the little metal flap that
locks again over the first piece to secure it being closed. A triple lock
often features a push-button in the mix, or there are also double locking
clasps with a push-button instead of a fold over flap. The bottom line is that
you want a watch bracelet that will stay secure on your wrist no matter what
you are doing.
7. Weight
Watch
weight is a polarizing concept. Some people love heavy watches, others want
something very light. On more expensive watches you start to see materials such
as titanium which are lighter than steel, but in this price segment, weight is
often a sign of quality. At this price level, you are only going to get that
nice crisp quality look with steel. So in this segment weight is often a sign
of quality, so feel the weight of a case and bracelet to make sure it is
substantial enough to justify your investment.
8. Signed Crown and Buckle or Clasp
A good
watchmaker is more often than not a proud watch maker, and is fully invested in
each watch they design. This means there are typically four places that youll
watch to see the name of the watch makers. You can find these on the face of
the watch, the caseback, on the crown and on the deployment clasp or strap
buckle. The manner of signing can vary, but at this price level it is usually
some type of light laser engraving. Higher priced watches have logos and
graphics done relief. Cheaper watches have bare crowns and deployments which
make it too clear that these parts are taken from a parts bin and have no
personal touch.
9. Good Dial Lumination
Not all
watches are expected to have dials that illuminate in the dark for low light
viewing, these are typically the more classic or formal watches. However,
almost all sport and casual watches have some type of luminant that is applied
on the hands as well as somewhere on the dial. The quality of luminant greatly
varies. Some is so impractical that it should not even be there. An example
being that you need to shine a bright light directly to the face of the watch
for a minute or so, and then the dial dimly glows for a few minutes.
Alternatively you have luminant that charges easily with exposed room or sun
light and glows for hours. Watches will never indicate the source of the
luminant, but look for LumiNova, or better yet SuperLumiNova if possible. An alternative
to luminant are watches that use tritium gas tubes. These tubes are made by
just one company in Switzerland and glow by themselves for almost 25-30 years.
Tritium gas tubes are not tough to find as a few watch brands almost exclusively use them and can be had for reasonable prices.
10. Consistent Pricing
The vast
majority of watches, especially at these price levels, are sold below retail
prices. The difference here is that you have authorized dealers and
unauthorized dealers. If for example you find a watch at an authorized dealer
for 500 and a little but father down the street you find the exact same model
for 350, then you know there is something wrong with the value of the watch.
The study of clocks, also known as horology, is a very complicated
thing to master. To make things easier for watch complications newbies, a
complication refers to features of a timepiece or a watch beyond minute hands,
seconds and hours. One has to note though that a watch or a timepiece that
indicates hours, minutes, and seconds is still known as a movement. How about
those with chronographs and those that display dates and have winding
mechanisms, are these considered complications? Unfortunately, these are not
sufficient to permit one to call a movement a complication if the timepiece
only contains what is mentioned above. So what is a complication then? Ultra
complicated watches are basically watches that have a lot of functions.
Complications are a watchmakers attempt to integrate a great number of things
inside a timepiece. This usually includes astronomical indications. In the 16th
century, the world of horology witnessed the making of many ultra complicated
watches. When one says ultra complicated, they are usually produced in very
limited numbers since they are very difficult to make. Some of these ultra
complicated watches were also built as unique instruments. Companies that make
such watches include Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and Breguet.
Needless to say, any additional
complication on a watch increases the price.
Here are some examples of watch
complications:
Alarm
Watches with an alarm function. It can ring
in the case of a mechanical watch or vibrate if it is a quartz watch.
Calendar
The calendar mechanism or function on a
watch can consist of a date only showing in a window through to a triple
calendar, showing the date, day and month. A combination of dial cut outs and
pointer hands may be used. The most complicated calendar mechanisms may be
mechanically programmed to show the year, and months including those with less
that 31 days; leap years can also be mechanically allowed for. Sometimes
referred to as perpetual calendars.
Annual Calendar
Automatically adjusts for months with
different lengths i.e. 30 days, 31 days etc. Also normally features indicators
for date, day of week, month and often moon phase. Does NOT make allowances for
leap year and the 4 year cycle like a Perpetual Calendar.
Perpetual Calendar
A perpetual calendar is a mechanism that
automatically takes into account the varying number of days in each month as
well as leap years. Many also possess a moon phase function with indicates the
waxing and waning of the moon. Most perpetual calendars are based on the
Gregorian calendar so it will not need correction for more than a century.
Other perpetual calendars can be secular perpetual calendars or Jewish
perpetual calendars. The perpetual calendar as inferred will display the day,
date, month, and leap year cycle. Some perpetual calendar like, the Audemars
Piguet Millenary Perpetual Calendar, also indicate calendar weeks. Obviously
the perpetual calendar is a highly intricate mechanism that presents the
watchmaker with a considerable challenge.
Chronograph
A chronograph is watch that is able to
measure independent time intervals. It is a sense a stopwatch within a watch.
This is indicated on subdials of the watch dials. Typically a chronograph has 3
subdials. One is the subsecond dial which indicates that the watch is running.
The more directly specifically important subdials indicate elapsed minutes and
elapsed hours.
Diver's
Watch
Divers' watches traditionally are large,
featuring a graduated rotating bezel and often a screw down winding crown.
Water resistant to 200m as a minimum, the modern diver's watch must confirm to
certain standards laid down for example by ISA in order to be classified as a
Scuba Divers Watch.
Dual
time or Multi-time
A watch that keeps two or more separate
times. This is usually indicated in the main dial and separate subdials, or in
the case of Jaeger Le Coultre's reverse, on the reverse side of the watch.
Equation
of Time
An equation of time watch shows the
difference between "true" solar time (that of Nature) and
"mean" solar time (that of Man). This rare and poetic complication is
usually combined with other astronomical indications.
The Earth makes an elliptical orbit around
the Sun; also, its axis is tilted from perpendicular to the plane of the
equator. For these two reasons, a "true" solar day, which is the
interval of time between two "true" noons when the Sun is at its
highest point in the sky, is never the same length over the course of the year.
It is exactly twenty-four hours long on just four days: April 15th, June 14th,
September 1st and December 24th. In an unchanging cycle, all the other days are
either longer or shorter. This difference, which ranges from less 16 minutes
and 23 seconds on November 4th to plus 14 minutes and 22 seconds on February
11th, is the "equation of time".
On the subject of innovations, watchmakers have devised systems for reading the
equation of time at a specific longitude and not for an entire time zone,
thereby further enhancing precision.
Flyback
A flyback chronograph is a chronograph with
a twist. Unlike typical chronographs which must be stopped before they can be
reset to zero a flyback can be returned to zero while it is moving enabling one
to time successive events without a undue lapse of time.
Foudroyante
A foudroyante uses a small dial that is
marked 0-8. The hand on the dial completes a sweep every second which is an
elapsed time of 1/8th of second for each number.
GMT
Universal time based on the Greenwich Meridian
used by the military and in aviation. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is a 24-hour
watch is a type of watch with an hour hand that completes a revolution every 24
hours. This type of watch is especially useful for airplane pilots, astronauts,
members of the military, or anyone who uses a 24-hour clock. Also referred to
as UTC: Universal Time Co-ordinate.Zulu Time: Yet another reference to GMT and
UTC! The use of this phrase is prevalent in civil aviation and military. Zulu
is the phonetic for Z which is for the Zero meridian.
Jump
Hour
Whereas a standard watch displays the time
by a pair (or sometimes three) hands pointing at fixed numbers, jump hour
watches have a wheel that rotates to display the correct time i.e. the numbers
themselves move. The watch will have a small window cutout on the dial so that
only the correct time is displayed.
Power
Reserve
The mechanical watch operated either by
automatic- or manual winding. In order to run at a regular rate a mechanical
timepiece needs to have at least 30 per cent of its mainspring wound]. An
automatic timepiece needs to be worn for about 1015 hours before it is fully
wound. The power reserve indicator displayed on the watch with automatic-
winding movement shows how long a watch will function when not worn. The one
displayed at a watch with the manual winding mechanism shows the time left for
its next winding.
Moon
phase
Simply, this is a cut-out on the dial with
a picture of the moon showing its current phase.
Regulator
A watch where the hour and minute hands are
not on the same, but separate, pinions; they are watches where the hour
function is off centre. Typically the watch will have a small 12 hour watch
face at the 12 position which denotes the hours, a minute hand central to the
watch face and usually a seconds hand in a circular face at the 6 position. The
watch is read by consulting each hand separately.
Repeater
The repeater strikes the number of hours
that have passed since 12 o'clock on a gong. Repeater watches were much harder
to make than repeater clocks; fitting the bells, wire gongs and complicated
striking works into a pocket watch movement was a feat of fine watch making. So
repeating watches were expensive luxuries and status symbols.
·Hour Repeater
The term 'repeater', without qualifiers, usually
means an hour repeater. On pressing the lever or button, the repeater strikes
the number of hours that have passed since 12 o'clock on a gong. This is the
only type of repeater that needs a single gong. No distinction is usually made
between AM and PM, so whether the time shown is 2:00am, 2:17am, 2:59am, or
2:59pm, the repeater will chime twice.
·Quarter Repeater
The quarter repeater strikes the number of
hours, and then the number of quarter hours since the last hour. The mechanism
uses 2 chimes of different tones. The low tone usually signals the hours, and
the high tone the quarter hours.
·Half-quarter Repeater
The half-quarter repeater can sound the
time to half a quarter hour, or 7½ minutes. It strikes hours and then quarter
hours, like the quarter repeater, then it uses a single tone in order to signal
if more than half of the current quarter hour has passed. For example, if the
time is 3:41 the mechanism will strike 3 low tones ("bong") to
represent 3 hours, then 2 sequence tones ("bing-bong") to represent 2
quarter hours, then one high tone ("bing") to indicate that more than
half of the third quarter hour has passed.
·Ten-minute Repeater
Conceived of as clock for the blindbefore
talking clocks, and patented (3,925,777) in 1974, this electronic repeater
called the Audocron was manufactured in the U.S. When touched it chimed out the
hour, then in a higher tone - the tens of minutes, followed by the minutes in
the original tone.
·Five-minute Repeater
The minute repeater works like the quarter
repeater, with the addition that, after the hours and quarter hours are
sounded, the number of minutes since the last quarter hour are sounded. This
requires three different sounds to distinguish hours, quarters, and minutes.
Often the hours are signaled by a low tone, the quarters are signaled by a
sequence of two tones ("bing-bong"), and the minutes by a high tone.
·Minute Repeater
The minute repeater works like the quarter
repeater, with the addition that, after the hours and quarter hours are
sounded, the number of minutes since the last quarter hour are sounded. This
requires three different sounds to distinguish hours, quarters, and minutes.
Often the hours are signaled by a low tone, the quarters are signaled by a
sequence of two tones ("bing-bong"), and the minutes by a high tone.
·Grande Sonnerie
A Grande Sonnerie is a quarter striking
mechanism combined with a repeater. On each quarter hour, it sounds the hours
and then the quarters on two gongs. In addition it can strike the hours at the
push of a button.
·Dumb Repeater
Used by the visually impaired and to tell
the time quietly in meetings and concerts, 'dumb' repeater watches did not
chime audibly, but instead produced vibrations. Instead of a gong, the hammer
struck the hours on a solid metal block attached to the case, producing a dull
'thud' that could be felt in the hand.
Retrograde
Rather than a typical display in which a
hand (such as a minute hand) completes a 360 degree revolution, a retrograde
display completes 180 degree journey before flying back instantaneously to
begin its travel once more.
Skeleton
Movement
The skeleton has had all excess metal
removed from its structure of plates and bridges transforming it into an
intricate artwork of beauty and delicacy that allows the movement to be seen
through the dial. Also sometimes referred to as exposition, which usually
referrers to only the back of the watch.
Rattrapante - Split Second Chronograph - Double
Chronograph
Split Second Chronograph is the most
complicated chronograph. Instead of the ordinary single central stopwatch hand,
two hands are superimposed over the other. When the chronograph is activated
both hands will start in unison. However upon pressing the split-second button
the lower hand will stop while the other hand continues forward enabling two
events to be timed at once. By pushing the button again, the stopped hand will
immediately catch up with the other hand and will continue to travel in unison.
This complex mechanism places great demands on watchmakers as this type of chronograph
undergoes much more violent mechanical stresses when used in its intended
manner.
Tachymeter
A scale used to measure units per hour.
Commonly found on the bezels of chronograph watches, an event is timed by using
the chronograph seconds hand. The hand is stopped when the event ends and the
hand will point to the number of units per hour that could be achieved.
Tourbillon
Considered a very special complication in a
mechanical watch. A Tourbillon mechanism compensates for the effects of gravity
on the balance thus improving the overall accuracy of the watch. Originally
invented by Abraham Louis Breguet, the watch's escapement (balance, lever and
escape wheel combined) is housed in a cage which rotates every 60 seconds.
Pocket watches were worn vertically and motionless in a gentleman's pocket, in
order to negate the effect of gravity, the Tourbillon originally was an attempt
to improve accuracy. The mechanism is usually exposed on the watch's face to
show it off.
·Double Tourbillon
The Double Tourbillon 30° features one
tourbillion carriage rotating once per minute and inclined at 30°, inside
another carriage which is rotating every four minutes.
·Gyrotourbillon or Double-axis Tourbillon
This Tourbillon turns around two axes, both
of which rotate once per minute. The whole Tourbillon is powered by a special
constant-force mechanism, called a remontoire. Thomas Prescher invented the
constant-force mechanism to equalize the effects of a wound and unwound
mainspring, friction, and gravitation. Thereby, even force is always supplied
to the oscillation regulating system of the double-axis Tourbillon
·Triple-axis Tourbillon
In the three axis Tourbillon movement the
3rd (external) cage has a unique form which provides the possibility of using
jewel bearings everywhere - instead of ball-bearings.
·Quadruple Tourbillon
Quadruple Tourbillon à Différentiel (QDT),
which uses two Double-Tourbillons working independently. A spherical
differential connects the four rotating carriages, distributing torque between
two wheels rotating at different speeds.
·Flying Tourbillon
Rather than being supported by a bridge, or
cock, at both the top and bottom, the flying Tourbillon is cantilevered, being
only supported from one side.
·Open Heart
There are many "Tourbillon"
fake/replicas of premium brand watches that emulate this feature with the
oscillating balance wheel visible through the watch dial; however, these are
not Tourbillons. This feature is often referred to as "open heart".
The history
of Rolex is inextricably linked to the visionary spirit of Hans Wilsdorf, its
founder. The young man entered the world of Swiss watchmaking in the early 20th
century, at a time when the pocket watch was the order of the day. He began to
dream of a watch worn on the wrist. Wristwatches were not very precise at the
time, but Hans Wilsdorf foresaw that they could become both elegant and
reliable. To convince the public of the reliability of his resolutely
innovative timepieces, he equipped them with small, very precise movements
manufactured by a Swiss watchmaking company in Bienne.
The year was 1905. Three
years later, Hans Wilsdorf registered the trademark Rolex. In 1926, a major step was taken with the
creation of the worlds first waterproof and dustproof wristwatch. This watch
named the Oyster featured a hermetically sealed case which provided optimal
protection for the movement. The following year the Oyster crossed the English
Channel unscathed worn by a young English swimmer, Mercedes Gleitze. The swim
lasted over 10 hours and the watch remained in perfect working order at the end
of it. The triumph led to the concept of the Testimonee, adventurous men and
women, achievers whose exploits and daring would, in time, become so closely
associated with Rolex. In 1931, Rolex invented and patented the worlds first
self-winding mechanism with a Perpetual rotor. This ingenious system is at the
origin of every modern automatic watch. In the early 1950s, thanks to the
perfect mastery of chronometric precision and water resistance, Rolex developed
professional watches that served as tools and whose functions went far beyond
simply telling time. These watches were intended for new professional
activities, such as deep-sea diving, aviation, mountain climbing and scientific
exploration. Launched in 1953, the Submariner was the first watch guaranteed
waterproof to a depth of 100 meters (330 feet). These watches generated lasting
enthusiasm and became known as the watches of achievers. In 1953, equipped with
an Oyster Perpetual, the expedition led by Sir John Hunt, Sir Edmund Hillary
and Tenzing Norgay was the first to reach the summit of Everest.
Personal Comment:
Clearly the
inventor of necessary luxury. Not high-end, not haute horlogerie, but rather
plain solid luxury. 800.000 pieces produced every year, with a capacity to
increase up to 1, 1 million, with still unbeaten resale value. Year on year the
number one on the list of the most sought after watches. Along with its Daytona
and Submariner, Rolex is the most popular watch brand on earth. Are they really
the best watches on earth?Of course
not. But their price/attractiveness/quality ratio is unique. Technically, these
watches are solid and unrefined, with machine made finishes and legendary Swiss
reliability. Nothing to write home about, but very consistent work throughout.
The Oyster
Perpetual Submariner is the quintessential divers watch, the benchmark in its
genre. Introduced in 1953 during the pioneering era for scuba diving, it was
the first watch to be water-resistant to 100 meters (330 feet). This iconic
timepiece has since evolved with a series of patented Rolex technical
innovations, guaranteeing its reliability and precision down to depths of 300 meters
(1,000 feet). At home in the oceans, where it remains an indispensable
instrument for every diver, the Submariner has also conquered terra firma as
the watch of action with a rugged elegance of its own. The Submariner is
available with and without date function.
The Oyster case
is a central part of Rolexs history. Clamped shut like an oyster shell, it
could survive under water thanks to two major innovations: a screw-down back
and bezel and a screw-down waterproof winding crown. Invented by Rolex in 1926,
the Oyster case was put to a real-life test a year later when Mercedes Gleitze,
a young sportswoman, swam the English Channel wearing a Rolex Oyster. After
more than 10 hours in the cold water, her watch remained fully functional,
firmly establishing Rolexs legendary underwater expertise. When in 1953 Sir
Edmund Hillary and his sherpa Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Mount
Everest, they were wearing a Rolex Oyster Perpetual.
The Oyster
Perpetual Submariners robust and functional design swiftly became iconic. With
their subtly redesigned Oyster case, distinctive dial with large luminescent
hour markers, graduated rotatable Cerachrom bezel and solid link Oyster
bracelet, the latest generation Submariner and Submariner Date are firmly in
line with the original model launched in 1953. Equally at home underwater and
at a gala dinner, the Submariner models set new standards of robustness,
reliability, comfort and timeless sporting style.
The Submariner
and Submariner Date models are equipped with calibre 3130 and calibre 3135
respectively, self-winding mechanical movements entirely developed and
manufactured by Rolex. Like all Rolex Perpetual movements, the 3130 and 3135
are certified Swiss chronometers,
a designation reserved for high-precision watches that have successfully passed
the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) tests. They are fitted
with a Parachrom hairspring, offering greater resistance to shocks and to
temperature variations. Their architecture, in common with all Oyster watch
movements, makes them singularly reliable.
Personal note:
I actually own a
Rolex Submariner (the no date version, more original), but Im not that crazy
to spend 5.650 on it. The great part about buying a Rolex Sub is that there is
so much choice. The secondhand and vintage markets are huge! Why buy a new one
when you can buy a perfect secondhand one for 4.000? Why is it so expensive? Well, if you buy a watch from an indepentdent watch company, who still makes it's own movements en uses only the best materials and has done so for over 60 years.. it's normal that you pay extra. That's why a Breitling or an Omega can never ask the same price as a Rolex.
That being said..
The Rolex Sub is one of those basics you need when having a serious watch
collection. Because it has been around for over 60 years and it has hardly changed
a bit, the resale value is enormous.
The Rolex
Submariner is not part of haute horlogerie, but it is a solid luxury watch.
Some say it is the best watch in the world. Is it?.. No, of course not! But its
price/attractiveness/quality ratio is unique!
In todays blingbling-world
lead by Hublot, Ulysse Nardin and those oversized IWCs, the simple and yet elegant
Submariner is a breath of fresh air.
By definition luxury watches are going to be higher-end items that will
cost more than basic watches. Nevertheless, it is good to know what type of
money youll need to spend when your wrist has earned its first fine timepiece.
Why do you want a luxury watch to begin with? Whether it is professional
performance or a sense of class and status, high-end watches are emotionally
gratifying. I like high-end watches because they are made with quality, and can
be one of the only things even very wealthy people own that are potentially
hand-assembled and highly detailed.
In a world of mass produced and disposable
items, a beautiful luxury timepiece is a wonderful way to assert your
personality and carry around an appreciation for tradition and craftsmanship
for everyone else to see. There is no specific price point where luxury
begins and mainstream ends, but you are generally going to spend at least 1.000
or so when buying your first luxury watch. How high does that number go? How
high can you count?
