Collectible Watches

Every style conscious individual must have heard of the name Chopard. The House of Chopard has been the proud manufacturer of high end luxurious jewelries, superb watches and many other accessories. They have become timeless symbols of classic beauty and taste. Chopard watches are elegant and functional. Chopard is a family owned business and its success is completely based on the determined family members.

Beginning

The story of Chopard started as a humble beginning in a small village of Switzerland in the year 1860. It was started by Louise Ulysses Chopard. The accomplishments of Louis earned the company a permanent place in the watch making industry. Amongst all the popular watch makers and jewelers, Chopard is now a popular name. After Louis Ulysse Chopard, the company was taken over by his son Paul Louis who further expanded the company to La Chaux-de-Fonds and further to Geneva. Next, the company was transferred to Paul Andre, the grandson of Louis Ulysses in 1943 who continued to enhance the growth of the company with his expertise and skills. It was a major supplier of timepieces during World War 2.

The family tradition ended when the son of Paul Andre were not interested to be a part of the company. He decided to partner with Karl Scheufele to move forward the company. Karl was a German jeweler who belonged to the famous jewelry dynasty. He retained the family name of the company and contributed to the success, reputation and excellence of the company. This merger with Scheufele turned out to be profitable for Chopard watches as the company reached heights. After this partnership, Chopard started making more advanced and technical timepieces. The brand flourished with the genius and the technical advancements of the timepieces.

Recent History

Karl Scheufele's children Karl-Freidrich and Caroline joined the business and presently look after the men's and woman's collection respectively. The talents and the passion for perfection of their father were also present in their genes and this no doubt led to the success of the company. Apart from the timepieces, many jewelry items such as bracelets, pendants, rings and necklaces are also available under this brand. Presently, the brand has unique collections like the Elton John collection dedicated to his campaign against AIDS and the ladies collection which includes sports watches and fashionable watches.
In March 2010, the company celebrated its 150th anniversary. Chopard celebrated this occasion with some beautiful animal themed collection of timepieces. The Grand Prix de Monaco Historique is a blend of classical charm and timeless technology. Chopard timepieces have many more bountiful collections for its wearers. You can easily find a jewelry themed Chopard watch for parties or a casual timepiece for a regular use. These lovely timepieces will surely attract the attention of every individual apart from adorning your wrists.

By Tisha Wells

Refer to http://www.dejaun.com/Collections/Chopard/18500001/EN/1 if you are looking for Chopard Watches. A Chopard Watch is accurate and functional along with being elegant.

In 1995 when Pierce Brosnan took over the role of James Bond, Omega began their very successful relationship with the James Bond franchise. In his first film, Goldeneye, Brosnan wore the Omega Seamaster Quartz Profession (model number 2541.80.00). However, the producers wanted Bond to look for sophisticated so they changed the watch model to the Omega Seamaster Professional Chronometer (model number 2531.80.00) in later movies.

Prior to Goldeneye, Bond was known for wearing the Submariner watch. However, with the change in product placement in movies, Omega were much happier to work with the Bond franchise and supply products and finance, something their predecessor avoided.

In 2002, for the 40th anniversary of Jame Bond, Omega released a limited edition (10,007 units) of their watch, model 2537.80.00. This was identical to the 2531.80.00 apart from the blue watch dial had the 007 logo inscribed across it and machined in to the caseback. 007 was also inscribed on to the clasp.

The most recent Bond, Daniel Craig from Casino Royale and Quantum Of Solace, wears the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean and Seamaster Diver 300M in Casino Royale. He even mentions Omega by name when he is questioned by Vesper Lynd. Again, for the launch of this film, Omega released a 007 special of the Professional 300M watch. This featured the 007 gun logo on the second hand and a rifle pattern on the watch face.

In 2006 Omega again released a limited edition James Bond watch. This was a Seamaster Planet Ocean model with a limited run of 5007 units. This had a small orange 007 logo on the second hand, an engraved 007 on the clasp and an engraved caseback.
In Quantum Of Solace, Bond wears yet another Omega watch, the 42mm Seamaster Planet Ocean with a black face and steel bracelet. Yet again, Omega released another limited edition to capitalize on their exposure in this blockbuster movie. This watch featured a checkered PPK grip face with the Quantum Of Solace logo over it.

Over the course of 5 movies from 1995 to 2008, the Omega Seamaster Professional Diver 300M was worn by James Bond. These are a stainless steel bracelet fitted with a blue dial and unidirectional rotatin bezel with a blue ring and a sapphire crystal.

The Omega Seamaster range of watches are seen to be sophisticated and elegant, the kind of watch that would fit the suave super spy. With their tie in to the James Bond franchise, they have gone from strength to strength and have raised significant awareness of their brand.

Many James Bond fans have gone on to buy the Omega watches due to the product placement and the limited editions have proved very popular because of the tie-in with the movies.

By Jayzn Johns

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jayzn_Johns

Cartier watches are a thing of beauty. They are the perfect choice for the night out on the town or the business meeting. Their style is high class and professional, something that can work for any important event. Cartier itself is a French company that's been around for a decades and does much more than even watches.

Cartier was founded in 1847 in Paris by Louis-Francois Cartier. His three grandchildren were the ones who launched Cartier as a worldwide brand. They produce jewelry and accessories of all kinds, but where the first company to make the men's wristwatch. The story goes that a Brazilian aviator complained the pocket watches were impractical when flying, as it was not easy to check the time. Louis Cartier (the grandson of the founder) decided to make a watch that would fasten to the wrist. The first men's wristwatch was made, though it wasn't the first wristwatch ever. That was created by Pantek Phillipe, but for a woman.

Some of Cartier's other firsts were the first water resistant design and the first deployment-folding clasp, both of which are used in thousands of watch models today. They pioneered a lot of the features we look for in our timepieces.
In 1907, Cartier signed a contract with Edmond Jaeger, a man who was to help exclusively supply Cartier watches around the world. Cartier had branches on New York, St. Petersburg and London and was becoming one of the most sought after watch brands in the world. Everyone at the time wanted Cartier watches.

Cartier has a history of serving royalty, all the way back to King Edward VII. Cartier was awarded the Royal warrant of supplier to the Royal Court of England, as well as courts in Spain, Portugal, Russia, Greece, Egypt, and several others. They also currently serve a wide range of celebrities and stars. To own a Cartier piece is to really feel a part of royalty and fame.
Currently, Cartier has 200 stores worldwide and sell everything from leather goods and accessories to their beloved Cartier watches. Their watches run in the thousands, up there with the best of the best luxury brands and prices. Their movements are Swiss mechanical automatic, which means they are self-winding. Their cases are often made of solid gold.

Cartier watches have the highest reputation that accessories can have, with their royal associations and fine materials used within their make up. They are definitely the a top luxury watch brand and highly sought after.The Watchery, provider of 100% genuine brand-new watches including Chopard, Ebel, Concord, Baume and Mercier and more!

By Mark Etinger 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Etinger

Girard Perregaux is a vintage watch brand whose origins date back to the early 1791. The inception of the Girard Perregaux brand dates back to the 1856 post the marriage of the Constant Girard with Mary Perregaux. The year 1791 holds significance because it was in this year that Jean Francois Bautte came to sign his own watch and formed a watch making company that was into covering every single process of the watch production cycle. The company formed by him undertook designing as well as assembling and manufacturing of their watches.
Girard Perregaux watches has put in real efforts to create the one watch company of all times. This involves a constant approach towards designing something new and innovative. This feat is achieved by bringing together the best from all around the globe. This brand depicts the coming together of competent engineers, designers and craftsmen from all over the world in the pursuit of creating something new and out of the box.

This watch brand is not only known for creating watches but also for designing movements all by themselves. Some of the leading examples are the Quartz Movements, Tourbillion and the Chronograph. The efforts put in to create a watch that is Girard Perregaux in the true sense of the word reflects the vintage style and feel that has come to be associated with these watches. The evolution of these watches through history definitely depicts an upcoming visionary brand. It is a brand that had the forethought to know that the market for pocket watches was going to be taken over by wrist watches.

Creations from Girard Perregaux watches have not only made it to the pages of history because of outstanding style and beauty but also because of the breakthrough technology that has been devised. The classic style of these watches definitely sets them apart from the rest. The brands have come to be labelled as a classic because it has held on to its original designs and conventional vintage style. Adherence to old designs is how it has achieved the feat of being known as a luxury watch making brand.

These watches are also much known because of the breakthrough technology they are modelled on. At the end of the day, it is not just designs that Girard Perregaux has given to the world; it is more of a legacy of technology that the watch industry is going to cherish and revere for years to come. The recent years have been a witness to some expansion activities from the watch brand of all times. The company has greatly taken to opening subsidiaries on a global scale in places like Japan, United states etc.

The brand indeed has a rich legacy of watch making. Some pioneering creations like a balance wheel that can cross the mark of 36, 000 alterations every hour and the 32.768 Hz quart movement have helped it make to the pages of history. A Girard Perregaux watch is truly a Girard Perregaux watch for every nook and cranny of the watch has been designed and produced by the company itself.

Girard Perregaux is a watch brand that is known for creating classic watch pieces. Their timepieces are not just one in a million owing to their designs and make, but the technology that is at work behind each of these watches is equally awesome. Constant innovation and re-inventing has helped the brand to become one of the most cherished brands of all times.

By Denis Boulle

The history of Vacheron Constantin brand begins in 1755 when it was founded by Jean-Marc Vacheron and continued in 1819 when François Constantin joined the company and years later the engineer Georges-Auguste Leschot, the brand becoming one of the oldest in the world, keeping its tradition in watch manufacture until nowadays, developing techniques and designs that have revolutionized the watchmaking world.

The Vacheron Constantin watch manufacture is best represented by its timepieces of an exceptional technical functionality and unique aesthetic quality, surprising every time the watch experts and avid collectors with every creation released.

Without a doubt this Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle line is very demanded among collectors because every time impresses by a new advanced timepiece. This time it presents a new Patrimony Traditionnelle Chronograph Watch, a remarkable timepiece which brings homage to the watchmaking tradition of the brand.

This revealing timepiece amazes ones again the watch experts by the advanced technical and aesthetic quality that characterizes this remarkable brand. Extremely elegant and stylish the Patrimony Traditionnelle Chronograph watch can be harmoniously fitted to a formal or casual outfit.
It features a 42mm round case created with 18 carat pink gold material also found in the bezel, perfectly matched with a brown alligator leather strap, keeping all the aesthetic points of the Patrimony Traditionnelle line.

The legible white dial is provided with black indexes, gold accents on the hour hands and a 60 minute chronograph counter and a small seconds counter. The dial also features a tachometer scale on its rim and it's protected by sapphire crystal.

This incredible new timepiece is animated by the 1141 caliber chronograph movement that beats inside, oscillating at a frequency of 18,000 vibrations per hour, generating thus 48 hours of power reserve. There is no wander that the experts have appreciated this movement as one of the most advanced because of the technical and aesthetic quality.
The Patrimony Traditionnelle Chronograph watch is definitely one of the best representatives of the Vacheron Constantin watch manufacture, remarkable for elegance, unique design and advanced technical functionality.

By Keysha Karina 

Find more Vacheron Constantin Watches for men's and ladies at WatchSource.Eu and WatchSites.Net.

Sometimes things start out in the most surprising ways. Take the watch company of Casio for example. If you were asked to guess what the first product that was made by Casio, you may think it was the calculator or some other type of electronic product. You would be wrong. The Casio Company was started 1946 by Tadao Kashio. Understand that this was in Japan following World War II. The financial situation was dire in Japan at the time to say the least. When Mr. Kashio began his company, he was a fabrication engineer hoping to catch a big break.

His big break showed up in a very unique way. Tadao Kashio developed a product called the yubiwa pipe. Its design allowed it to be worn on the finger. It was used to hold a cigarette, allowing the smoker to smoke the cigarette to the filter, all while still being able to use both hands. In the impoverished Japan of the times, cigarettes were a hot commodity and the product was an overwhelming success. The yubiwa pipe is a far cry from the calculators and watches that were to follow, but it did start the company down the road to success.

Since it is obvious that Mr. Kashio was an inventive sort of man, it only took a little while for him to decide to explore different products. At the business show in Ginza, Japan in 1949, he discovered electronic calculators. With the proceeds from the sale of the yubiwa pipes, Mr. Kashio and his brothers began to experiment with making their own calculators. At the time, most calculators were run by the use of gears. With diligence and hard work, the Casio Company came out with the first calculator to use solenoids. The new type of calculator went on sale in 1954. This calculator also was the first to have the 10 digit keypad and had only one display window as opposed to the competitors' that had three.

As you well know, calculators weren't the only product manufactured by Casio. After the release of the Model 14-A calculator, many more products were designed and released to the general public. The same year as the release of the 14-A, the company also became the Casio Computer Co., Inc. This is about the time when watches from Casio first made their mark on the watch industry. Casio has been well known for the huge variety and innovation of their watches almost since the beginning of production. They were one of the first watch companies to manufacture the now famous quartz crystal watches. The quartz watches produced by Casio were available in both digital and analog styles. It is possible that the most well remembered watch produced by this company was the calculator watch. For those of you who don't remember, it featured all of the amazing time keeping capabilities of the regular Casio watches, with an added feature. It had a tiny calculator complete with miniature keypad built into the watch. During its hey day it was the bane of math teachers everywhere and the savior of every math deficient student.

Considering the calculator watch was so much fun, Casio continued to raise the bar. This company was also the first to design and produce a watch that could provide its owner with some interesting details. One such watch could display the time of many different time zones at the touch of a button. Others were equipped to give weather details like the temperature and barometric pressure. Mountain climbers of ages past particularly were fond of the version that came with a gauge to indicate the altitude. While other watch makers were stuck on the same old, same old, Casio consistently offered new and exciting variations on the classic wristwatch.

With the true gadget geeks of the world in mind, Casio came up with a watch just for them. It is the Wave Ceptors line of watches. They really outdid themselves with this one. These watches are equipped to receive radio signals that enable the watch to keep accurate time. They also are able to tell the time in different time zones, the user can set alarms and timers. This line of watches also came with an incredibly extensive user manual to provide all of the necessary instructions to the owner.

From the yubiwa pipe to the finest calculators and watches in the world, the Casio has come a long way from its humble beginnings. They continue to challenge themselves and their competitors to new higher peaks and offer the best products electronics can build.

By Zai Zhu 

Zai Zhu is a watch collector and a watch dealer. Visit Discount Watch Store to learn more about watches. You can also shop over 3500 styles fine watches including many Casio watches, Mondaine watches, Bulova watches, Accutron watches, Wittnauer watches, Citizen watches, Seiko watches, Invicta watches, Luminox watches as well as other brand name watches such as Adee Kaye, Corvette, Croton, Lucien Piccard, Orient, Perigaum, TW Steel, and Wenger.

Over the years Seiko have produced some truly innovative watches and set the benchmark for other manufacturers to follow.

Seiko as a watch manufacturer was born way back in 1881 when they started to produce classically-styled pocket watches. They introduced the chronograph pocket watch in 1941 and soon after aired their first TV commercial in Japan.
In 1973 they started to manufacture some watches that were really technologically-advanced. They produced the world's first six-digit LCD quartz watch. Their 'world firsts' didn't stop there either, they continued to set new standards in the watch industry, each time making the watches more and more innovative.

Seiko also manufactured the world's first TV watch with a sound recorder and the world's first watch with computer functions.

In 1987 Seiko served as the official 'timer' at the second IAAF World Championships that were held in Rome, this gave them the opportunity to get world-wide TV coverage as many athletes posed next to the official clock as world records got broken.
Then, in 1992 Seiko were the official timers at the famous 25th Olympic Games that were held in Barcelona. They continued to act as the official timer for years to come, ensuring that their brand was visible on a large scale.

As well as manufacturing conventional and classically-style watches Seiko also continued to produce technologically-advanced watches that were way ahead of their time. In 2006 they produced the world's first watch with an electrophoresis display module - this was a truly futuristic watch and won acclaim and awards from people in the industry.

In 2005 Seiko launched the 'Seiko Spring Drive', which was a movement that provided up to 72 hours of power - as opposed to the usual 40 hours, which again shows their desire to continue making waves with up-to-the-minute innovations.

Seiko is probably best known for its wrist watches, and obviously they are particularly well known for their advanced technology. Seiko are one of the few manufacturers who produce their watches and all of the movements entirely in-house. The Seiko range includes watches for both ladies and gents, with leather or metal straps.

They even produce a 'Divers Collection' range which consists of waterproof watches. These Seiko watches come with a rubber strap and still retain their unique 'Seiko styling'.

By Lucy Penn

Lucy Penn is an online marketer and researcher who is currently researching Seiko Watches at [http://www.mooresjewellersltd.co.uk/category/Shop_For_Watches_By_Brand/Seiko].

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lucy_Penn

Citizen Watches is one of the largest producers of watches in the world. The company has its beginnings back in 1918 when the Shokosha Watch Research Institute was formed in Tokyo, Japan. The mayor of Tokyo, Mr Shimpei Goto, wanted to see the company succeed, saying it was important that "people appreciated and benefited from the institute's results." It was the ordinary citizens he was concerned about, and with that thought in mind, things started to progress. In 1924 the company produced a luxury, yet affordable, pocket watch, which it named The Citizen. The idea was that the watch would be available to ordinary citizens. The idea worked better than the company could ever have imagined it would at the time.

Over the many years between then and now, Citizen Watches have been the pioneers of many innovative developments in watch technology. Their groundbreaking advances in watch technology have been truly impressive. For example, in the early 1950 the Citizen Watch Company produced the Citizen Calendar, the first watch in Japan to feature a date mechanism.
The Parashock watch, introduced in 1954 gave the world its first shock resistant watch produced by a Japanese manufacturer. The Auto, the country's first automatic-winding wrist watch, was produced in 1958, and in 1959, just one year later, Citizen Watches produced Japan's first water resistant watch, the Parawater. Other important developments in watch technology continued to keep the company ahead of its competitors.

The Citizen Watch Company have the honour of producing the world's thinnest watch, the Diamond Flake. This they did in 1962, and 41 years later they did it again by launching the Stiletto, the world's thinnest watch powered by light. This watch is truly revolutionary. It is a mere 4.4 millimetres thick, and it features an advanced eco-drive technology.

The Citizen Watch Company started to export their watches in 1936, initially to parts of Asia, but by the late 1950s they were exporting to the People's Republic of China, and by the early 1960s they started to export to the United States through an agreement with the Bulova Watch Company. By the mid 1960s they had started exporting to Europe. Their first Citizen Watch Company office in Europe was opened in Germany in 1965.

Conclusion

Citizen Watches have been at the leading edge of watch manufacture for decades, and they show no signs of slowing down or stopping in the early part of the 21st century either.


By Martyn Bramley 

Martyn Bramley invites you to take some time out and think about treating yourself to a new watch!
Buying from Watch-Site is easy. We are official retailers for all of the brands listed on our site so you can be sure that each product is 100% genuine, competitively priced and comes with an approved manufacturers guarantee.
Visit our website today http://www.watch-site.co.uk or give us a call on 0191 2965111.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martyn_Bramley

Since the Beginning

In 1860, Edouard Heuer founded a watch company in Switzerland, with the idea of becoming the first person to patent the chronograph. Of course, he did this in 1882, making him the leader in innovative technologies. The "oscillating pinion" is still in use today by major watchmakers. But this was not enough-in 1911, he also patented the first "Time Trip"; a clock made for dashboards in automobiles. The first set of hands were set to tell time like an ordinary clock, but a second set of hands were designed to track the duration of the trip. A driver could set the timer, then stop when they reached their destination. Mr. Heuer was a man before his time in innovation and ideas.

Wrist Watches

1914 saw the first wrist watch/chronograph combo, which let the owner start and stop time in a "stopwatch" fashion. This is where the stopwatch idea originated, which is still in use today. During the 1930's and '40's, Tag Heuer manufactured timepieces for aircraft and automobiles to contribute to the war effort. Many chronographs were made to include a calendar function as well.
Once the war was over, the company began creating watches for Abercrombie and Fitch that had special dials to track high low tides, as well as moon phases. These were the "Seafarer" watches, popular with sailors and other boating lovers. However, it was later discovered that the dials could be rotated a certain way, so that golfers could use it to track their scores.

New Car Timers

When the first dashboard timers/clocks appeared in 1911, they were a great novelty. But by the late 1950's, a new line of clocks/timers came onto the scene. 1958 saw greater innovations and more features never before seen, such as an 8-day clock, a 12-hour stopwatch, full chronograph, and many more. For its day, these dashboard timers were cutting edge, and were manufactured through the mid-1980's when they were discontinued. But during the time, Heuer produced other timers for sporting and racing events, including the prestigious Formula One.

Racing Watches and Timers

During the time that the innovative dashboard timers were produced, racing lovers (pro and amateur alike) used these devices. Watches similar to the dashboard timers were often worn by racing aficionados because of the ease of use. Because of the split second timing and precision of the watches, racers used these to keep accurate records of their accomplishments.




Space and Beyond

Tag Heuer watches were the first to go into space. John Glenn, while manning the Mercury Atlas 6 in Earth's orbit, wore a Heuer stopwatch. It was actually the back up clock for the mission and is currently on display at the San Diego Air and Space Museum.
As technology advanced, so did the designs and innovations of the Tag Heuer watches. The first automatic chronograph appeared in the mid 1960's, ushering in a new era of watches and timers. Tag Heuer has become known as THE stopwatch company to visit if you are in the market for a great stopwatch.

By Tanuj M

Time Squared is an expert watch retailer carrying over 100 brands ranging from Emporio Armani to Tissot, Tag Heuer to Omega. We have designer watches from the world's greatest brands. If you're looking to buy Tag Heuer Watches in London, you can visit our store or alternatively Buy Watches Online.

Rolex Watches is a Swiss manufacturer of mostly mechanical wristwatches renowned for their dependability, prestige, and cost (from a few thousand to more than one hundred thousand U.S. dollars). Rolex watches are considered status symbols by many. Rolex is the largest single luxury watch brand by far, with estimated revenues of around US $3 billion (2003). BusinessWeek magazine ranks Rolex 71st on its 2007 annual list of the 100 most important global brands, top among all watchmakers.

Rolex History

Rolex SA was founded in 1905 by the German Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law, Alfred Davis. Contrary to popular belief, Hans Wilsdorf was neither Swiss, nor a watchmaker. Wilsdorf & Davis was the original name of what later became the Rolex Watch Company. They originally imported Hermann Aegler's Swiss movements to England and placed them in quality cases made by Dennison and others. These early wristwatches were then sold to jewelers, who then put their own names on the dial. The earliest watches from the firm of Wilsdorf and Davis are usually marked "W&D" - inside the caseback only.
Hans Wilsdorf registered the trademark name "Rolex" in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland in 1908. The origin of the name is obscure. One story, which was never confirmed by Wilsdorf, is that the word "Rolex" came from the French phrase horlogerie exquise, meaning exquisite watch industry. Another is that the name was chosen to indicate movement when spoken in English.
The Wilsdorf & Davis company moved out of the United Kingdom in 1912. Wilsdorf wanted his watches to be affordable, but taxes and export duties on the case metals (silver and gold) were driving costs up. From that time to the present, Rolex has been headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, though the company owns facilities in other cities (Bienne, etc) and continents (North America, Asia, Australia, etc).
The company name Rolex was officially registered on 15 November, 1915. It is thought this change was part of a drive to popularize wristwatches, which at the time were still considered a novelty largely for women (pocket watches were more common). Wilsdorf was said to desire his watch brand's name to be easily pronounceable in any language. The company name was officially changed to the Rolex Watch Company during 1919. It was later changed to Montres Rolex, SA and finally Rolex, SA.
Rolex SA is a foundation initiated and originally funded by Hans Wilsdorf and the Aegler family. According to foundation documentation, the Rolex SA company can never be sold, nor traded on any stock market.

Other Rolex Innovations

Among the company's innovations are the first waterproof watch case; the first wristwatch with a date on the dial; the first watch to show two timezones at once; and most importantly the first watchmakers to earn the coveted chronometer certification for a wristwatch. To date, Rolex still holds the record for the most certified chronometer movements in the category of wristwatches.
Another little known fact is that Rolex participated in the development of the original quartz watch movements. Although Rolex has made very few quartz models for its Oyster line, the company's engineers were instrumental in design and implementation of the technology during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1968, Rolex collaborated with a consortium of 16 Swiss watch manufacturers to develop the Beta 21 quartz movement used in their Rolex Quartz Date 5100. Consequently, after five years of research, design, and development, Rolex engineering efforts finally culminated in the "clean-slate" 5035/5055 movement that would eventually power the Rolex Oysterquartz - arguably the finest quartz movement that has ever been made.
The first self-winding Rolex watch was offered to the public in 1931, preceded to the market by Harwood which patented the design in 1923 and produced the first self-winding watch in 1928, powered by an internal mechanism that used the movement of the wearer's arm. This not only made watch-winding unnecessary, but eliminated the problem of over-winding a watch and harming its mechanism. Rolex was also the first watch company to create a truly waterproof watch - another milestone from novelty to functional timepiece. Wilsdorf even went so far as to have a specially made Rolex watch attached to the side of the Trieste bathyscaphe, which went to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. The watch survived and tested as having kept perfect time during its descent and ascent. This was confirmed by a telegram sent to Rolex the following day saying "Am happy to confirm that even at 11,000 meters your watch is as precise as on the surface. Best regards, Jacques Piccard".
Rolex has also made a reputation in watches suitable for the extremes of deep-sea diving, aviation and mountain climbing. Early sports models included the Rolex submariner, Oyster Perpetual Sea Dweller 2000 (in 1971). This watch featured a helium release valve, co-invented with Swiss watchmaker Doxa, to release helium gas build-up during decompression. Another sports model is the Rolex GMT Master II, originally developed at the request of Pan Am Airways, to assist pilots in transcontinental flights. The Explorer and Explorer II were developed specifically for explorers who would navigate rough terrain - such as the world famous Everest Expeditions.
On the more glamorous side, Ian Fleming's James Bond character wore a Rolex Oyster Perpetual in the series of spy novels. In the early EON production Bond films, Commander Bond wore a Rolex Submariner. However, for the Bond films starring Pierce Brosnan and the film with Daniel Craig, James Bond's standard issue watch is a Omega Seamaster. This is due in part to Omega being open to jointly promote their association with the films' producers.
In a famous murder case, the Rolex watch that the victim wore on his wrist eventually led to the arrest of his murderer. When a body was found in the English channel in 1996 by a fisherman who caught the body, and the 4.5 kilogram anchor attached to it through the victim's belt, in his net about 10 kilometers from the English coast, a Rolex wristwatch was the only identifiable object on the body. Since the Rolex movement had a serial number and was engraved with special markings every time it was serviced, British police traced the service records from Rolex, and Ronald Joseph Platt was identified as the owner of the watch and the victim of the murder. In addition British police were able to determine the date of death by examining the date on the watch calendar and since the Rolex movement had a reserve of two to three days of operation when inactive and it was fully waterproof, they were able to determine the time of death within a small margin of error.

Rolex Watch models

Rolex SA has three watch lines: Oyster Perpetual, Professional and Cellini. Among modern Rolex Oyster watch models are the:
o Air-King
o Date
o Milgauss
o Datejust
o GMT Master II
o Explorer
o Explorer II
o Submariner
o Sea-Dweller
o Daytona Cosmograph
o Day-Date
o Oyster Perpetual
o Yacht-Master
o Yacht-Master II
o President

The stainless steel Rolex Daytona has become one of the most sought after watches of all time. Dealer waiting lists can run from three to seven years and there are reports of collectors paying up to $15,000 for the privilege of owning this exclusive watch, though it is not uncommon for jewellers to rake up the profits themselves by buying the watches and selling it on, hence it is rumored that Rolex has dropped the infamous waiting list.
The primary bracelets for the Rolex Oyster line are named Jubilee, Oyster and the President. Rolex "dressy" watches are from their Cellini line. The third brand in the Rolex family is the less expensive, but high quality, Tudor brand. It was established by Rolex founder, Hans Wilsdorf, in 1946. While still sold in Europe and the Far East, the Tudor line was discontinued in the United States as of 2004.
Rolex is the largest manufacturer of Swiss made certified chronometers. In 2005 more than half the annual production of COSC certified watches were Rolex.

Rolex counterfeits

Like many high-priced, brand-name watches, Rolex watches are one of the most counterfeited brands of watches available and can be found illegally being sold on the street and the internet. These fake Rolex watches are mainly produced in Asian countries such as India and mainland China (EU figures show that 54% of fakes seized in 2004 originated in China), and retail anywhere from $5 upwards to $1000 for high-end Rolex replica watches fabricated in gold. By some accounts, over 75% of all replica watches produced annually are copies of Rolex Oyster Perpetual designs. These fake watches have been nicknamed "Folex" or "Fauxlex", or "Trolex" in Spain (trola means fake in Spanish).

Watch Source Guide is a comprehensive source of information about watches for enthusiasts, or for anyone planning to purchase a watch and wants to make an informed decision. Includes sections on watch functioning, maintenance, articles and more. More information on this and other related topics can be found at http://www.watchsourceguide.com

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Whatever Happened to Winding?

Depending on your age, you may or may not remember seeing your father wind his watch each night before going to bed. If he did not, he would surely wake to a watch that had stopped. Those days became history with the advent of the automatic watch. What makes it automatic? It still has the same basic mechanism to keep the watch working, but how that mechanism is powered changed the way we cared for our watches.

All mechanical watches work in a similar manner. They require a movement of a series of gears to "tick" of increments of time, which in turn registers as movements of the hands on the face of the watch. A rotor in the watch sits on a staff in the middle of the watch's movement. It rotates in a circular motion and winds the mainspring which is the source of power in mechanical watches. With an automatic watch the winding of this spiral spring is done automatically with any arm or wrist movement.

Self-winding, automatic watches work great for people who wear the watch each day, but if you do not wear the watch frequently, it needs manual winding about twice a week. Even automatic watches will stay working better if they are wound manually about once every two weeks because this helps keep the watch lubricated. It is a misconception that automatic watches never need any winding, since it all depends on the movement of the arm to keep it functioning well.

A power reserve lets the movement of your watch keep time for anywhere between 10 and 72 hours. There is something called a power reserve, and the bigger the reserve, the longer your automatic watch will keep running without further movement or manual winding.

Rolex was the first watch manufacturer to devise and patent the rotor system that is still used today. They called it the Perpetual and it was part of the popular Oyster line created in the early 1930s. Emile Borer was the Rolex technician who came up with the system, but he was not the first to develop a rotor. That distinction goes to Swiss watchmaker, Abraham-Louis Perrelet as long ago as 1770. This was quite the invention because it wouldn't be until much later in time that wrist watches were worn and there just wasn't enough physical movement with a pocket watch to make it a feasible way to move the rotor and wind the mainspring.

Automatic watches differ from quartz watches which are powered by batteries and not by either a manual or automatic winding system. Powered by a battery, the quartz crystal inside a quartz watch vibrates nearly 33,000 times per. Watch batteries last about two years, where automatic watches have a never ending source of power: movement or motion.

Quartz watches account for most moderately priced watch sales today, but connoisseurs of watches still like the prestige and elegance of a finely crafted mechanical watch. Automatics have started to regain some of the quartz market in recent years accounting for huge increases (95%) in sales between 1993 and 1995.

Lubrication is essential to keeping an automatic watch running well. Watches can be lubricated by manually winding the watch periodically and taking it in to a jeweler once about every 3 to 5 years. When winding an automatic watch, just wind it about 30 to 40 times or until you feel some resistance. Keeping the watch is a watch winding box is also a good way to keep the watch lubricated.

Automatic watches are also quite affordable. They actually come in every price range. Some economical brands include Invicta watch and Orient watch, and then the price can reach into the very expensive range depending on the embellishments or the prestige of a specific brand.

By Zai Zhu

Zai Zhu is a watch collector and a watch dealer. Shop over 3500 fine watches including Citizen watches, Invicta watches, Orient watches, Movado watches, Luminox watches and many automatic watches. Read reviews and watch articles.

The first watches did not wind automatically. They did not light up with digital numbers, nor did they tell the date or have alarms that could be set. These completely mechanical watches didn't need batteries either, but they did need to be "powered" somehow. In order to keep on going, a mechanical watch needs to be wound regularly -- usually once per day. So why would people today opt for a mechanical watch in this age of inexpensive quartz and digital watches? It's all about aesthetics and an appreciation for the art of watch making.

What Makes a Watch Mechanical?

For a watch to be completely mechanical it must not only run by means of a wound spring and set of gears, but these must be powered by mechanical means. This is different from a quartz watch which also ticks off time by the movement of gears, but keeps those gears moving through the energy of a quartz crystal. With a mechanical watch the energy to move the gears is powered by the winding of the mainspring. When the spring is fully wound on a typical mechanical watch the watch will keep accurate time for about 40 hours. There are more complex mechanical watches that can keep time for much longer with a full wind of the mainspring. Automatic watches are also considered mechanical watches, but the movement of the wearer's wrist is able to activate the winding, hence the name automatic watches.
The same basic design of a mechanical watch is not all that different today than it was half a century ago. The intricate workings of a mechanical watch involves more than a dozen types of screws and about 40 more wheels, springs, plates, balances, and jewels -- and that doesn't even include the case, face or strap! All of these tiny parts go into making the precise movement of a mechanical watch. However, at the heart of the finer watch movement are the jewels.
The Hidden Jewels in Every Mechanical Watch
The jewels are named as such because they are literally jewels -- specifically rubies. Genuine rubies were once used because they are made of crystallized aluminum oxide. This is a very hard material with a smooth, slippery surface that allows the wheel pivots to move in a consistent, constant manner as powered by a wound mainspring. This also keeps the steel wheel pivots from wearing down from the friction of the movement. Today, synthetic rubies are used in numbers ranging from 5 to 35 jewels depending on the complexity of the movement. At one time, manufacturers believed more jewels were better, but have settled in with about 4-8 jewels being the most efficient way to power the mainspring.

How All of the Components Work Together

If you were to open the back of a mechanical watch you would see the ticking off of the mainspring. This is wound using the stem winder that sticks out from the watch's encasement, also know as the crown. The first mechanical watches used an oscillating balance wheel and spring as the time base. This was then replaced with a tuning fork that acts as the resonator to move the gears at the appropriate rate. These in turn move the hands on the face of the watch at right increments.
Caring For Your Mechanical Watch
A finely crafted mechanical watch can last a lifetime and even be the type of heirloom that gets passed from one generation to the next. In order to keep your mechanical watch functioning well it is important to take it to a watchmaker every 3 to 5 years to have it lubricated and cleaned of dust and debris. You want to keep a mechanical watch completely dry. When you take it in for its routine service, be sure to have the case checked for any cracks where water might get in. Water can be especially damaging to the steel parts of the watch including the escape wheel and anchor escapement.
A mechanical watch never needs batteries and a good one can keep time accurately to within 2-3 seconds per day (not as accurate as a cheaper quartz watch which is accurate to 0.5 seconds per day). Mechanical watches are typically purchased because of their appearance and the timeless craftsmanship that goes into them. Most people today have several types of watches in their wardrobe of accessories, so adding a mechanical watch is one way to balance yours out with a truly classic style.

By Zai G Zhu  
 

Zai Zhu is a watch collector and a watch dealer. http://www.discountwatchstore.com to shop over 1000 styles of watches including many Citizen watches, Invicta watches, Orient watches, Luminox watches, and many more, as well as to learn about watches.

The watch has made many transformations through the years. There have been many modifications and technological advancements that have made it possible to wear them on your wrist and tell the time with a push of a button! Unlike the watches made many centuries ago, the watches of today offer cutting edge technology and modern day convenience features. The watch is steeped in history and has seen us through World Wars and Nuclear Warfare. At the end of time, there's no doubt that we'll use a watch to make note of the date/time.

To truly understand the evolution of the watch, we must take a journey into the past. The first timekeeping device was actually a pocket watch. Though, back in the day, they were worn around the neck. I guess we know the occupation of Flava Flav's early ancestors!

After the railroad began using the pocket watch, the watch industry grew by leaps and bounds! With the invention of the wristwatch, watches became increasingly popular among professionals and everyday folk. The LED digital watch and the Pilot's watch have taken the watch designs and functions to a whole new level. To date, there are many watchmakers vying for your business! Your best bet is to shop online and view the many different styles, models and prices before you purchase another watch.

The pocket watch is the oldest form of watch in production. In the beginning, they were completely customized pieces of jewelry that were mainly owned by royalty or the rich. Encrusted with jewels and made of the finest quality materials, the early pocket watches were not easily affordable. Eventually made into smaller versions and worn around the neck, the pocket watch was still mostly considered a fashion accessory. That was until the development of the railroad. Using the pocket watch as a means to schedule train departures and arrivals, the pocket watch became a time telling necessity. Unfortunately, though, the early pocket watch models did not accurately tell time; they "lost" time as the day progressed, making it impossible to synchronize times among a group of people.
Following a train collision, it was deemed that the pocket watch needed to undergo a technological improvement to tell time more accurately.

The revised technology made it possible to begin making the pocket watch smaller and smaller, until it eventually began to be worn on the wrist. The wristwatch began to see a dramatic burst of production during wartimes. The military saw a use for a watch that could be easily read while performing duties. The chronograph wristwatches with luminous hands were in high demand! Today, there are a multitude of watch manufacturers that specialize in wristwatch production. There are watches sporting beautiful jewels and watches that are mostly geared toward function. Some are battery operated, while others operate from the power of the sun! There are watches that will fit into any price range, too. Shopping online will allow you to view and compare many wristwatches so that you can pick the one that is most perfect for your wants and needs!

The LED Digital wrist watch came about in the late 1960's and early 1970's. These watches were very unique in that they require no moving parts to tell the time of day! Passing an electrical charge through inorganic materials creates the LED digital technology. In other words, you simply press a button and the watch lights up with the dime/date! The Americans and the Japanese have been the forerunners in the development of the LED digital watch. Early models were expensive, but are inexpensive to date. They are the best watches to learn how to tell time by!

The Aviation Watch (Pilot Watch) is a very functional timepiece. These watches actually help to maintain flight plans, perform pre-flight planning and navigate flights, so they are extremely important for pilots! Used primarily by the military and aircrew, the Aviation style watches are also popular among avid outdoorsmen and athletes. Today, the aviation world has seen a great improvement in a plane's instrumentation panel, so the Aviation watch isn't quite as important, but they are very useful to have just in case you need a back up!

All watches are analog or digital in nature, some are even both! Men, women and children will be able to find a wrist watch that is just perfect for their needs/desires. Shopping on the Internet, you'll find many merchants that sell watches. There are places to find some really great discounted selections, too! When it comes to watches, there are many factors you should consider before you purchase, including: functions needed, size, style and price. Once you have your choices narrowed down, shopping online is the quickest and most convenient way to go. Whether you are an avid watch collector or you are purchasing a time teaching model, remember that your choices have been made possible thanks to the many talented designers and engineers through the years!

By Chris Vorelli

 

Chris Vorelli is a successful freelance writer, providing useful articles and info on where to buy discount watches, replacement bands & more. Learn about all types of ladies and men's watches, from Seiko, Fossil watches, Rolex watches & more.

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