Ah, the elegant chronometer. It’s true that a watch is really only meant to tell time, and that in today’s world of cheap smartphones, they do seem somewhat overrated to the practical type. However, there’s so much more to a chronometer than simply its minute and hour hands.
It’s been around for centuries, first as the pocket version, a little miniature clock carried by Swiss inventors, and then as the modern wrist-worn version, when soldiers in the early 20th century needed a way to tell time while keeping both hands on their weaponry.
Today, the chronometer is the prime accessory of elegance on the modern man. More so than a woman’s pair of earrings or a necklace, the chronometer is a symbol for what brand of man you espouse yourself to be. After all, its simplicity or ruggedness exudes a representative image of you, and how you choose to appear to the world. In this case, it tells so much more than just time.
However, you cannot just head off and buy any old product by eyeballing it. You could try, anwad chances are you’d be rather happy with your purchase. However, with just a little bit of research, you could save yourself quite a bit of money and learn a thing or two about the chronology of the chronometer. At the same time, you’ll have a better eye and idea for spotting fakes. There’s so much more to all this than what meets the eye. That’s why knowing a little bit more about them can go a long way to helping you find the right one for you and your wrist.
Terminology to Watch Out For
Some watches advertise themselves as chronometers. Others claim very boldly that they’re chronographs. A chronometer is simply a clock. Yet, to call itself a chronometer, it needs to be distinguished and tested by the Swiss Official Chronometer Control, which is the world’s foremost authority on the quality of a proud product, according to AskMen.
A chronograph, on the other hand, doesn’t need to be sent in to Switzerland. Instead, it’s got stopwatch functionality, hence the usage of the term “graph.”
The fun doesn’t stop there. Watches are made up of several moving and unmoving parts, some of which you already know about. There’s the minute hand, the second hand, and the hour hand, but there’s also the crown and bezel, and the difference between a quartz and an automatic mechanism. To keep things simple, here are a couple of terms you should be aware of as a buyer:
Bezel: Used to tell increments of time. It’s the movable ring above your crystal, and is often used by divers to keep time on how long they have before their air runs out.
Crown: The adjusting knob on the outside of your case, used to adjust time and/or date, depending on its mechanism.
Movement: This is an important term, because it determines the mechanism by which the machine is powered. Common examples are the Quartz Movement, Automatic Movement and Manual Movement.
Automatic Movement: Automatic mechanisms utilize a pendulum that keeps it running as long as the entire mechanism is moved, typically via force (i.e. the user walking around). These still need to be wound every so often.
Quartz Movement: More accurate than most mechanical movements, these use a quartz crystal oscillation to tell time. Quartz is piezoelectric, meaning that it generates a current when pressured physically.
Manual Movement: The original way to run a clock mechanism, a manual wind requires the user to turn the crown of a watch every one to two days to keep the whole thing running.
Which Would We Wear?
There are hundreds of other terms to learn about, but these are the most basic to consider when buying one, especially online. There are plenty of watches for men on sale on sites like DailySale, but asking the right questions is the key to finding the one for you. Does it come with a moveable bezel? Is it simple, or a complication? What kind of movement does it have?
Divers need more expensive and specialized devices than, say, the average layman. The same goes for a pilot or a soldier. However, when you’re in the market for a pure fashion item, your biggest concern should be price versus elegance.
You don’t want a hassle on your wrist, but you do want quality. However, while Rolex is the world’s most successful watch company, as per Statista, that doesn’t mean their quality goes unmatched on the market. That’s why you should compare specs, not just prices.
Quartz devices are popular because they often don’t have to be wound, but analog is much more charming than a digital build. The color scheme and flashiness of the face makes the difference. Ultimately, it’s a matter of what best fits your hair color, skin type, eye color, and usual clothing choice.
