The best men's watch: mechanics or quartz?

How many controversies go on the topic of how to choose the best men's watch nowadays. Should you choose a watch with a practical calculation or trust your intuition and taste, relying on design and fashion trends? Is there a fundamental difference between an inexpensive men's watch, say, $ 100 and $ 10,000, if produced by the same company? There are many questions in this seemingly familiar subject for us – men's watches. Read about all this and much more in a series of 2 articles on our website.

This is my time, this is my lifestyle.

The present time is a transitional step between the 'past' and the 'future', and by saying these two words, I mean not only the digital designation of the year, but also the nature of the changes taking place with humanity. With each new day, people are confidently moving along the path of technology development, inventing more and more new devices, focusing on their multifunctionality. The past, in this context, looks like the time of things with a narrow specialization, while the future is the time of total computerization and the introduction of high technologies into all aspects of human life. Today, on the verge of these two eras, we continue to use old devices such as home phones, television, paper media and much more, while willingly letting their more advanced counterparts into our lives: mobile phones, the Internet and, for example, eBooks. The first is still in use, but the second is confidently outlived; this is a constant feature of development and transition to a new level of technology. This kind of transition from the 'past' to the 'future', for the most part, proceeds very smoothly, remaining invisible to the layman, but if you look back, the changes become much more noticeable.

Past, present and future – our time

The funny fact is that if you combine 'past', 'present' and 'future', we get time. Let's add the word 'technology' to it, and we get the designation of devices recognized to display the passage of time. In other words, a watch. Today, a clock is present on every second more or less modern thing: on a microwave oven, on a refrigerator, in the corner of your television screen, on the bottom of your computer desktop and, of course, on any mobile device. Each of these things was originally intended for different purposes, but for greater versatility (or for a number of technical features) it has a time indicator. This is exactly what I said earlier. What about a watch, you ask? Due to their narrow specialization, they leave everyday life, slowly being replaced by analogs. One may disagree with this, but the fact remains. Today wristwatches are used by a much smaller number of people than before, and in order to keep up with the times and stay afloat, modern watch models acquire a number of functions related to mobile phones, terrain orientation and others. Despite this, they are turning from a daily necessity into a wardrobe item designed to complement a suit or demonstrate your lifestyle and income level, because it will be much more presentable to look at the dial of a Swiss movement than on a phone screen. It is for this reason that a modern person, choosing a wristwatch, most often focuses not on practicality and functionality, but on appearance and cost, however, this wardrobe element should not only look good on the hand, but also function properly.

So we come to the main dilemma that accompanies everyone who has ever entered a watch store or looked at catalogs of online stores. What are the best men's watches? Is it worth spending more than $ 100 on a watch? What to be guided by when choosing? We will understand each of these issues in this article.

Omitting a number of specific features, wristwatches can be divided into two types: mechanical and quartz. What is their difference?

Mechanical men's watch

A mechanical watch is a complex device that does not work from a third-party power source, but from the movement of a spiral spring, the inertia of twisting and unwinding of which drives the hands on the dial. There are two types of mechanical watches, classified according to the method of 'charging' the spring: manual winding and self-winding. The former have less weight and size. Every day they need to be wound up, which is done by scrolling the crown (head). The latter, due to the peculiarities of the mechanism, are heavier and have a much more massive body. Such watches do not require regular winding, as they wind up automatically from the movement of the pendulum every time your hand moves. If you remove such a watch and leave it motionless for a long time, it will stop, but you just need to shake it to make the mechanism work again.

Mechanical men's watch

When choosing between manual and automatic winding, it is worth operating with your preferred case thickness. In addition, it is worth paying attention to whether you are ready to twist the crown every day, which in some cases, from the point of view of psychology, can become a calming everyday ritual, or whether automation of this process is more important for you. Both types, despite the differences, share one important detail. They require care and careful maintenance.

The advantages of mechanical watches

The advantages of mechanics include, firstly, their presentability and old-fashioned design, which will appeal to all fans of retro. The flip side of the coin, apart from its cheap counterparts, is that a good mechanical watch is expensive. Secondly, they do not require battery replacement. This fact means not only savings on the services of watchmakers, but also on the tightness of the case, which will remain throughout the entire service life in its factory state. High-class watch workshops are not present everywhere, you must agree, and trusting an expensive wardrobe item to amateurs is a rather dubious pleasure.

Disadvantages of mechanical watches

As for the cons? I want to upset all mechanics lovers, but everything is not as rosy as it might seem. Firstly, it is less accurate in comparison with quartz movements. The average mechanical watch, due to the characteristics of the device, lags behind by 15 – 45 seconds per day. Of course, there are samples in which this defect is reduced to 4 – 5 seconds, but the price of such models will grow in direct proportion to the decrease in the lag. Secondly, it is the sensitivity of the mechanism to damage, wear of parts and temperature. Each of these factors can increase the lag or cause the watch to stop. Thirdly, it is a high price. Finding a more or less cheap mechanical watch model do not rush to rejoice. Cheap mechanics will not last long and will quickly fail, since the internal structure of such a watch does not in itself imply the use of low quality materials or hack during assembly.

Quartz men's watch

Let's move on to quartz. What it is? Quartz watches differ from their mechanical counterparts mainly in that they require a power source (button-type battery) to operate. The average duration of operation on one battery (taking into account the quality of the manufacturer of this cell) is three years. In individual cases, this figure may change. There are watch models that require not one battery, but several (both the same and different markings), and additional features of the clock mechanism, such as an alarm clock, a stopwatch, and the like, affect the battery life.

Quartz men's watch

As an example, we can take two classic patterns that are most widespread in the world. The watch, which does not have any functional extensions, runs either on a battery labeled 377 or 364. A watch with an additional function of showing the day of the week and date, as a rule, runs on a battery labeled 370.

Types of quartz watches

There are several types of quartz watches. Let's take a quick look at each of them.

• Digital Watch. They differ from their usual counterparts only in that they display the time on an electronic display. In addition to the differences in the device, it is worth noting that the range of additional electronics functions is much higher. A standard kit for an electronic watch includes a stopwatch, backlight, day of the week and date.
• Clock with combined time indication. Such watches combine electronic and analog mechanisms, possessing both a display and hands. In cheap versions, they are a standard analog clock mechanism and a separate mechanism for the electronic component, each of which requires its own battery. In more advanced models, both of these components are 'soldered' into one piece. Distinguishing one from the other is easy. In the first case, there will be a time conversion crown, as on an analog clock. In the second, she will be absent. The key feature of the latter option is the much more complex setup procedure.

In addition, there are watches with built-in solar batteries, a battery charge indication system, but we will not dwell on them.

The advantages of a quartz watch

First, it is their reliability. Quartz is less susceptible to external influences than its mechanical counterpart. Secondly, there is a much greater accuracy of the course, which can only change by a couple of seconds per month. Thirdly, incomparably lower cost and wider choice of case and bracelet / strap designs.

Disadvantages of Quartz Watches

The disadvantages include the need for periodic replacement of the battery. If there is no authorized service center in your city, you will have to contact a third-party workshop. In this case, the owner of the watch needs to be careful, because many watch shops are accustomed to installing cheap batteries at a high cost, and sometimes even pretending that the whole mechanism is faulty (in order to increase the cost of work). If it so happens that you have visited a watchmaker to replace the battery, be sure to ask what company the battery will be. It is unacceptable to use such firms as Trophy, Chameleon, as well as cheap analogs similar to them. The clock will not work on them for long and, roughly speaking, it doesn't matter. It is also worth asking if the watch will retain its previous tightness after opening. It is for this reason that you should not change the battery yourself. Not only will the tightness be broken, you can also accidentally damage the glass, scratch the back cover, or even unwittingly cause the mechanism to malfunction, and in fact quartz watches have less maintainability than mechanical ones.

How to recognize a clock mechanism

Can't recognize what's in front of you? It is very easy to distinguish a mechanical watch from a quartz watch, just put your ear to the case or look at the movement of the second hand. In mechanics, it runs smoothly and is accompanied by frequent ticking. In quartz, on the contrary, the hand moves in steps, and the accompanying ticking sounds at small intervals.

How to recognize a clock mechanism

Rules for choosing an analog clock

When choosing an analog clock, you should operate exclusively with your own taste preferences, but there are a few general rules that you should adhere to.

1. If possible, do not buy watches in online stores and do not get fooled by beautiful banner ads. Most often, models with beautiful pictures turn out to be of unacceptable quality or may be subject to critical shocks during transportation. If you nevertheless decide to order a watch on the Internet, then make sure that this product is certified, and also read the reviews about the manufacturer.
2. When choosing a watch in a watch store, pay attention to the course of the hands when translating time. With good models, they will go a little tight, and not dangle back and forth. This sign speaks not only of the quality of the mechanism and assembly, but also allows you to set the time especially accurately.
3. Try to choose those models that have a bump on the sides of the crown. This attribute will protect the head from being pulled out and damaged.
4. Pay attention to the material the glass is made of. In cheap samples, it is made of plastic. It is considered the most unprofitable option and is intended only to protect the dial from dirt and dust. The average option is mineral glass. This type of protection of the dial has a good indicator of durability and has a democratic price. In the most expensive and high-quality models, sapphire is used, as a rule (mandatory marking Sapphire glass). It has the highest strength index. Only a diamond can leave scratches on such glass.
5. If you are not sure about the manufacturer and for some reason cannot read reviews about it on the Internet, but want to check the accuracy of the watches you liked in the store, do the following. Ask to show you the model you like, set the exact time on it, and then offer to postpone this clock for a couple of days, if possible. Arriving after the indicated time, evaluate the accuracy in their work.
6. Don't buy a stopped watch. If you have chosen a certain model, and it turned out to be non-functional, refrain from buying and choose something else. Even if the battery could just run out there, it's better to play it safe.
7. Also, you should know that replacing the battery is not included in the watch's warranty service. In addition, if the watch stops shortly after the purchase, you should not sound the alarm. This model could be in a shop window or warehouse for a long time, which led to the discharge of the battery.
8. When buying a watch, ask the seller to fit the bracelet to your wrist. This service is usually free of charge. The best option is when the index finger fits between the clasp of the bracelet and the wrist.
9. Choose a watch based on what you will do in it. You should not buy a strict mechanical watch for sports, because they are quite sensitive to damage. Also pay attention to the degree of water resistance.

Finally

We figured out the difference between watch mechanisms, considered their advantages and disadvantages, and also familiarized ourselves with a number of simple rules that will help you choose the watch model that will serve you as long as possible. In the next part of the article, we will analyze the most popular watch companies in the middle price category, and also talk about how to take care of your watch.