Reasons to buy a fine watch

It's practical.   Watches today not only tell time, but they can tell you the day, date and time in other time zones, remind you of an appointment, wake you up and monitor your heartbeat.

It's fashionable.   Watch styles reflect and define the times, from sports chronographs to ultra-thin dress styles. They're an important accessory.

It's prestigious.   Some watches carry the grace and tradition of names recognized around the world as signifying the highest elegance in jewelry and timepieces.

It's artistic.   Fine watches are designed by artisans and craftspeople who fashion case, bracelet, dial and sometimes gems into not just a functional timepiece, but a work of art.

It's a potential heirloom.   Your watch can be an investment in beauty and value. Certain gold and diamond watches, over time, even increase in value. Witness the prices some prestige timepieces fetch at famous auction houses. And, it is a lovely remembrance of a loved one.

It's priced to fit your pocketbook.   Whatever your price range, whatever your need, there's a watch for you. If you enjoy changing your watch to fit your activity, fashionable less-expensive yet highly accurate watches are available from your jeweler in a variety of styles and price ranges.

If you can afford the most extravagantly designed, precious metal watch encrusted with gemstones, your jeweler can offer you a wide selection to choose from.

Types of watches

MECHANICALS are the traditional "wind-up" watches. They work because of a mainspring inside the watch which the wearer winds by turning the crown on the side of the watch. The spring gradually unwinds and turns tiny interlocking wheels which move the watch hands to measure seconds, minutes and hours.

AUTOMATIC or SELF-WINDING watches wind themselves as the wearer moves their wrist. The wearer's arm actions cause a weight behind the movement to rotate, winding the mainspring. They can also be wound manually.

QUARTZ watches are powered by batteries rather than a mechanical spring. The batteries send electronic impulses through a small bar of synthetic quartz crystal, causing it to vibrate more than 32,000 times per second. These vibrations are channeled through a series of gears, creating one pulse per second. This constant vibrations enables the watch to measure a second with unprecedented accuracy, unlike mechanical watches where the moving parts create friction as they interact, lessening their accuracy. A quartz watch should function properly for years on a single battery.

ANALOG or DIGITAL refer to the way in which the time is displayed on the watch dial. An analog watch has traditional time-telling "hands." Quartz analogs watches are powered by electronic impulses passing from the watch battery through a quartz crystal to the step motor that moves the hands. Digital watches have screens that display the time with numerals rather than hands. The numerals are created by either light-emitting diodes (LED) or liquid crystal displays (LCD).

SPECIAL FEATURE watches perform a variety of tasks. Besides telling the hours, minutes and seconds, many watches reveal the month, day and year. Some also give the phases of the moon or the time in other countries or time zones.

CHRONOGRAPH watches measure small fractions of a second. Some are used to calculate speeds, distances and altitudes. There are specialized watches for astronauts, pilots, parachutists and skin divers-even timepieces that meet the special needs of blind persons. Also, most fine watches today are specially made to resist water, dust, wind, shock and magnetic fields.

Price & style

Watch prices range from around $20 to more than $10,000.

The most expensive watches are those made with precious metals such as gold or platinum and decorated with precious gemstones. They also require the labor of skilled craftspeople. Some of the finest watches are handmade by master watchmakers who have spent a lifetime developing their craft.

Selecting a watch, like selecting any piece of jewelry, should be based on personal taste. Today's watches are not only timekeepers, but are considered important fashion accessories. Men and women make a definite fashion statement by the watch they choose - sporty, dressy, youthful, tailored or sophisticated.

People today are replacing their old-fashioned watch with a complete wardrobe of watches to suit their lifestyles. For sport or leisure, a person may want to wear a chronograph. For business use, a more tailored-looking watch with a leather strap and neutral color dial is sometimes desired. For evening and dress wear, the sky is the limit for decorative and elegant watches. Gold or platinum bracelets with or without precious gemstone accents - for men and women - provide an excellent way to show off your fashion panache. To achieve the expensive luxury look without the expense, watches of gold overlay are also available.

Take the time to show you care

• Wind a mechanical watch in a clockwise direction, preferably about the same time each day. Take it off your wrist so as not to place undue pressure on the stem.
  
  
• Although many watches are equipped with shock-resistant devices, it's not wise to subject it to overly vigorous treatment.
  
  
• Replace broken or scratched crystals immediately: even a hairline crack can let dust or moisture into the mechanism, threatening its accuracy.
  
  
• Unless the degree of water-resistance was clearly specified when you bought your watch, don't risk wearing it into the shower or pool, or on a moist wrist.
  
  
• No matter how handy you are, don't attempt any "do-it-yourself" watch repairs. Only an expert watchmaker should be trusted to put your watch back into working condition if there is a problem.
  
  
• It's best to replace a battery in a quartz watch before it runs out. Dead batteries left in the watch can leak or corrode and ruin it. Also, don't attempt to change the battery in a watch yourself. Take it to a specially trained jeweler or manufacturer's authorized watchmaker or watch repair person. (Batteries can run for one to five years, depending on the watch.)

As time goes by

From the beginning of recorded history, it has been important for man to know the age-old question, "What time is it?" Although we know the sun rises and sets on a regular schedule, increments of time in between have come to dictate to us our daily individual lifestyles.

Cavemen used a pointed stick and a circle of stones to make the first crude sundial. Generations followed with equally rudimentary devices which gradually became more intricate: knotted ropes, hour glasses, water clocks, notched candles, candle clocks and clock lamps.

Finally, mechanical clocks driven by wheels and weights made their debut during the Middle Ages. These were made more accurate when Galileo discovered the pendulum principle. Locksmith Peter Henlein then invented the coiled mainspring around 1500 and used it in the first portable clocks.

In 1571, Queen Elizabeth I was presented with the first known wristwatch: unfortunately, like most watches of that day, it kept atrocious time. Eighteenth and Nineteenth century craftsmen made the watch a work of art while improving its efficiency. Today, modern technology has brought the watch to a peak of accuracy and beauty, and has invented some totally new ways to mark the passage of time.

Where to buy your watch

Now that you are ready to buy, the question that comes to mind is where? To make sure that you buy gold jewelry you will be happy with for years to come, follow this simple rule: buy from a professional you can trust. Someone who has been serving the community for a number of years and has an established reputation.

Argenti Designer Jewelers is a member of Jewelers of America, the national association for retail jewelers. This is your guarantee that Argenti Designer Jewelers are knowledgeable, with a wide selection that will make putting your gold jewelry wardrobe together easy and fun. They will not only help you with this purchase but they will be there in the future to answer all your questions and help you with your purchases, repairs, and custom design.