Having read an interesting article on the BBC about wristwatches I was prompted to give me opinion. Firstly according to a survey done by a group known as Mintel, one in seven people said that they do not need a wristwatch. This proportion of people doubled in the age category of 15 to 24 year olds. Why? I heard you cry out. It is because with the growing teen culture and even young boys dropping out of schools wearing a mobile phone cellular or laptop computer with internet connection there is no longer the need for a dress watch. Instead kids and young adults are using these devices to keep up with their folders, e- mail, updates on religiously or favorite TV shows and so on. With this change in time preference it also changes the way a wrist watch is viewed. Everyone wants to own a watch that suits their lifestyle. And so a lot of manufacturers and watch dealers have committed to making stylish and fashionable watches.
A teenager who is well travelled and lively is bound to tell you how useful a watch can be. Imagine the time taken to get from one place to another, well not necessarily. But it is important to know the current time and knowing the time quickly is important in travelling. As for teenagers what is important is that it looks cool, funky and it speaks the native language well enough to help memorable evenings or visiting friends. Another group of people are people who are in management class, who keep up with people in the higher strata of the society. So a lot of watches are bought by people in this category.
Amongst the category of people who are very concerned about the worth of a watch, the middle aged group always turns to buying a mechanical watch. Although there are some high end mechanical watches available, the vast majority of people will agree that there is nothing to beat the experience of a mechanical watch. A watch can be subjected to all kinds of conditions and thigh, head and leg rests are a good place to search for a high end watch. Another category of people who are very much concerned with the worth of a watch are the people who are into sports. Watches which are chronograph watches are popular amongst this class of people. To understand the importance of a chronograph watch it is important to understand the difference between a standard chronograph watch and a chronograph watch variation.
If you want to understand the difference between a standard watch and a chronograph watch well, the easiest way is to understand why they are called chronographs. A standard watch consists of an mainspring which functions with the motions of the wearer’s arm. As the wrist moves forward the mainspring unwinds and this allows the watch to run for a set period without having to be wound. The chronograph watch, however, is designed so that the mainspring is designed to move with the wrist as it is observed by the stem. In effect it is like the watch is running on itself. The stem contains a small screw on the top of the case and this is the chronograph part. Another type of chronograph watch has a crystal in the middle of the case surrounding by a number of components including the mainspring, balance staff, crown and the case back. This allows a chronograph to be designed with a small remoting wiring that is concealed from view.
So Chronographs are a matter of choice, a matter of taste and a matter of being fashionable. Well, I think they are dead even more “cool”. Give me a chunky cable or a bracelet and I’ll show the world, “hey I’m fashionable”.
