Watches - Types

An informal passing of History through the sands of Time…

Primitive Watches prior to 1600, included, the sundial as first mentioned in ancient records as of 742B.C. although, more than likely it had been in use before then, as a measure of keeping a watch on time. In A.D. 330, Sand glasses or hourglasses were used for keeping a watch on time. The first escapement, which is a gear train, empowered by springs and weights, to provide the moving energy, which controls the swinging motion of a pendulum, was mechanized in 1000. A locksmith of Nurenberg, Peter Henlein invented the Mainspring in 1500, and in 1511, he invented the first portable clock, as well as creating the first pocket watch. The properties of the pendulum were realized by Galileo in 1581, and then eighty years later Christiaan Huygens embraced Galileo’s working concept and began applying the pendulum method into clocks for the measurement time. From 1600 into 1675 holds the honor of The Age of Decorations, when watches began to be birthed as a jewelry pieces. In Paris, Breguet invented the hairspring mechanism in 1780. The 1900’s dawns the horizon with the first wristwatches.

Watches have become more that the measuring of time, watches have found their own special place in making statements of fashion and taste. Watches come in several types, colors and choice of embellishments, to accommodate your daily needs and accentuate your fashion sense.

Mechanical watches function by the means of a spring called the mainspring. Mechanical watches often necessitate the expenditure of more skill and time being delicately assembled, than do quartz watches, which affects their value so they are priced a bit more. Mechanical watches are manually wound, or mechanical watches can be automatic mechanical watches, meaning the watch employs a rotor swing, which perform in response to motion, thereby winding the mainspring running the watch, which stores energy and rations the energy to the gears, which makes its way to the hands of the watch. The innermost part of a mechanical watch is comparable to a mini engine.

Electronic crystal watches employ electrical impulses, which are received by way of a stepping motor that then, directs the electrical energy into the mechanical energy required to revolve the gear train. The gear train causes a rotary motion in the motion work, which essentially repositions the hands on the watch dial.

Quartz crystal watches are powered by a small battery, with the quartz crystal vibrating regularly from the power supplied by the battery, thereby stimulating the keeping of time. Quartz crystal watches are exceedingly accurate, due to their high frequency of the crystal ebb and flow.

Watches come with a nice choice of case shapes, which is the frame of the watch face, and can be found as round rectangular, square, and even a combination of the those watch case shapes, such as initials and patterned shapes. The watch case finish may be embellished with jewels, as well as a choice of matte, patterned, or shiny polished finishes, in a wonderful array of colors.

Until the invention of a true time traveling machine which is open for the public’s use, we will have to settle with the idea that time is a one directional current of energy, which has a no return policy, past and gone forever. A watch is fine devices to have while watching your time go by.