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| Learning center |
| How watches work......Glossary of watch terms ......Automatic watch maintenance.....FAQs |
| Sizing your watch . .. .Care&Cleaning....................Buying guide ............................Water resistance and watches |
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| Buying guide |
| Selecting a watch that you will use and enjoy for many years to come can be a fun,easy process, with a little bit of |
| knowledge.If you're not sure which watch to buy and what kind of functions it should have, follow these easy steps. In the |
| end, a watch is a reflection of you and your lifestyle, just like the clothes you wear or the car you drive. |
| The watch that you select should be appropriate for the activities that you intend to use the watch for.If your primary |
| purpose is athletic,you may consider watches that are shockproof.If you will be using the watch for work and play,do you |
| need water resistance and if so,to what degree?If you will be using the watch for swimming and diving,you may want to |
| consider a watch that has a screw-down crown and a plastic strap.The trend in watch buying is certainly in the direction |
| of all steel and other white metals.Also, the 'sporty' look in watches has become more popular than the 'dressy'.Again,the |
| first step is to ask yourself the key functions or attributes that will be needed for the way you will wear the watch. Here |
| are a few things to consider when purchasing a watch: |
| Water resistance |
| A watch marked as water resistant without a depth indication is designed to withstand accidental splashes of water only. |
| do not submerge such a watch.Higher levels of water resistance are indicated by increasingly higher acceptable depths, |
| usually indicated in meters. |
| There are a variety of ways to make a watch water resistant.All such watches use rubber gaskets or "O" rings to seal the |
| case back. A watch with a back that screws onto the case provides a higher degree of water resistance. Some crowns |
| (the "winding stem") actually screw into the case to further increase water resistance. |
| Usage Recommendations |
| The following usage recommendations are suggested by the Seiko Corporation of America. |
| Water-resistant to 30 meters (100 feet).Will withstand splashes of water or rain but should not be worn while swimming |
| or diving. |
| Water-tested to 50 meters (165 feet). Suitable for showering or swimming in shallow water. |
| Water-tested to 100 meters (330 feet). Suitable for swimming and snorkeling. |
| Water-tested to 150 meters (500 feet). Suitable for snorkeling. |
| Water-tested to 200 meters (660 feet). Suitable for skin diving. |
| Diver's 150 meters (500 feet). Meets ISO standards and is suitable for scuba diving. |
| Diver's 200 meters (660 feet). Meets ISO standards and is suitable for scuba diving. |
| Please note that we do not recommend swimming or diving with your watch unless it has a screw-down crown (also known |
| as ‘screw-lock' or ‘screw-in' crown) and is water-resistant to at least 100 meters. |
| Scratch resitance |
| The crystal is the clear covering over the face and hands of the watch.The material used in making the crystal determines |
| its scratch resistance. |
| These types of crystals are generally used in watches: |
| An acrylic plastic crystal is the least scratch-resistant, although shallow scratches can be polished out. |
| A mineral crystal is made up of several mineral elements that are manufactured and treated by heat procedures to create |
| a hardness that helps in resisting scratches. |
| A sapphire crystal is the most durable and scratch-resistant crystal. It's approximately 3 times harder than a mineral |
| crystal and 20 times harder than acrylic plastic crystals. |
| We recommend that, at a minimum, the watch should have a mineral crystal. |
| Automatic and Quartz Movements |
| The movement is the inner workings or assembly of the watch that make up the main timekeeping mechanism.Most |
| watches have either a quartz movement or an automatic movement.The type of movement you choose depends mostly |
| on one's taste. Automatic movements are a tribute to the watchmaker's art and monitor the passage of time by a series of gear mechanisms. |
| Most automatic movements (self-winding) are wound by the movement of the wrist.(No, you don't have to shake it to work! |
| The normal, everyday movement of the watch charges the winding reserve.) When this type of watch is removed from your |
| wrist, the movement winds down in 10 to 72 hours, depending on the size of its winding reserve. Quartz movements are |
| powered by a battery and do not stop working once removed from the wrist. The battery in a quartz watch generally needs |
| to be replaced every 1.5 years. |
| Shock proofing |
| Most watches are sturdy enough to protect against normal everyday wear and tear,including light bumps.If you're going |
| to be engaging in intensive athletic activity, you may want a watch that is also shockproof. G-Shock by Casio makes an |
| extensive line of shockproof watches. They are available here at the watch138.com web site. |
| Strap Materials |
| The choice is really a matter of personal taste. Strap watches may have bands made from a variety of materials,including |
| leathers, exotic skins and synthetics. In general, it's best to avoid fine leathers if you will expose the watch to water or |
| perspiration from physical activity.Rubber straps are a little more durable against water and perspiration. Do keep in mind, |
| that if you do not like a certain strap on a watch,it's relatively inexpensive and easy to replace the band with one of many |
| varieties, textures and colors. WorldofWatches.com carries a variety of strap and bracelet watches in all different price |
| ranges. Just search for 'strap' or 'bracelet' and you'll find many watches to choose from. |
| Case Materials |
| The material your watchcase is made from often determines how durable and expensive the watch is.The most popular |
| metal used in better watches is stainless steel.This metal is very durable,resists rusting and discoloration and is reasonably |
| priced Precious metals may also be used.These include 10k gold,14k gold,18k gold,sterling silver or platinum. |
| Recently,titanium-a very strong but lightweight metal-has become a popular alternative in sports watches.Titanium is |
| stronger, but lighter than stainless steel. |
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