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New Watch styles and trends like the multi-faceted chronograph watches offer ladies and mens' watch wearers alternatives to the classic styling. The sport watch genre has also made wearers take notice with advanced technological features like the oxygen alarm found in Citizen's dive watches. For wearers with impeccable taste, the classic diamond watches or gold watches are always in fashion and virtually every watch manufacturer produces several varieties of watches that never seem to go out of demand.
Brands
Accutron , Bulova , Bulova Clocks , Chase-Durer , Citizen , ESQ Swiss by Movado , Festina , Giantto , Hamilton , Luminox , Mondaine , Movado , Oceanus , Pulsar , Reactor , Seiko , Seiko Clocks , Skagen , Special Deals and Closeouts! , Suunto Wrist-Top Computers , Swiss Army , TechnoMarine Geneve , TechnoMarine Sport , Tissot , Tommy Bahama , Torgoen , Wittnauer , Yes
Features
Automatic , Aviation/Pilot , Chronograph , Diamond , Dive , Gold , Military , Perpetual Calendar , Pocket , Racing , Sailing , Sports , Titanium
Water Resistance and Watches
Your new watch says it is water resistant, but what exactly does that mean? And how do you care for a water resistant watch?
Definition of 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 Watch 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.
Care for a Water Resistant Watch
It is not recommended to wear your water resistant watch in a hot shower, sauna or hot tub. The extreme heat causes the metal parts to expand at a different rate than the rubber gaskets. This creates small openings that can allow water droplets to penetrate the watch. Sudden temperature changes are especially harsh. Take care not to jump into a cold pool after wearing your watch in the hot tub.
After swimming or diving in salt water, immediately rinse the watch in a stream of fresh water. If your watch has a rotating bezel, turn the bezel several times while rinsing it. This will prevent salt buildup and corrosion of the bezel ring.
Leather straps can be made to be water resistant too. Generally however, leather straps are more easily damaged by frequent exposure to water. So if you are going to wear your watch while swimming -- think of buying one with a metal bracelet or a rubber or nylon diver strap.
THE HISTORY OF WATCHES
The keeping of time dates back to the beginning of civilization. Historians ( believe that portable sundials were probably developed in Egypt and Mesopotamia before 1500 BC. One of the first actual watches was created in Italy almost 3000 years later, around 1524 AD. But these timepieces were nothing like the watches we've come to know today, and normally had to be wound at least twice a day. The implementation of a spiral balance spring in 1675 AD changed watch making forever. This innovation allowed the accuracy of a watch to go from fractions of an hour to fractions of a minute. With a spiral balance spring, a watch would only have to be wound once a day instead of twice.
Throughout the 1700's, watch technology continued to develop. John Harrison made one of the most significant advancements in 1761. He made a clock that was so accurate it was used to measure longitude during sea voyages. Over an 80-day period, Harrison sailed from England to Jamaica and his watch lost only 5 seconds. Harrison 's clock, called the Marine Chronograph, was a great breakthrough in the timekeeping industry, and saved many ships from crashing (many crashes and deaths prior to this breakthrough were due to faulty time and direction equipment). More modern methods like using jewels as bearings were also developed in this time frame. Self-winding watches began to be produced in the last quarter of the century and as the 1800's were ushered in, the pocket chronometer became a readily available and accurate watch.
Until the early 1800's, all watches were hand-finished. But, during the beginning of the 1800's, Eli Terry developed machines, patterns and techniques that produced clock parts that were exactly alike. This was a huge breakthrough in timekeeping technology, as parts could now be mass-produced and interchanged from one clock to another. This allowed the price of watches and clocks to drop significantly, and consequently they were no longer the exclusive luxury of the wealthy. Now most people had at least one timekeeping device – a significant change from previous years.
Throughout the mid to late 1800's, improved technology and better steel works led to more precise watches. To make sure a watch kept its accuracy over long periods of time, bearings were made from jewels. In the 1850's, America began to lead the time industry by manufacturing watches in mass volume. Later on, Europe followed and began producing timepieces in mass quantities as well. This technology allowed the price of watches to continue to decrease, allowing more people to have a watch.
In the late 1800's, many well-known watch companies that we know today opened the doors of business. Most watch companies started in Europe, often times in Switzerland , subsequently moving to the United States . One of the oldest and most well-known watch companies in the world, Tissot, started in 1853 in Switzerland . Tissot's mission was to offer the general public a range of high-quality timepieces at an affordable price. Other watch companies like Waltham , Elgin and Hamilton also sprang up, using the technology of mass volume production, interchangeable parts and other new innovations to attract more business.
From the period of 1860 to 1915, many noteworthy innovations and events took place in the history of time and watches. In 1868, Patek Philippe produced the first wristwatch. In 1871 Aaros Dennison of International Watch Company (IWC) invented the waterproof case. In 1875, Joseph Bulova moved from Bohemia to New York City and started Bulova watches - still a leading watch manufacturer today. In 1888, Cartier produced the first ladies wristwatch with diamond and gold bracelets. In 1902, the first Omega wristwatch was produced. In the same year, wristwatch sales continued to soar, as 93,000 wristwatches were sold in Germany alone. During the latter part of this period, many well-known watch companies started business – Longines started watch production in 1910, while household names like Santos-Dumont and Citizen began business in 1911.
As the 20 th century progressed, watch advancements accelerated. The first quartz clock, accurate to within 1-2 thousandths of a second per day, was developed in 1928 by W.A. Marrison of Bell Laboratories. Quartz technology was subsequently adapted for use in wristwatches. In 1952, battery-powered watches became available and very popular. Another great breakthrough in watch-making came in 1967 when the atomic clock was invented. This clock used the oscillations of cesium-133 atoms to tell time that was practically void of any error. During the 1970's, electronic watches with LCD and LED displays were extremely popular as they were highly functional and very inexpensive. Improvements and innovations also centered around the quartz movement, improving batteries and the new atomic watches. By 1998, keeping time was more popular than ever with about 500,000,000 watches sold each year.
Some of the most exciting watch technologies have been developed in the last 10 years. They take advantage of new technologies and materials used in other industries and are incorporated into such incredible innovations like Tissot's touch-screen watches (the T-Touch), Citizen's solar-powered Eco-Drive watches and Seiko's Titanium watches. Each of these and many others continue to expand even the daydreamer's idea of fabulous timepieces. As the years continue to pass, one can only speculate on the unbelievable watches that are going to follow!
Watch Buckles and Clasps
Watch Buckles and Clasps come in many different styles and configurations. Here you will find the most common types available on the watches sold at EWatches.com as well as some definition to the terms used to describe the Clasp and Bracelet types. If you have a question about a clasp or bracelet type on any particular watch, please do not hesitate to contact us .
The terms: Buckle and Clasp are mostly interchangeable. Buckle usually refers to the strap type band while a clasp is usually associated with a metal bracelet. However, we will use the terms interchangeably here. It is the part of the watch that either opens or separates allowing the watch to fit around the hand. Typically, the buckle then is latched together in some form. Click a link to find a specific clasp or scroll down to browse all of the Clasps.
Bangle Bracelet
Box with Tongue Clasp
Box with Tongue and Safety Clasp
Buckle
Deployment Buckle or Invisible Double Locking Clasp
Deployment Buckle with Push Button
Expansion Bracelet
Fold Over Clasp
Fold Over Clasp with Safety
Fold Over Clasp with Push Button
Fold Over Clasp with Safety and Push Button or Double Locking Fold Over Clasp
Jewelry Clasp
Jewelry Clasp with Push Button
Lobster Claw or Hook Buckle Clasp
Toggle Clasp
Bangle Bracelet
The bangle bracelet is distinct in that it has two or more very large curved links that form the bracelet instead of many small links. These larger links are known as bangles. The image to the left illustrates the two larger curved links with the smaller links attaching to a Jeweler's Clasp.
Box with Tongue Clasp
The Box with Tongue Clasp is explained very well with the picture to the left. There is a basic locking mechanism on this clasp but it may wear out quite easily thus making the watch difficult to keep on.
Box with Tongue and Safety Clasp
This is the same as the Box with Tongue Clasp except it provides additional security through the locking bar that swings tightly onto the locking post. This clasp is found frequently on 14k gold watches like the Bulova 14k gold.
Buckle
Like a leather belt buckle, this traditional clasp is found on many leather and other non-metal straps.
Deployment Buckle or Invisible Double Locking Clasp
The Deployment Buckle or Invisible Double-Locking Clasp is also known as the Hidden Deployment Buckle or Butterfly Clasp, because, when closed, the clasp is essentially invisible and it opens symmetrically like a butterfly. This is perhaps one of the most common clasps available and most preferred by customers because the clasp is not a distraction from the watch itself. The clasp is opened by pulling the joined ends of the bracelet away from the wrist. These clasps also come on some of the leather and other non-metal strapped watches.
Deployment Buckle with Push Button
The Deployment Buckle with Push-Button is essentially the same as the Deployment Buckle in looks and function except that its locking mechanism is released by two small buttons on each side of the bracelet. It is advantageous because the locking mechanism cannot be released by pressure on the bracelet, but only by pushing the buttons. This reduces the likelihood that the watch will release the without the wearer knowing it. These clasps also come on some of the leather and other non-metal strapped watches.
Expansion Bracelet
The Expansion Bracelet or Band is designed to expand or stretch over the wearer's wrist and then contract snuggly on the wrist when released.
Fold Over Clasp
The Fold Over Clasp collapses on itself and locks via a pressure tab. The clasp typically has several micro adjustment holes (as seen in the image) that can be used to adjust the bracelet size by non-jewelers. In time, the pressure tab often wears out and the clasp no longer stays closed. This has led to the following three different improvements on the Fold Over concept.
Fold Over Clasp with Safety
This is the first of three improvements on the Fold Over Clasp. The Fold Over Safety Clasp provides a flap that folds over the closed end of the clasp which makes the clasp more difficult to open unintentionally.
Fold Over Clasp with Push Button
This is the second of three improvements on the Fold Over Clasp. The Fold Over Clasp with Push Button Clasp provides a secure lock on a post that can only be released by pushing the two buttons. This improvement is more secure than the Fold Over Safety Clasp.
Fold Over Clasp with Safety and Push Button or Double Locking Fold-Over Clasp
This is the third of three improvements on the Fold Over Clasp. This clasp combines the flap of the safety clasp with a push button lock to provide the wearer the maximum security available for any Fold Over Clasp.
Jewelry Clasp
A jewelry clasp is the simplest of all clasps. It is a latch that snaps closed around a bar. It is released by gently lifting the clasp and unsnapping it from the latch bar. This clasp is almost exclusively available on ladies dress watches.
Jewelry Clasp with Push Button
This is essentially the same as the Jewelry Clasp, but with a lock that is released by a push button. This provides added security for the wearer.
Lobster Claw or Hook Buckle Clasp
As described, the Lobster Claw pr Hook Buckle Clasp looks like a lobster's claw. These are typically on chain bracelets where the claw clamps to the last link on the opposite side.
Toggle Clasp
As shown to the left, the Toggle Clasp puts a relatively large bar through a smaller ring closure on the other side of the bracelet. These are typically on chain bracelets or costume bracelets and are seldom used on watches.
Date Added to Directory: 8/19/2005, Current Content: 7/3/2008, Days in Directory: 1049
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