What are Relic Watches?

It always helps to know a little bit about the history of a company before you buy their product. Fossil is a relative newcomer to the watch making field as it was only established in the middle of the 1980s. The reason that Fossil became so popular when it started creating watches is that it focused more on up-to-date fashion trends rather than trying to create traditional watches.

When Fossil first began to produce watches they were extremely expensive and were seen more as pieces of jewellery rather than functional watches. However, to try and increase their market share Fossil then began to produce Relic watches which were a similar style but much more affordable for the average person.

The vast majority of people don’t actually realise that Relic watches are made by Fossil because it isn’t clear on the watches themselves. The main way you can tell that Relic watches are made by Fossil is by looking at the design. They all follow the same sort of principles even though both brands have their own unique features.

How To Choose A Relic Watch?

Within the Relic watch brand there are several different product lines. For example if you wanted to buy a watch that was stylish and up-to-date with modern trends but also a little bit different then you could go for the Vibe range. These have very unusual straps making them stand out from the crowd.
On the other hand, if you want your watch to be more functional than you might go for the Wet product line. These are watches that are made for sports and going underwater so they are made from stainless steel and are water resistant.

The Moving Colour product line from Relic watches features bright and in-your-face colours on the dials that change on the press of a button. While many people see these as novelty watches they can look quite stylish if you get the right one.

So what should you look for in a Relic watch? And are they just cheap imitations of the Fossil brand? While some people will try and tell you that Relic watches are just a rip-off of the Fossil watch designs in actual fact they have their own look and feel. They are also made by Fossil themselves so no one can accuse them of being imitations. You can also be sure that any Relic watch you buy will last a long time because Fossil are known for their high quality watches.

There are certain factors that you must take into account when buying any watch. For example you need to think carefully about what you’re going to use a watch for and where you’re going to use it. If the watch is going to be used at work or other formal places then it probably isn’t a good idea to get a Moving Colour watch. If you want a watch for a formal occasion then you’ll probably want to go for something like the Folio range which are dress watches.

Make sure you check features such as water resistance if you plan on using it in irregular situations.

Who are Relic watches for?

You can buy both men’s and women’s Relic watches so they really are for everyone. Each of the different design ranges have their own style and features so you’ll always be able to find a watch for the purpose that you need it. You shouldn’t fall into the trap of thinking that just because Relic watches are made to as a cheaper brand than the original Fossil watches that they won’t last a long time. A Relic watch should be seen as an investment just like any other high-quality watch because it is made by Fossil and will last a long time if it’s looked after correctly and used in the right situations.

How Much Do They Cost?

Even though Relic watches are a lot cheaper than their parent companies traditional watches they will still cost anywhere between $40 and $100 dollars depending on which model you buy. You will probably be able to get the best deals online so you should spend some time looking at different retailers to see what they have available. You’re also much more likely to be able to find a watch that suits your style online because there are many more options to view.

History of Croton Watches

Croton watches was originally founded in 1878 so has been around for a long time. However, in that time the goals of the Croton watch company have not changed greatly. According to their own remit Croton watches strive to make sure that they create watches that are innovative and stylish at a price that provides fantastic value. These values have been carried on even through a takeover in the 1990’s.

One of the things that make Croton stand out from the crowd is that they offer a lifetime warranty on every watch movement. Because of this the company is always looking for ways to make sure the watches are more reliable and hence you can be sure that buying Croton watches is an investment rather than something you’ll have to replace in the near future.

Croton produce a wide range of different styles and have sold over 1 million watches a year in the past few years. No matter what style or purpose you want your watch for you will nearly always be able to find a Croton watch that matches your requirements.

Choosing a Croton Watch

Because there is such a wide range of different styles available from Croton watches it can be difficult to know which one to get when you first start looking. However, there are several things that you need to make sure you keep in mind when choosing a watch of any sort.

1.    First of all you need to think about the purpose of the watch. Croton watches are known for their accuracy so if you want to have a watch that you can rely on for keeping the time then they are a good choice. If you’re planning on doing diving or other sports with the watch then you need to make sure that they are equipped to stand up to everything you are going to throw at it.
2.    You also need to consider your budget for getting a watch. Croton watches are great value and you should be able to find one for anything between $50 and $100. Even so, if you have a small budget then you may not be able to find a Croton watch for that price.
3.    Comfort is vitally important when buying any watch that you’re going to be using on a daily basis. For this reason even though you can find some great deals online it is often a good idea to try out Croton watches before you buy so that you know you’ll be comfortable wearing it.
4.    Even if you aren’t going to be going diving on a regular basis it is still a good idea to get a waterproof watch if you can. This is a lot more convenient as it allows you to shower and bath without having to take off the watch.
5.    If you’re planning on buying a formal watch then you need to make sure you know what kind of event you’ll be using it for. This will help you to decide on what your outfit you’ll be wearing and hence which style of watch you need to buy because it’s important that your watch matches your outfit.
6.    No watch will last forever without having to get the battery replaced but you can make it last a long time if you buy one that uses kinetic energy to power rechargeable batteries. Not all watches come with this feature so you need to decide whether it is essential for you. These kinds of watches often work best if they are going to use every day rather than just for special occasions.
7.    The material the watch is made out of is quite important when thinking about the style. For example white brass looks fantastic on a women’s watch but may not look so good on a casual men’s watch so you need to think carefully about which one suits you the best. Croton watches come in range of different materials so it shouldn’t be a problem finding one that you want.

Overall, if you want to find a great looking watch for almost any occasion then you should begin looking at Croton watches. They provide both more traditional and modern styles for men and women so you will always be able to find a watch that suits your needs. They are also a very high quality and hence you can be sure that will last a long time.

If you walk down any street in the beautiful city of Geneva you’ll find a wide range of different shops that sell watches so if you are a watch enthusiast visiting the city is a must. However, with the Internet now making it even easier to buy watches from around the world everyone should consider buying a Geneva watch.

Brief History of Geneva Watches

The reason that Geneva became so adept at making watches was because in the 15th century jewellery was banned in the city. Because of this, all goldsmiths and other jewellery makers were forced to change their trade into making watches and they never looked back.  Unknowingly, the ban on jewellery had created an industry for high-quality watches that would last for centuries.

Over time there have been a huge amount of famous watchmakers in the city of Geneva. For example although Rolex was originally founded in the United Kingdom it didn’t take long for it to move to Switzerland and become one of the most famous watchmakers of our time. This is in no small part down to the tradition of high-quality watch making in Switzerland and specifically Geneva.

How to Choose a Geneva Watch

While it is certainly possible to buy Geneva watches on the Internet if you really want to get a feel for what the watches look like then you should visit the city itself. Geneva is quite an expensive place to visit although it is a beautiful city especially in the winter time. If you do decide to go to Geneva then it helps to make sure that you’ve done a bit of research into the type of watches you can buy otherwise you may be overwhelmed by the sheer range of choice.

Before you start to look for watches you need to think about who you are buying for and what the purpose is. There are so many different options when it comes to choosing a watch from Geneva that it helps if you know things like whether you’re buying a Geneva men’s watch, whether you want to buy a Geneva quartz watch or whether you want your watch to have added extras such as kinetic power. It also helps to have an idea of what kind of watch face you’d like.

Another important consideration that you need to make is how much money you have to spend. Switzerland is a notoriously expensive country to live and although the watches are of a very high quality you may still be surprised at the price you have to pay. If you want to get a traditional Geneva watch then be prepared to spend several hundred pounds at least. There is no fixed price to pay to get a high-quality Geneva watch so it definitely helps to know what your budget is before you start looking otherwise you could literally spend days searching through all the different types.

Because of the price of Geneva watches you should always make sure that you get a good, long lasting warranty.

Be careful to think about why you’re buying the watch in the first place. You may just want to buy a Geneva watch because they look great, but if you’re planning on using the watch for specific activities such as sports or piloting then you will have to make sure that you get a watch that is capable of this.

Another thing to consider is what extras you want to come with your watch. For example if you want an alarm or a date display then you can narrow down the number of watches you have to look at if you decide before you start looking. In Geneva you can find a watch for pretty much any purpose so once you know what you need it shouldn’t be a problem finding one.

The final thing that you need to think about is probably the most important – the style of the watch. Geneva watches range from being very traditional in style to sleek and modern so whichever look you want there will definitely be a watch for you. Remember that when buying any kind of watch you will have to pay extra for a brand name but in general you get what you pay for. If you buy from a high-quality brand you are much more likely to get a watch that will last a long time and provide you with the service that you need than you will if you try and buy the cheapest watch available.

A diver watch is a type of sports watch that is resistant to water. Commercial types in particular have a higher resistance often surviving up to 200-300m of depth. The average watch however can withstand approximately 100m of depth. These watches are usually suitable for activities such as  swimming where the water is shallow enough. Watches suitable for scuba diving (usually those with a higher level of water resistance) are tested against a known standard called ISO 6425. Those that pass the test are given the name “DIVER’s” to distinguish them from others. Common brands of diving watches include Citizen diver watches and Swiss diver watches.

A diver watch has a plethora of characteristics that make it stand out among other types of watches. These features are also under the ISO 6425 standard. One characteristic is water resistance to a minimum of 100m of depth.  Other characteristics include:

• Being readable at a distance of 25cm even in the presence of total darkness
• Resistant to shocks and abrupt impacts
• Resistant to electro-magnetic forces
• Resistant to various chemical compounds present in sea water
• An indicator that alerts the user to the end of life of the watch’s battery
• An indicator that confirms that the watch is still functioning even in the presence of total darkness

Manufactures of diver watches must adhere to these features when they design such watches. The resistance to various things like sea chemicals, water pressure and magnetic forces is crucial particularly for the diver watch case. If the case cannot put up sufficient resistance to any of those factors it will break and the watch will be damaged. Cases are usually made out from resilient material such as ceramics, plastics or titanium. Titanium and even a steel design for diver watch cases are among the most sought after designs. Diver watches also incorporate several  advanced mechanisms that act as a cushion to absorb the impact of a shock and prevent damage to the internal components of the watch. Analog diver watches require a bezel be setup for them. The bezel is a rotating device that allows for easier reading of elapsed time under the water. In some models the bezel is aligned with the watch’s minute hand. The bezel is a comfortable addition that saves the diver the time and effort of mathematical calculations.

A popular option that some manufacturers of diver watches include in their products is a lockable bezel. Because it is lockable the bezel cannot accidentally operate during a dive. Diver watches come attached to a wrist strap. The strap is made from a variety of substances including silicon rubber and polyurethane. The strap is expandable so that a diver can wear it over his wet sleeve. The expandable length is usually hidden. Numerous diver watches  feature a fabric strap made out of nylon. This one piece of strap prevents the diver watch from getting lost when one of the springbars fails.

Buying a Diver’s Watch

When the time comes to choosing your favorite diver watch personal taste will play a major role. Some people buy a diver watch for its style while others look for distinguished features. Other yet will opt for a combination of both. If you are considering getting the watch for legitimate diving activities than a diver watch that meets the ISO 6425 is imperative. These watches are thoroughly tested and you do not have to worry about water damage. If you are considering the more thorough type of watches you will need to take into account the presence of the rotating bezel, your wrist and watch sizes and whether the illuminating light is comfortable to your eyes. Another decision to make is whether you would prefer an analogue over a digital diver’s watch. An analogue watch is more classy and elegant so if you’re going purely on looks you can’t go wrong there. However a digital watch has more features that can track its functioning underwater and is more practical overall. The functions that can be tracked include seawater depth, temperature status and alarm. A third factor to take into mind is whether you’d like the watch to operate using a battery or do prefer an automatic watch. An automatic diver watch is self-winding watch that functions mechanically through set motions of a rotor that is in turn controlled by a pivot on a weight. All the above factors come into play when the decision is made.

Whether it is for recreational purposes or for serious scuba missions a diver’s watch is a must to have. It can be elegant and classy when necessary and practical and functional at other times as well. There are no ” best diver watch” however a personal favorite of mine is the Swiss Army Professional Diver Watch.

Watches Today

Watches have evolved along several long historical paths, becoming more portable, more functional, and more decorative.  Sun dials date back at least 3500 years, and watches were invented about 500 years ago, but wrist watches only emerged about 100 years ago, suggesting that their evolution still has far to go.

Although the most complex watch today has more than 1700 components, a basic watch only has about 130 that comprise its movement, power, display, and functions. Since the most difficult part of basic watch making is the movement, which can be sourced from other manufacturers, there are hundreds of watch manufacturers.  In turn, there are thousands of watch models that are distinguished by such factors as their quality, reliability, uniqueness, and materials.

The diversity of watch models is reflected in the diversity of watch pricing, which ranges from under $10 to tens of thousands of dollars. It is at the higher end of watch pricing that precious metals such as gold and silver become an important distinguishing feature, especially if used in such visible watch parts as cases, casing rings, crowns, and bands.  Probably fewer than 100 manufacturers would be considered credible manufacturers of luxury watches.

Watches can be major collectors’ items, perhaps because of their impact on history and fashion and the rarity of individual models.

Silver Jewelry

The use in jewelry of silver at 99+ % purity has a long history because of its beauty, rarity, and easy malleability. However, the downside of its malleability is that it also lacks strength, making it susceptible to deforming and scratching.  One result was the development of “sterling silver” that today consists of about 93% silver and 7% from a strengthening metal element such as copper or zinc.
Sterling silver is widely used in certain jewelry, but still has drawbacks.  Most important, it naturally tarnishes because of silver’s chemical reaction with oxygen and other environmental factors.

Silver used in jewelry is “silver plate”, which is a very thin coating of silver over a common metal such as steel, brass or copper, and therefore very inexpensive compared to sterling, much less pure silver.  Unfortunately, for its use in jewelry, the silver plating is highly susceptible to flaking and wearing.

Silver Watches

Silver use in watches dates back to the 1700s, when silver (as well as gold) was widely used for the cases of watches worn on chains around the neck or in a pocket.  However, because silver was also important for a country’s currency, restrictions on its ornamental uses began to emerge.  Combined with silver’s malleability problems, the proportionate use of silver in watches and other jewelry drastically declined.

Today, online searching for “silver watches” typically results in about one-third the number of hits compared to “gold watches”. Most of these watches are sterling silver (at prices up to $2000) but some are silver-plated (at prices as low as $13).  In addition, it is all too common to find watches whose only silver is in the watch dial or a watch accessory.  For example, the recent auction of the 46-watch collection of swindler Bernard Madoff included three models whose auction description included the word silver. But two merely had silver dials (at prices of more than $6000 and $10,000) and another was an antique women’s model with a silver storage case (price about $4000).

Another potential concern is that silver watches today are not particularly favored by collectors of fine watches.  Searching one-watch collectors’ website resulted in only 18 hits for silver case watches compared to almost 1300 hits for gold case watches.  Therefore, if you are interested in buying a silver watch, it might be a mistake to do so for its collectable value.

Nevertheless, silver jewelry, including watches, seems to be making a comeback lately, perhaps due to the comparatively more sharply escalating price of gold.  Sterling silver watches are attractive, reasonably priced compared to other precious metals and widely available online and from retail outlets.  If you do not mistake sterling silver for pure silver, or plated silver for sterling, and you do a reasonable amount of comparison-shopping, then you should be more than satisfied.  If in doubt, use a certified appraiser.

Finally, you never know when or where you might find the right silver watch. Recently a silver watch was recovered by a diver searching a shipwreck off the coast of Wales.  It had been owned by the ship’s captain who went down with his ship 130 years ago.

Today’s Watches

Watches worn around the neck or in pockets date back to about 500 years ago, and wristwatches were invented about 100 years ago.  Yet until World War I-era soldiers began to wear them, wristwatches were considered a women’s timepiece, with men still relying on pocket watches. Once that gender barrier was breached, and particularly after World War II, interest in wristwatches began to explode and manufacturers scrambled to fulfill the demand while at the same time differentiating themselves from one another.

It has been relatively easy to become a watchmaker.  The watch part most difficult to produce is the movement, the internal mechanism that measures time, but these can be readily purchased from other manufacturers.  As a result, worldwide there are several hundred manufacturers of at least basic watches.  However, there are only about 100 manufacturers of watches variously characterized as upscale, fine or luxury.

There is no precise measure of what distinguishes an upscale watch from a common watch.  It is recognized that it should include factors such as quality and uniqueness, but these do not lend themselves to even approximate measurement.  As a result, upscale watches are typically identified as those that command a premium price and are produced by a manufacturer with a record of accomplishment of offering upscale watches.

Nevertheless, there are certain tangible characteristics that today’s upscale watches are more likely to have.  One is a mechanical, rather than an electronic or quartz, movement.  Another is a case made from an upscale metal, like titanium.

Titanium

Titanium is an element (Ti) with many properties that make it attractive for use in jewelry. Unlike gold, silver and platinum, titanium is not considered a precious metal because it is widely distributed within the Earth’s upper crust, making it relatively plentiful, easy to extract and relatively affordable.

Among titanium’s other important characteristics are its relative strength, hardness, lightweight, durability, corrosion and magnetic resistance, as well as its ability to be alloyed with many other metals and its high machinability. Moreover, after polishing, it displays a stylish, lustrous silver color.

Of interest too is that many watchmakers promote their use of only “aircraft grade” titanium.  This is a particular measure of titanium’s high strength compared to its lightweight, which compares very favorably to both steel and aluminum.

Titanium Watches

Titanium’s physical characteristics readily lend themselves to finely crafted, elegant- looking and durable wristwatch cases and other appointments.  In fact, one watchmaker is so confident of titanium’s sustainable high performance that it provides a lifetime warranty, which it claims, is unique in the industry.

Fortunately, for the average shopper, relatively high quality titanium wristwatches are available in prices around $150 or even less.  However, titanium watches can be priced up to $24,000, and it is within the fiercely competitive, trend-leading, and upscale watch market segment that titanium seems to be establishing its most prominent position.  Here are some notable recent titanium models:

• The Romain Jerome Moon Dust-DNA Collection, whose case is made from titanium and steel and includes pieces of the Apollo XI space capsule, the Soynuz space shuttle, and moon dust!
• The Maurice Lacroix Ponton Decentrique GMT, which won a 2007 “Best of the Best” award and whose case is made from titanium.
• The upcoming 30th anniversary edition of the Piaget Polo FortyFive, which is reported to include many intricate designs and other innovations and whose case will be made from titanium.
• The Cachalot Titanium Carbide Chronograph wristwatch, considered the flagship brand of Oceanus, another important manufacturer of upscale watches.

Black titanium watches are already popular among collectors of fine watches.  An online search of one website resulted in over 500 hits for titanium watches. This ranked titanium second only to gold’s 1300 hits and outdistanced such metals as platinum and silver. Buying watches with potential collectible value might provide welcome comfort in threatening economic times.

Quality citizen titanium watches are not cheap, in either sense of the word.  Nevertheless, shoppers of widely diverse means should be pleased to know that such an attractive and durable watch is available at a broad range of prices from reasonably affordable to high luxury.  Running an online search for titanium watches results in over 800,000 hits, confirming their ready availability ranging from familiar merchants such as Macy’s and Nordstrom to relatively obscure but high luxury firms such as those mentioned above.

Rip Van Winkle had an excuse for ignoring 20 years of watch-making progress, but the rest of us do not.  It is time to get moving.

]]> http://jewelrybonanza.com/titanium-watches/feed 0