As we’ve covered in this space before, there are many different types of dials on watches. There are dark dials, black dials, clear dials or white dials. So what exactly is a gilt dial? A gilt dial is created by polishing a blank dial with clear lacquer then galvanized with a black layer. The clear part won’t stick, so only the remaining metal part is shown. Usually, a gilt dial.. Read More

When you think of bronze, you probably assume it means third-best after gold and silver. When used as a color for a case, bronze might be tops on the medal stand. Bronze is made from copper and tin. Unlike other metals, it won’t corrode and won’t be affected by saltwater, making it a unique element for a watch. (The Watch Doctor still recommends keeping your watch dry by not showering.. Read More

Typically, watches have the same general design. That is, the watch face takes up all the area of the face. But what if a watch had an off-center dial? That’s the approach of these watches shown below. While the basic job of any watch is to tell the time, these models go a bit further in also acting as a piece of art and fashion. Because they’re so visually different.. Read More

An atomic watch is a wristwatch that is radio­-controlled to keep the most accurate time on earth. An atomic watch never needs to have its time or date set or adjusted because it receives a low ­frequency radio signal each night keeping it perfectly synchronized with the U.S atomic clock in Colorado. The watch’s built ­in antenna searches once a day for the 60 kHz radio signal emitted from Fort Collins and decodes the.. Read More

Spring Drive is a unique watch technology. It generates energy like every other mechanical watch but combines this with an electronic regulator to deliver a level of precision that no mechanical watch can match. Specified to one second accuracy per day, the movement uses a conventional gear train as in traditional mechanical watches, but rather than an escapement and balance wheel, instead features Seiko’s Tri-synchro Regulator system in which power delivery to the watch hands is.. Read More

Last week, we introduced you to a handful of different watch hand styles. Even though every watch has hands, it’s a good bet you didn’t realize there are so many different styles. Here are a few more different types of hands you might see on a watch. Leaf hand Lollipop hands Mercedes hands Plongeur hands Snowflake hands Space hands Sword hands Syringe hands

There are a few basic parts to a watch. You have the face, the case and, of course, the hands. How else would you know what time it is without the hour and minute hands pointing it out to you? Here are some different types of watch hands. There are actually so many, we’ve broken it into two parts. Alpha Hands These Alpha hands have a larger base before thinning.. Read More

The Hamilton Watch company introduced the very first electric watch movement in 1957. Called the 500, this watch used a battery to drive a complex gear train, which in turn pushed the hands. The watch wasn’t a commercial success and a decade later, the quartz crystal technology put the Hamilton 500 out of action for good. The 500 was used in a few different cases, the most popular of which was the.. Read More

When you think of Switzerland, cheese and the Alps might come to mind. For watch lovers, of course, Switzerland is the timekeeping capital of the world. But did you know you don’t have to buy a Swiss brand watch to look stylish? Here are some of the best watches from around the world that don’t originate in Switzerland. Germany Japan Canada France Italy United States The Netherlands

In the 1960s, Rolex and Doxa co-created the helium escape valve and introduced it in the Rolex Submariner, the Rolex Sea-Dweller, and the Doxa Conquistador. Today, plenty of luxury watch brands will include a helium escape valve in their serious dive watches. At that time, Rolexes were being used by the SEALAB and COMEX divers and others in the field of commercial diving, when diving bells and underwater habitats were just coming into use. The divers.. Read More