Did you know that the revenue in the watch industry is over $9 million? It’s no surprise that with that number, watches are not going anywhere yet even if most people use their phones to tell what time it is.
An automatic watch has become an essential part of a good wardrobe. Keep reading to learn some key features to look for when making your first automatic watch purchase.
Features to Look for in Your First Automatic Watch
You might not know this but an automatic watch is also known as a self-winding watch. It’s a mechanical watch that doesn’t require manual winding because the natural motion of the person wearing it provides the energy the watch needs to run.
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Whether you’re buying your first automatic watch or buying one as a gift view here for a few ideas.
The list below will help you make the perfect decision during your shopping adventure.
Casing
Every watch varies in its size, weight, and shape. It’s good to get a feel and try on different casing styles to see what you like most and to make sure it’s not too heavy.
You will have endless options when it comes to the size anywhere from tiny to oversized and it’s important to choose the size that won’t get in your way while you’re doing something.
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There are also options in the shape of the casing anywhere from square casing to round. It’s also a good idea to try on different casing shapes to see what feels comfortable to you on your wrist.
Complications
When you first hear this word you might think about something going wrong with your watch but in the watch world, this means something different. Complications refer to any function on a watch other than displaying the time.
There are simple complications and rare complications depending on the watch you choose.
Date Complication
A common complication is displaying the date. This complication falls on the simpler side and is simply that it shows the watch wearer what the date is. Although it’s one of the simpler complications there are four common varieties to how the date is displayed.
Date Window – This is also called an aperture. In this display, the date is displayed via two tiny numbers to the side of the hands of the watch.
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Big Date – This is similar to the date window but the two numbers displayed are much larger and visible.
Subsidiary Dial – This variety displays the date on a small subdial. It’s normally not used by itself but alongside more complications.
Pointer Date – This is where the watch has an extra hand with an arrow that points to the correct date. The numbers representing the dates are along the outside of the watch.
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This list is in no way all inclusive. There are countless options such as annual calendars, triple calendars, day display (Mon-Sun display), etc.
Chronograph Complication
Another complication that you might have seen out there is the chronograph complication. This is another common complication in watches. These watches have a stopwatch built into the movement.
Just like there are different date complications, there are different types of chronograph complications.
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One Button Chronograph – Also called the Monopoussoir. This type only has one button that isn’t able to measure interrupted time spans. Originally all watches were one-button because the two-button chronograph wasn’t introduced until 1923.
Split-Seconds Chronograph – Also called the Rattrapante. This type has three pushes on the casing, along with 2 second hands on the chronograph instead of only 1.
Flyback Chronograph – This is also called the Retour-En-Vol. In this model when a second button is pushed while the chronograph is running all the counters are reset and start from zero.
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Tachymeter – This chronograph is able to measure units per hour in miles or kilometers.
Moonphase Complication
This complication shows the phase the moon is in. Whether it’s a full moon, half moon, a quarter moon, or a new moon this complication will keep you up to date.
The reason this complication first started was for sailors to gauge what the tides were going to be like.
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Alarm Complication
Some automatic watches will also have an alarm feature found on it. This alarm can be set independently of the main time when you need to have a reminder for something. Depending on the model you choose the alarm will either be wound up with your wrist movement or you will have to manually wind it.
Travel Complications
This is where you will be able to see the different time zones right from your wrist. If you’re in a certain time zone and need to quickly figure out what time it is in a different time zone you can look at your wrist and have an answer right away.
Power Reserve Complication
This feature measures how much power is left in the watch. It uses the tension of the mainspring and the displays to determine the reserve left.
Depending on your watch it can have a reserve of up to 10 days and the watch will display via days on its indicator instead of displaying via hours.
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Happy Shopping!
At the end of the day do you like the watch that you picked out? You should buy something that you like and that makes you happy. Everyone has their own unique taste and there is no right or wrong watch.
Have fun choosing your first automatic watch!
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