How to Tell a Quality Watch? 5 Easy Steps

Wristwatches, which are works of art, have become neglected with the spread of mobile phones. As such, the market has been invaded by cheap wristwatch brands. Understanding a quality wristwatch amid this great turmoil really takes mastery. But a good wristwatch is not just a watch; it is an accessory for all occasions, a status symbol, an investment vehicle for its brand, and even a legacy to be handed down to future generations.

If you want to choose a wristwatch carefully and buy a quality watch, continue reading the article. Below, we will try to answer the question of how to understand a quality watch in five steps.

1. Weight

Weight matters. The fact that a product is heavy provides confidence in that product. A watch is made up of many parts and components. This requires space and weight. When you wear a watch on your wrist, you should be able to feel its weight, not a toy. In short, to understand the quality of a watch, you must feel the weight of the watch.

2. Movement

If you have ever received a quality watch service, you have probably witnessed the representative giving specific information about the movements of the watch. If he did not mention the movement of the clock, that representative is not competent.

Top group watch brands place a special emphasis on movement movements. They are quite right on this. When you look at a Cartier or Chopard watch, check the progress of the tiny hand that shows the seconds without getting stuck. When it comes to really good watches, the inner mechanism is so well-tuned that the parts inside move perfectly nine times per second. The second hand moves as if it were floating.

If you are asking how to understand a quality watch, the shortest way is to watch the seconds flow. This is the most obvious difference in quality between a hundred-pound watch and watches costing thousands of dollars.

3. Brand Name and Tradition

This item may sound a little strange. At least, you might think that not every watch brand has to have tradition. However, even if truly quality watch brands are new, they form their own traditions over time. Traditions, legends, and reputation will turn a quality watch brand into a true legend after many years.

Let’s give an example from history: during the Second World War, the wristwatches of wounded British officers were confiscated. Before the war, the wristwatch was only a female accessory. Men used pocket watches. When Hans Wilford, the founder of Rolex, noticed this, he offered new watches to his allies and convicted officers. It was an offer where they would pay for the hours they worked.

Thanks to this initiative, Rolex shipped more than 3000 watches, and the brand’s reputation grew. The legend behind the brand is undoubtedly one of the factors that contribute to the quality of a watch.

4. Swiss Brand

Counterfeiting, the globalizing world, and new marketing techniques make a lot of effort to deceive and overwhelm the consumer. However, the Swiss government has made great efforts to preserve the quality of its products by giving the “Swiss Made” stamp only to brands that meet the strict standards it has set.

Legally, watches that have the movement assembled in Switzerland and the case opened and inspected can have the “Swiss Made” branding. Instead of the Swiss Made stamp, brands that use Swiss mechanisms and gather their products in other nations (particularly in the Far East) use the phrase “Swiss Movement.”

Like Japan and Germany, countries outside of Switzerland may also have strong watchmaking traditions of their own. But the sharpest sign of quality and reliability in the world of watches are two simple words: “Swiss Made.”

5. Accuracy

The simplest way to understand a quality watch is to be able to keep the time accurate. Watches powered by quartz movements show the most accurate time with the oscillation of carefully cut quartz crystal, while mechanical watches with less precision still have luxury watch status.

These watches work as a result of the precise movements of a complex series of gears and springs. These watches can be off by a few seconds a day because they are either self-winding (automatic) or manually wound (mechanical). The most precise watches in the world are rigorously tested.

Swiss-made watches are tested by the official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute, and deviations of ten (10) seconds per day are considered valid. In short, these watches are not disposable; they are truly quality watches to be handed down to future generations.

Forgery

Sadly, watches with most of these markings can also be fake. Although a series of legal measures are taken to prevent counterfeiters from imitating watches and brands, counterfeiters do not care about this situation. You can easily see “Swiss Made on a fake Rolex watch. That’s why you can take a look at our article on how to spot a fake watch.

Shopping from reputable sellers is the most secure way to avoid purchasing fake watches. To dispel any doubts, learn everything there is to know about the model and shop from trained, expert watchmakers.

You can also review our website for the Best Watch Brands.