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About Watches > Watch Buying Guide
Guide to Choosing a Watch
Brought to you
courtesy of: 
Watches
at ashford.com
Selecting a watch that you will use
and enjoy for many years to come can be a fun, easy process,
with a little bit of knowledge. If you’re not sure
which watch to buy and what kind of functions it should
have, follow these easy steps. In the end, a watch is a
reflection of you and your lifestyle, just like the clothes
you wear or the car you drive.
The watch that you select should be
appropriate for the activities that you intend to use the
watch for. If your primary purpose is athletic, you may
consider watches that are shockproof. If you will be using
the watch for work and play, do you need water resistance
and if so, to what degree?
If you will be using the watch for swimming
and diving, you may want to consider a watch that has a
screw-down crown and a plastic strap. The trend in watch
buying is certainly in the direction of all steel and other
white metals. Also, the 'sporty' look in watches has become
more popular than the 'dressy'. Again, the first step is
to ask yourself the key functions or attributes that will
be needed for the way you will wear the watch.
Here are a few things to consider when
purchasing a watch:
Scratch Resistance
The crystal is the clear covering over
the face and hands of the watch. The material used in making
the crystal determines its scratch resistance.
These types of crystals are generally used in watches:
- An acrylic plastic crystal is the
least scratch-resistant, although shallow scratches can
be polished out.
- A mineral crystal is made up of several
mineral elements that are manufactured and treated by
heat procedures to create a hardness that helps in resisting
scratches.
- A sapphire crystal is the most durable
and scratch-resistant crystal. It is approximately 3 times
harder than a mineral crystal and 20 times harder than
acrylic plastic crystals.
We recommend that, at a minimum, the watch should have a
mineral crystal.
Automatic and Quartz Movements
The movement is the inner workings or
assembly of the watch that make up the main timekeeping
mechanism. Most watches have either a quartz movement or
an automatic movement. The type of movement you choose depends
mostly on one's taste. Automatic movements are a tribute
to the watchmaker's art and monitor the passage of time
by a series of gear mechanisms.
Most automatic movements (self-winding)
are wound by the movement of the wrist. (No, you don't have
to shake it to work! The normal, everyday movement of the
watch charges the winding reserve.) When this type of watch
is removed from your wrist, the movement winds down in 10
to 72 hours, depending on the size of its winding reserve.
Quartz movements are powered by a battery
and do not stop working once removed from the wrist. The
battery in a quartz watch generally needs to be replaced
every 1.5 years.
Shock-Proofing
Most watches are sturdy enough to protect
against normal everyday wear and tear, including light bumps.
If you’re going to be engaging in intensive athletic
activity, you may want a watch that is also shockproof.
G-Shock by Casio makes an extensive line of shockproof watches.
They are available here at the ashford.com web site.
Strap Materials
The choice is really a matter of personal
taste. Strap watches may have bands made from a variety
of materials, including leathers, exotic skins and synthetics.
In general, it is best to avoid fine leathers if you will
expose the watch to water or perspiration from physical
activity. Rubber straps are a little more durable against
water and perspiration. Do keep in mind, that if you do
not like a certain strap on a watch, it is relatively inexpensive
and easy to replace the band with one of many varieties,
textures and colors.
ashford.com
carries a variety of strap and bracelet watches in all different
price ranges. Just search for 'strap' or 'bracelet' and
you will find many to choose from.
Case Materials
The material your watch case is made
from often determines how durable and expensive the watch
is. The most popular metal used in better watches is stainless
steel. This metal is very durable, resists rusting and discoloration
and is reasonably priced. Precious metals are also used
- these include 10k gold, 14k gold, 18k gold, sterling silver
or platinum.
Recently, titanium—a very strong
but lightweight metal—has become a popular alternative
in sports watches. Titanium is stronger, but lighter than
stainless steel.
Warranties
A watch warranty will generally cover
malfunctions in the watch movement and does not cover any
damage to the crown, case, crystal, buttons, bracelet, strap
or face. The warranty period is usually for 1 to 2 years.
At ashford.com, we offer our own warranty, which is serviced
by our own experienced and knowledgeable watchmakers.
Most reputable watch sellers encourage
the customer to send the watch back to the seller for servicing.
The watch seller coordinates the service process, which
makes it 'hassle-free' for customers. ashford.com
offers a warranty, free of charge, on most watches. For
more details, you can call us at 1-866-ASHFORD (274-3673)
or send us an Online Inquiry and receive a prompt reply
from one of our trained experts.
If the warranty has expired, most watch
sellers can service the watch for the customer. The first
step is to contact the watch seller. If the watch seller
does not provide service, ask for a reference or check your
local yellow pages under 'watch repair' or 'jeweler.' Most
companies that service watches provide free estimates. When
you have any work performed, be sure to get a warranty on
the work in case the same problem occurs again in a short
period of time.
The watches that ashford.com has on
our site contain extensive descriptions. If you don not
find what you are looking for in the description, you can
send us an Online Inquiry and receive a prompt reply from
one of our trained watch experts.
They will try to help you with any questions,
whether or not it pertains to a watch on the site. Keep
in mind that ashford.com has access to watches that may
not be on the site. E-mail us if you’re looking for
a particular watch and you don’t see it on our site.
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