It is necessary to distinguish waterproof watches and water resistant watches, as the majority of waterproof watches can pass a little quantity of water during small period of time.
Hand wash or walking under the rain won’t do harm to such watches, but having shower especially with the shower gel) or continuous staying under the water will definitely lead to moisture penetration in the casing and damage the mechanism itself.
There special water resistant watches designed for swimming and diving.
These usually have the threaded junctions of the winding and back cover with the casing.
Such watch should be worn with the winding fixed with on the thread for the water not to get into it and damage the mechanism.
To wind the clock winder tightly is not also recommended as the thread and gasket could be also seriously damaged.
The proofness will be complete if it is screwed lightly.
It is not also advised to turn on your chronograph (except for the watch for underwater diving, which are provided for it) when its casing is totally emerged in the water.
In this case the water can penetrate through the button openings on the casing.
Tourbillon (French Tourbillon – “whirlwind”, “rotation”) – is one of the most prestigious and still the most mysterious and fascinating functions; it was invented all but two hundred and ten years ago by the watchmaker of genius Abraham-Louis Breguet. Perhaps, it was not only one to find out such a curious regularity: the watch being in vertical position (it was the period of pocket watches) had some problems with rate accuracy; of course, there were dozens of gifted watchmakers of the past wishing to solve this problem. Nevertheless it was Abraham-Louis Breguet, who holds the patent for the invention of Tourbillon – the device countering the effect of gravity by mounting the escapement and balance wheel in rotating cage and negating the effect of gravity when the watch is rotated
The watchmaker got the patent for Tourbillon invention in the year of 1801 and as we come to know in the documents of Breguet Company there were being manufactured about 50 pieces of the pocket watches, equipped with this amazing mechanism, within the period from 1805 to 1823.
What was the uniqueness of this invention? The watchmaker had made the balance, performing only oscillating motion before, revolve on its axis while the balance frequency decrease was compensated by its increase on the coming turn. To solve this purely technical problem Breguet set on the separately rotating frame the balance axis support and the trigger necessary to transfer the force. Trigger, consisting of lever fork and lever wheels, broke the rotation of gearwheels and made it interrupted.
1. Watch with hours and minutes indication
А. Normal position of the winder;
С. Setting of the current time: in this position of the winder the battery feed stops. Rotating the winder, You change the current time on your watch. If your watch indicate seconds, you can synchronize it with the precise time signals on the radio or TV. For this purpose you should wait until the second hand reaches the full hour (12 o’clock), and then pull the wider in (С) position. After set the right time you need and turn the wider in (А) position at the moment of precise time signal transmission.
2. Watch with date indicator
В. Position for changing the date: to change the date, pull the winder in the intermediate position (В). Then, depending on the model of Your watch, turn the winder in the forward or backward direction. During this operation Your watch keeps running, so time adjustment is of no need. Besides if Your watch indicates days of the week, You can change them rotating the winder in the direction opposite to that one you apply to set the date. In this case time adjustment is also of no need.
The mechanism of the automatic change of day of the week or date turns on in the period between 8 pm and 2 am. To perform adjustment at this time is not recommended. If you are not going to use your watch within a certain period of time, we advise you to set the winder in position (С). The mechanism feed would be stopped, and in this case the service life of your watch increases.
А. Neutral (non-prolonged) position:
is assigned for manual winding in case when the watch has not been worn for more than 40 hours. Some airtight watch models waterproof up to 100 or 200 meters are equipped with screwed winder, which when screwed up provides total watertightness. If you wish to wind your watch, you should unscrew the winder first.
В. Medium (half-prolonged) position:
is used for setting the date by clockwise rotation of the winder (4) and day-of-the-week setting by counterclockwise rotation of the winder (5).
С. Fully prolonged position:
is necessary for time setting (hours and minutes). Rotating the winder in this position, you set the right time you need. In this position the second hand (3) stops, which permits to synchronize Your watch with precise time signal on the radio or TV.
The up-to-date replicas are of a very high quality and they are made applying the latest techniques.
Probably you have already got the original but you fear to loose it or to be robbed.
Anyway, there can be all kinds of considerations: moral, legal and economical.
The majority of people buying replica products simply cannot afford themselves their originals.
At last, is there anybody having spare $ 10000 – 15000 to spend it on the watch?
These are basically the people who want to look good without laying empty the wallet.
There a large variety of occupations which demand pleasant appearance such as, for example, broker, lawyer or businessman.
Of course, your $10000 watch would definitely reflect your income level! And there’s hardly a many who doesn’t wish to do business with such a man!
There are various kinds of perpetual calendar mechanism (indicating, numerical, mixed, having a leap year indicator or the one without it, with numerical year counter).
Including all its components, it is placed on the additional plate.
It is being attached from the face’s side on the basic mechanism plate and covered by watch face itself from top.
Usually perpetual calendars are made with automatic mechanisms so as to keep up the correct date when watch stay still, for example on the shop window.
In this way the special-purpose swinging electric driven supports are very useful.
The value of perpetual calendar function except its daily demand is the high technical complexity.
Due to large number of elements it is quite a difficult thing to make up a compact mechanism.
It needs long and laborious manual synchronization as well, and it should guarantee the correctness of indication and possibility of setting in case of unforeseen and long stop.
As a rule, in the models with diminutive correctors on the side edges of the watch case, the setting is possible only while the hands stay in some definite position, when the adjustment of one indicator doesn’t spoil the operation of another.
Designer watches of the past century: Eternal Classic
I often have to answer a question: “Is it true that no one chooses round watch now and prefers only square or rectangular?”
Once again I say: not true!
Comparing watches on case shape is the same as evaluating a book on cover color or thickness.
Everything is good: circle and square, barrel and cushion.
Really, a thing born about a century ago cannot be always relevant.
Over a hundred years, designers tried everything.
In addition to circle, rectangle, barrel and cushion, designers also experimented with cubes, trapezoids, triangles (all of these forms are available in different Corum models), hearts (Chopard), hexagons (Daniel Roth and Cedric Joner), spheres (Piaget), and full-blown flower buds (Van Cleef & Arpels, Piaget and Jaeger-LeCoultre).
They even tried to create a wristwatch in the form of a lipstick tube (de Grisogono), car (A. Dunhill), and even water drop crashed against the surface (Angular Momentum).
Automatic Cartier Santos 100 Chronograph. Price: 9000 euro.
The list goes on.
Loyal watchmakers’ customers choose much more interesting item.
We choose a wonderful synthesis of all above-mentioned forms: round face with a powerful multi-faceted bezel, which is bolted to case with powerful screws.
Horology seems to have reached Olympic Heights and continues to rapidly evolve and develop.
Inspired craftsmen and artisans demonstrate their unique creative “Ego” demonstrating new ideas and opportunities.
An ongoing struggle for supremacy in time and space results in new concepts.
Developing Grande Complication watch is a necessary condition and real opportunity to promote a brand as a likely contender to be the first in watch hierarchy.
These efforts resulted in emergence of sophisticated vintage models produced in a few dozen copies (at times), or even singly.
Many of them are able to decorate the highest rank watch collection.
However, most of presented models here are destined to go down in watchmaking art history and make some kind of a world watch collection, which are complex instruments for time measurement.
The definition of Grande Complication involves watches featuring at least two expensive functions that require great skills.
These include minute repeater, tourbillon, alarum, perpetual calendar, chronograph (including split-chronograph).
At the time, these functions were specifically designed for most significant models of pocket watches.
Today, mentioned functions still prove the highest skill of Swiss watchmakers.
They managed to scale down complex mechanisms consisting of more than hundreds of components to fit them into a small watch case and place numerous marks on a few centimeter face.
It is these masterpieces that play a significant role in enhancing watch brand prestige.
In classic version, the name of Grande Complication can only be applied to watches featuring perpetual calendar, split-chronograph, minute repeater, big and small chime.
Part of Patek Philippe Star Caliber 2000 face.
This complicated pocket watch is the world’s third item in terms of functions.
In addition to numerous additional faces, the picture shows sunrise/sunset indicator with two transparent segments of two shades of blue – for day and night. Continue reading →
Modern world offers one numerous ways to highlight own image.
However, people rarely see the difference between luxury watch and quite expensive model.
Potential buyer should mind such things as quality, warranty and brand name.
Everyone chooses proper priority.
Still, quality is the only stable thing in this world.
When you face cheapest prices for replica watches, avoid being tempted by best offers.
A cheapskate pays twice.
A miser pays twice.
Remember the old saying, while choosing between a 50 and 550 dollar copy watch.
Craftsmen are now manufacturing high-quality copies that are absolutely identical to originals.
Forget about cheap low-quality items that only feature a brand name.
Only a high-quality replica watch is able to provide you accuracy of movement, solid case and long service life.
This is a way out for those not ready to spend several thousand dollars on a luxury original.
In case you’ve made up your mind to buy a high-quality copy watch, be sure to search for the right manufacturer.
Many people have already singed their feathers while purchasing low-budget Chinese copies offered at dingy websites.
We would like to warn you about possible risks a potential buyer may face.
Consider not only a brand inscription on a model, but also its quality peculiarities.
You are not so wealthy to waste money buying a watch that will last for a year or less.
So, a low price shall not becloud your mind. Continue reading →
Valjoux (in honor of the Vallée de Joux, «Joux Valley») is a Swiss watch movement manufacturer.
Manufacture is known mainly for their chronograph movements, used in middle and high price range watches.
Manufactory became a part of ETA and now enters Swatch Group.
As part of Swatch Group, Valjoux division is responsible for Valjoux ETA 7750 and its variations (7751, 7753, 7754) design and manufacture.
These variations are extremely popular and applied in most mechanical chronographs on today’s market.
The movement was released on July 1, 1974 in an alpine Vallee de Joux (Les Bioux).
This place is known for its Valjoux SA factory.
Predecessors: calibers 72, 72c, 88, (18000 half-oscillations per hour), 7734.
Previous designs with column wheel were quite good, but rather expensive.
So Valjoux rationalized them and released caliber 7750.
It featured high functional reliability and ease of production.
However, convenience of maintenance and aesthetics of appearance somehow decreased.
There are more than 24 caliber versions.
It is used in more than one hundred different watch models.
Famous brands that use basic (or with modifications) Valjoux mechanisms include: Frank Muller, Omega, Panerai, Longines, Tissot, Oris, TAG Heuer, IWC, Porsche Design, and so on.
Mechanism features high reliability, ruggedness and precision.
Caliber 7750 and its derivatives represent a chic, durable, piercing mechanism.
It is shockproof and has excellent accuracy.
Caliber is produced in several varieties: with automatic and manual winding, lunar calendar.
Caliber 7750 belongs to the majority of mid-market watches.
As we already written, given mechanism is easy used and repaired.
Today, all AAA class replica watches (Swiss grade) with chronograph function are assembled based on Valjoux 7750 (7751) of Asian assembly.
Do not believe, when you are told Valjoux 7750 replica watch is Swiss made.
All Valjoux 7750 movements for copies of watches are assembled in Asia.
They feature same characteristics as mechanisms assembled in Switzerland.
Therefore, such replica watches are named Swiss grade.
Chronograph functions:
When you press the top button, stopwatch is started.
If you press the top button again, stopwatch is paused.
Press the top button one more time, and the reading will continue.
Press the bottom button during pause to reset timing (reset all timer indices to zero)
Resetting can be performed only when stopwatch is paused.
Result: the top button is responsible for stopwatch “START-PAUSE”.
Lower button serves to reset the stopwatch.
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