Mechanical, Quartz … Or Maybe Both
By Bianca Placido

The world of watches is a world with its own history, its own traditions and its own heroes. First timepieces were created several centuries ago, representing a new step in the area of innovations and art. The oldest brand is considered to be Vacheron Constantin the foundation of which dates back to 1755. Nevertheless watches were created much earlier.

The first wristwatch was designed by Patek Philippe only at the end of the 19th century. The now famous Swiss watchmaking brand created its first wristwatch for ladies. Later at the beginning of the 20th century with the help of the famous Brazillian aviator, Cartier designed a wristwatch exclusively for men. The timepiece was called Santos and it became well-known and highly appreciated firstly by aviators and then by the public as a whole.

The dilemma which occurred in 1980s dealt with the choice between the mechanical timepieces and the quartz. The latter, mainly from Japan, invaded the market of timepieces during the 1980s, creating a huge issue for the Swiss manufacturers who found themselves in a choice between adapting to the quartz movements or remaining dedicated to the tradition of creating mechanical self-winding movements.

Because of the less expensive price the watches that were powered by the battery became very popular among the middle class. That is why the Swiss manufacturers thought of creating special line of quartz movement watches. Comparing the two types of mechanism there should be stated the fact that quartz watches are more precise than the mechanical self-winding watches. The price is another big advantage.

Although very expensive, the timepieces created by the Swiss manufacturers found its customers among various enthusiasts and collectors all over the world. Today's watches with mechanical movement are highly appreciated thanks to their complications; imagine timepieces that have from about 50 and till 800 or more component parts linked together and accurately places within a small case.

The reason for the high demand of luxury watches is also

their unique designs and various gems and diamonds that cover the timepieces. Some people, with the help of the watches from the famous Swiss watchmaking brands, outline their personality and maintain their status.

In order to enlarge their activity the Swiss manufacturers decided to create watches that would encompass both: a mechanical movement and a quartz one. The fusion of the parallel technologies proved to be revolutionary since the watches became more precise in timekeeping and at the same time kept their traditional aspects.

In creating their timepieces the Swiss manufacturers require much time and patience since each and every component part is accurately made and linked to another part to form a mechanism. At the same time each diamond or brilliant is hand-picked and hand-crafted in order to have a smooth and elegant design.

It is quite obvious that there are people who are passionate about mechanical movements but unfortunately cannot afford buying them since the price varies from about 1000 dollars till 1,5 million dollars. For this particular category there exist replica watches that include both an elegant design and precise movement. Replica watches are copies of the famous Swiss brands, that is why their prices are much lower.

You won't be disappointed about having one of the timepieces on your wrist because the designs are accurately copied to make the watch look elegant and fashionable. There's a wide range of replica watches on online shops, from classic till modern and from sporty till glamorous. About the Author:

Bianca Placido is actively involved in writing Web content mainly about a wide range of prestigious watch brands: http://www.cool-watches.com and their most popular watch collections. The author's articles are published at sites that contain information about wristwatches or dealing with selling watches on-line:http://www.watch-clone.com/articles-panerai2.html: Panerai replica watch. Bianca Placido also studies the issues related to the sphere of the watch-making business.