Oct 07, 2006
I am a businessman and I have very many things to do and many people that I need to meet every day. I used to have a notebook where I would write down things I need to accomplish but one day I have lost it and had to call people and ask what I planned to do next. Then I have bought this watch and it is my best gadget that helps me with scheduling my time.
It is a very precise watch and its accuracy is +/- 30 seconds per month. Besides, its main function of telling you the time it can also store some memos for you. You can store up to 300 memos which is very great. It is enough for me to plan the whole week and that is what I do. Later on if I need to make some appointment I can just add it to the list.
The advantage that this thing has and the notebook does not have is that you can find any memo very quickly. There is a function in this gadget watch that allows you to find the memo by its initial letter. I use it all the time and it is very convenient to retrieve the information so quickly.
This gadget has also a chronometer which is very precise. It is 1/100 second stopwatch. You can use it when you work out sometimes or for things like that. Besides, the back light is bright and you will be able to see the information anytime you would like. There is also a countdown alarm which is use frequently when I work out at home. Sometimes I forget to stop because I like sports and I need something to remind me to stop myself.
The thing that I like about this gadget watch is that it has a calculator built in. The calculator is also very sophisticated. It can calculate some big functions and numbers but I use only the basic features of it. The buttons are pretty small and I have to use a pen to work with the calculator but I always have one with me when I need it.
Speaking about time: there is a feature built into this gadget that allows you to choose the time zone you are in. This watch it will adjust the time to the zone where you are at the moment.
The main function that a watch should have I think is the alarm. For a very busy man like me it is very important to not miss any appointment or to wake up very early. So this alarm helps me very much sometimes.
It is of course water resistant and has also a calendar built in. The calendar is preprogrammed to the year 2094. This gadget can replace a note book and it will save you some time and some nerves.
You can of course say that there are cell phones and other devices that can be used for the same purpose. However, you can loose your cell phone or your note book but it is very unlikely that you loose a watch.
This watch looks somewhat bulky and old style but I think that functionality comes first and then you can think about the look.
» Comments
Nov 13, 2006 11:46 PM » posted by: Tock Mikly
new is always better and this gadget is not an exception
Nov 11, 2006 04:54 AM » posted by: ponty
surely you cannot pass this gadget
Nov 10, 2006 11:13 AM » posted by: Jager
I think if I don't get me one of those gadgets in the next few days, I'm gonna do something to myself!
Nov 10, 2006 01:49 AM » posted by: Spark
I think if I don't get me one of those gadgets in the next few days, I'm gonna do something to myself!
Nov 09, 2006 11:23 AM » posted by: Vipen
I guess I could use some of these gadgets: for me, for my girlfriend and for my dog.
Nov 08, 2006 10:41 AM » posted by: Unknown
WOW! I want this gadget and I want it now. Do you know where can I get one of these?
Nov 08, 2006 10:40 AM » posted by: Veronika
Hey!!! I know this watch. One of my friends has such a gadget. We always have a lot of fun with it!
Nov 08, 2006 10:39 AM » posted by: Gray
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At the national air museum.
Nov 07, 2006 11:16 AM » posted by: Zingan
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Rabu, 13 Februari 2008
Tips for choosing the right watch
-Question yourself why you want to buy a watch is the first thing you should do when you are looking for a new one. Do you want a dress watch or sport watch? Does your watch have to served some important function and need to specially precisely display the time Try to find out your purpose so that you can pick the best suitable watch which fit your need, style and taste perfectly.
-Define your price and consider the appropriateness of the quality and price as well as purchasing ability.
-There are several essential factors you should think about, your lifestyle and your environment.
* If you have a casual lifestyle and love to doing outdoor activities and playing the sports, the best watch for you are a water resistant sport watch with a stainless steel bracelet which make you look nice for everyday wear and every activities.
* A sports-enthusiast consider a chronograph-a watch that can function as a stopwatch.
* If you are a besiness man or woman and want a watch supporting your professional image, think about a classic watch with a timeless design. For a traditional look, pick a small square or rectangular dial with a leather strap. For a modern look, select a large round dial with a two-tone metal bracelet blending steel and gold.
* If you are looking for a watch to wear in a formal settings or special occasions, you may want a magnificent timepiece with more accessory to serve as a precious jewlry. The excellent choices are solid gold or platinum with diamonds or other costly stones.
-Consider what type of maintenance the watch will require.Each type of watch has different method to maintain.Batteries watch should be serviced when the battery is changed but mechanical watch should be serviced and cleaned every three year to keep the best quality of time displaying.
- Learn about the reputation of the watch manufacturer by asking people who already had the types and brands of watches you are looking for.
-Remember that the popular brand name watch doesn’t mean that it is the best choice or high quality.You should research all of your options so that you will find the best watch that suits your need.
-Don’t forget to try on your watch before you walk out the store.Adjust the wrist to a comfortable tightness.Shake your arm from side to side and thrust your hand back and forth to check if it slides up your arm.Be sure that the strap doesn’t so tight that scratch your wrist.
-The place to buy a watch is also important. If you want to look plenty of choice and try on, you should go to the stores which have a various watches and new collection. For people who love to buy online and want more convenience, you are able to purchase from the reliable retailer’s official website.
-Define your price and consider the appropriateness of the quality and price as well as purchasing ability.
-There are several essential factors you should think about, your lifestyle and your environment.
* If you have a casual lifestyle and love to doing outdoor activities and playing the sports, the best watch for you are a water resistant sport watch with a stainless steel bracelet which make you look nice for everyday wear and every activities.
* A sports-enthusiast consider a chronograph-a watch that can function as a stopwatch.
* If you are a besiness man or woman and want a watch supporting your professional image, think about a classic watch with a timeless design. For a traditional look, pick a small square or rectangular dial with a leather strap. For a modern look, select a large round dial with a two-tone metal bracelet blending steel and gold.
* If you are looking for a watch to wear in a formal settings or special occasions, you may want a magnificent timepiece with more accessory to serve as a precious jewlry. The excellent choices are solid gold or platinum with diamonds or other costly stones.
-Consider what type of maintenance the watch will require.Each type of watch has different method to maintain.Batteries watch should be serviced when the battery is changed but mechanical watch should be serviced and cleaned every three year to keep the best quality of time displaying.
- Learn about the reputation of the watch manufacturer by asking people who already had the types and brands of watches you are looking for.
-Remember that the popular brand name watch doesn’t mean that it is the best choice or high quality.You should research all of your options so that you will find the best watch that suits your need.
-Don’t forget to try on your watch before you walk out the store.Adjust the wrist to a comfortable tightness.Shake your arm from side to side and thrust your hand back and forth to check if it slides up your arm.Be sure that the strap doesn’t so tight that scratch your wrist.
-The place to buy a watch is also important. If you want to look plenty of choice and try on, you should go to the stores which have a various watches and new collection. For people who love to buy online and want more convenience, you are able to purchase from the reliable retailer’s official website.
Most Luxurious Ladies Watches around the World
1. Vacheron Constantin
Vacheron Constantin comes up with latest feminine collection beating women’s heart.This elegant and magnificent ladies timepiece is made up from a number of diamonds (brilliant cut) or 1329 diamonds which weigh 6.30 Carat. Feel the luxury with white gold watch and gold bracelet. This gracious time piece works with quartz movement and is water-resistant up to 30 meters.
For further information: http://www.vacheron-constantin.com/
2. Blancpain
Blancpain surprise you with the supreme and classy collection for special ladies like you. Complication watch lovers get ready to meet this sophisticated watch including complete calendar and moon phase. Clear vision with white dial decorated with mother- of- pearl. Look excellent with 26 polished diamonds.
Ref. 3253-6044-56B
For further information: http://www.blancpain.ch/e/collections/women_s_collection/women/moon_phase/white_gold_set/3253_6044_56b
3. Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet offers extremely unique watches for classy women. With distinctive style showing the magnificent black dial enriched with 383 brilliant-cut diamonds(1.95 carats) and 26 marquise-cut diamonds(3.20 carats),the excellent timepiece contains black moire satin strap and 18-carat white gold case.
Ref. 67493BC.ZZ.A002MR.01
For further information: http://www.audemarspiguet.com/en/timepieces/ladies_ie.html?collection=1
4. Girard-Perregaux
Girard-Perregaux create special collection for ladies. Spectacular with the classic style and special function small chronograph;column-wheel chronograph,small second and automatic winding. Excellent dial are made with sapphire crystal with gliding case embedded with 38 diamonds.
Ref.80440D11AB11-BKBA
For more information: http://www.girard-perregaux.com/collection/collection_detail_en.aspx?id=4&id_montre=29&id_declinaison=115
5.Breguet
One of the Swiss watch manufacturer proudly offers luxury watches for classy women. De Naples wristwatch is the princess of pearl made from18-carat white gold and decorated with Bezel, caseb and set with 76 baguette diamonds, approx. 6.06 cts. Distinctive dial is made from silvered gold and tempting with 0.09ct at 6 o’clock pear-cut diamond. Sweeten your personality with pink bracelet made with natural pink Akoya pearls from Tahiti. This beautiful time piece is water-resistant and functions self-winding movement.
For more information : http://www.breguet.com/en/welcome.html
6. Omega
The world-renowned Omega watches provide you magnificent ladies time pieces. Constellation Double Eagle Quartz is bright with yellow gold watch, case and dial made from 18 ct. yellow gold case and white mother-of-pearl with diamonds. Scratch resistant sapphire crystal is anti-reflective. It is also able to water-resistant 100 meters.
Ref.1189.75.00
For further information: http://www.omegawatches.com/index.php?id=599&details=1&ref=11897500&no_cache=1
Vacheron Constantin comes up with latest feminine collection beating women’s heart.This elegant and magnificent ladies timepiece is made up from a number of diamonds (brilliant cut) or 1329 diamonds which weigh 6.30 Carat. Feel the luxury with white gold watch and gold bracelet. This gracious time piece works with quartz movement and is water-resistant up to 30 meters.
For further information: http://www.vacheron-constantin.com/
2. Blancpain
Blancpain surprise you with the supreme and classy collection for special ladies like you. Complication watch lovers get ready to meet this sophisticated watch including complete calendar and moon phase. Clear vision with white dial decorated with mother- of- pearl. Look excellent with 26 polished diamonds.
Ref. 3253-6044-56B
For further information: http://www.blancpain.ch/e/collections/women_s_collection/women/moon_phase/white_gold_set/3253_6044_56b
3. Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet offers extremely unique watches for classy women. With distinctive style showing the magnificent black dial enriched with 383 brilliant-cut diamonds(1.95 carats) and 26 marquise-cut diamonds(3.20 carats),the excellent timepiece contains black moire satin strap and 18-carat white gold case.
Ref. 67493BC.ZZ.A002MR.01
For further information: http://www.audemarspiguet.com/en/timepieces/ladies_ie.html?collection=1
4. Girard-Perregaux
Girard-Perregaux create special collection for ladies. Spectacular with the classic style and special function small chronograph;column-wheel chronograph,small second and automatic winding. Excellent dial are made with sapphire crystal with gliding case embedded with 38 diamonds.
Ref.80440D11AB11-BKBA
For more information: http://www.girard-perregaux.com/collection/collection_detail_en.aspx?id=4&id_montre=29&id_declinaison=115
5.Breguet
One of the Swiss watch manufacturer proudly offers luxury watches for classy women. De Naples wristwatch is the princess of pearl made from18-carat white gold and decorated with Bezel, caseb and set with 76 baguette diamonds, approx. 6.06 cts. Distinctive dial is made from silvered gold and tempting with 0.09ct at 6 o’clock pear-cut diamond. Sweeten your personality with pink bracelet made with natural pink Akoya pearls from Tahiti. This beautiful time piece is water-resistant and functions self-winding movement.
For more information : http://www.breguet.com/en/welcome.html
6. Omega
The world-renowned Omega watches provide you magnificent ladies time pieces. Constellation Double Eagle Quartz is bright with yellow gold watch, case and dial made from 18 ct. yellow gold case and white mother-of-pearl with diamonds. Scratch resistant sapphire crystal is anti-reflective. It is also able to water-resistant 100 meters.
Ref.1189.75.00
For further information: http://www.omegawatches.com/index.php?id=599&details=1&ref=11897500&no_cache=1
Popular Brands of Ladies Watches
1. Rolex
All of watch lovers are sure to be familiar with the name Rolex. This renowned watch maker originated in Switzerland. Rolex has a great reputation for their high quality, supreme style and high price. This famous watch is not only a beautiful time piece but also a symbol of wealth and power. Rolex is the most reliable timepiece in the world. Moreover it is able to endure in all kind of sports and adventures.
2. Cartier
This is one of the popular classic watches for ladies. With it’s precision, quality and excellent image, Cartier remains the best watch with solid and enduring timepiece which watch adorers love to wear or even collect. Moreover, it is also rare and superb masterpiece as a symbol of elegance and sophistication of the wearer.
3. DKNY
DKNY is fashionable, reliable and elegant time piece for women of the modern age.
This name came from the abbreviation of Donna Karen and Anne Klein whose reputation in the world of fashionable clothes and accessories are greatly familiar.
DKNY watches have exclusive, chic style as well as excellent quality so you can be sure that you will never be late for any important dates.
4. Gucci
Gucci is also the name which came from the fashion world of clothes and accessories. Gucci watches are created in a boutique,elegant, modern and sexy style tempting watch lovers to own one themselves.
5. Guess
These watches are suitable for every woman whether you are a student, business woman or sport loving girl. Guess watches collection offers you a variety of the watch styles include sport,retro, bold, modern , classic and so on. You can discover your perfect timepiece which is precise, reliable and affordable.
6. Swatch
Let Swatch jazz up your life and change your look to become modern and fashionable. Swatch watches are the trendy, stylish and reliable. In addition, Swatch is a sophisticated timepiece for a young at heart person who wants to be unique. Find Swatch at every watch store and pick a perfect one matching you.
7. TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer is an exceptional and superb timepiece. It is the most popular brand for watches for long time and still remains a favorite for a number of watch lovers. This world famous watch was invented in Switzerland and gain a great reputation for its precision, aesthetic design, and surpass quality. TAG Heuer never stop drawing watch lovers who adore simple but classic styles of itself.
8. Seiko
Seiko is precise,reliable,affordable and accessible to everyone.Whether you are a young lady,a student, a professional or stay-at-home mom ,Seiko is the perfect timepiece for you. With high technology and wonderful quality,Seiko never let anyone down when you decide to purchase it. Seiko always come up with a pretty styles attracting watch lovers around the world.
All of watch lovers are sure to be familiar with the name Rolex. This renowned watch maker originated in Switzerland. Rolex has a great reputation for their high quality, supreme style and high price. This famous watch is not only a beautiful time piece but also a symbol of wealth and power. Rolex is the most reliable timepiece in the world. Moreover it is able to endure in all kind of sports and adventures.
2. Cartier
This is one of the popular classic watches for ladies. With it’s precision, quality and excellent image, Cartier remains the best watch with solid and enduring timepiece which watch adorers love to wear or even collect. Moreover, it is also rare and superb masterpiece as a symbol of elegance and sophistication of the wearer.
3. DKNY
DKNY is fashionable, reliable and elegant time piece for women of the modern age.
This name came from the abbreviation of Donna Karen and Anne Klein whose reputation in the world of fashionable clothes and accessories are greatly familiar.
DKNY watches have exclusive, chic style as well as excellent quality so you can be sure that you will never be late for any important dates.
4. Gucci
Gucci is also the name which came from the fashion world of clothes and accessories. Gucci watches are created in a boutique,elegant, modern and sexy style tempting watch lovers to own one themselves.
5. Guess
These watches are suitable for every woman whether you are a student, business woman or sport loving girl. Guess watches collection offers you a variety of the watch styles include sport,retro, bold, modern , classic and so on. You can discover your perfect timepiece which is precise, reliable and affordable.
6. Swatch
Let Swatch jazz up your life and change your look to become modern and fashionable. Swatch watches are the trendy, stylish and reliable. In addition, Swatch is a sophisticated timepiece for a young at heart person who wants to be unique. Find Swatch at every watch store and pick a perfect one matching you.
7. TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer is an exceptional and superb timepiece. It is the most popular brand for watches for long time and still remains a favorite for a number of watch lovers. This world famous watch was invented in Switzerland and gain a great reputation for its precision, aesthetic design, and surpass quality. TAG Heuer never stop drawing watch lovers who adore simple but classic styles of itself.
8. Seiko
Seiko is precise,reliable,affordable and accessible to everyone.Whether you are a young lady,a student, a professional or stay-at-home mom ,Seiko is the perfect timepiece for you. With high technology and wonderful quality,Seiko never let anyone down when you decide to purchase it. Seiko always come up with a pretty styles attracting watch lovers around the world.
Jumat, 01 Februari 2008
Rabu, 30 Januari 2008
History of Watch
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)The Wrist watch (a watch worn on the wrist) was first sold by Patek Phillipe Co. in the late 1880s. It was originally a woman’s accessory but it was eventually found to be a useful tool for pilots.
Pilot watch
A Pilot watch is a wristwatch with special features (compass, stopwatch, etc.), traditionally used by the pilots of aircraft.
The first such use was by the Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont. While testing out his new aeroplane in the early 1900s,
Today there are a few manufacturers specialised in Pilot watches:
Military use
Wrist watches gained more popularity in World War I, when officers began to realize that they were more convenient than pocket watches in battle. Also, because the pocket watch was more of a middle class item, the working class soldiers usually owned wrist watches, which they brought with them to their service. Artillery and infantry officers depended on these watches as battles became more complicated, because attacks needed to be coordinated at precise moments. Wrist watches were found to be needed in the air as much as on the ground: military pilots found them more convenient than pocket watches for the same reasons as Santos-Dumont had. Eventually, army contractors manufactured watches en masse for both infantry soldiers and pilots. In World War II, a popular watch of most American airmen was the A-11: it had a simple black face and clear white numbers for easy readability, and it met the aviator’s basic needs.
Post-war development
After the war, the returning officers kept their watches and wore them back home, popularizing them among the middle class. The middle class helped the item develop into more than a means of keeping time. The standards for pilot watches were raised, and they became much more advanced, including features like chronometers and slide rules. (Chronometers are clocks especially used in navigation, designed to have sufficient long-term accuracy and precision, while slide rules are mechanical calculators that can make rapid, approximate scientific and engineering calculations, such as time, distance and speed equations.) The popularization of the pilot watch among the middle class also made it an accessory; companies designed impressive looking watches out of stainless steel, leather, and mineral crystal, with showy gold and silver accents, elaborate faces covered in various numbers, rotating crowns, and numerous widgets all in one package.
Watch Overview
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Overview Watch movements
Mechanical movements
Tuning-fork movements
Electronic movements
Radio-controlled movements
Overview
A watch is a timepiece that is to be worn on a person, as opposed to a clock which is not. The term now usually refers to a wristwatch, which is worn on the wrist with a strap, while a pocketwatch, the common type before World War I, is carried in a pocket and often has an attached chain to lift it out. Watches evolved in the 1600s from spring powered clocks, which appeared in the 1400s. In addition to the time, modern watches often display the day, date, month and year, and electronic watches may have many other functions.
The most common type of watch is the wristwatch, worn on the wrist and fastened with a watchband made of leather, nylon or other plastics (then called strap), metal links (called bracelet) or even ceramic. Before the inexpensive miniaturization that became possible in the 20th century, most watches were pocket watches, which had covers and were carried separately, often in a pocket and attached to a watch chain or watch fob.
In the 21st century, technological advances in metallurgy, composite materials development and physical vapor deposition greatly influence watch design and manufacturing. Solid stainless steel, titanium, tungsten carbide, carbon fiber, high-tech ceramic and ion plating processes dominate a considerable market share of today's modern watch-making industry. Sapphire crystals are often incorporated to complement and enhance the durability of a quality watch.
Most inexpensive and medium-priced watches used mainly for timekeeping are electronic watches with quartz movements. The most accurate watches have radio-controlled movements that are miniaturized, portable versions of radio clocks. Expensive, collectible watches valued more for their workmanship and aesthetic appeal than for simple timekeeping, often have purely mechanical movements and are powered by springs, even though mechanical movements are less accurate than more affordable quartz movements.
Pocket Timepieces
In the 15th century, navigation and mapping increased the desire for portability in timekeeping. The latitude could be measured by looking at the stars, but the only way a ship could measure its longitude was by comparing the midday (high noon) time of the local longitude to that of a European meridian (usually Paris or Greenwich)—a time kept on a shipboard clock. However, the process was notoriously unreliable until the introduction of John Harrison's marine chronometer. For that reason, most maps from the 15th century through the 19th century have precise latitudes but distorted longitudes.
The first reasonably accurate mechanical clocks measured time with simple weighted pendulums, which are unworkable when irregular movement of the fulcrum occur whether at sea or in watches. The invention of a spring mechanism was crucial for portable clocks. In TudorEngland, the development of "pocket-clockes" was enabled by the development of reliable springs and escapement mechanisms, which allowed clockmakers to compress a timekeeping device into a small, portable compartment.
In 1524, Peter Henlein created the first pocket watch.[1] It is rumored that Henry VIII (the portrait of Henry VIII at this link shows the medallion thought to be the back of his watch) had a pocket clock which he kept on a chain around his neck. However, these watches only had an hour hand—a minute hand would have been useless because of the inaccuracy of the watch mechanism. Eventually, miniaturization of these spring-based designs allowed for accurate portable timepieces (marine chronometers) which worked well even at sea.
In 1850, Aaron Lufkin Dennison founded Waltham Watch Company, which was the pioneer of the industrial manufacturing of pocket watches with interchangeable parts, the American System of Watch Manufacturing.
Breguet developed the first self-winding watch known as the perpetual in 1780.
Parts
The first two are key mechanisms within any mechanical watch of classical design; the third is optional:
- The escapement – a mechanism that controls and limits the unwinding of the watch, converting what would otherwise be a simple unwinding, into a controlled and periodic
- The balance wheel together with the balance spring(also known as Hairspring) – these form a simple harmonic oscillator, which controls the motion of the gear system of the watch in a manner analogous to the pendulum of a pendulum clock. This is possible because the moment of inertia of the balance wheel is fixed, and the wheel as a whole provides a regular motion of known period.
- The tourbillon – a rotating frame for the escapement. It is intended to cancel out or reduce the effects of bias to the timekeeping of gravitational origin, which might result from the watch being kept in a particular position for much of the day. It is technically very challenging to create a high quality tourbillon, and those made by specialists and found in prestige watches are often very highly valued.
Watch movements
A movement in watchmaking is the mechanism that measures the passage of time and displays the current time (and possibly other information including date, month and day). Movements may be entirely mechanical, entirely electronic (potentially with no moving parts), or a blend of the two. Most watches intended mainly for timekeeping today have electronic movements, with mechanical hands on the face of the watch indicating the time.
Mechanical movements
Purely mechanical watches are still popular, although they are most commonly seen among medium priced watches such as Fortis, Mido and TAG Heuer, and expensive watches like Patek Phillipe, Omega, Vacheron Constantin, A. Lange & Söhne, Rolex, Ulysse Nardin and Audemars Piguet. Their superb craftsmanship accounts for much of the attraction of purely mechanical watches. Compared to electronic movements, mechanical watches are inaccurate, often with errors of seconds per day. They are frequently sensitive to position and temperature, they are costly to produce, they require regular maintenance and adjustment, and they are more prone to failure.
Generally speaking, inexpensive and moderately priced timepieces with electronic movements now provide most users with timekeeping more accurate than the most expensive Rolex or Patek Phillipe. The most expensive, diamond encrusted Rolex contains a similar movement as its less expensive C.O.S.C rated brethren and all modern models can keep time to within 1 second a day. However, in recent times there has been less emphasis on one's watch for time precision as many people now carry multiple devices that will tell them the time accurately such as mobile phones, PDAs and laptops, these finely crafted mechanical watches have remained popular as precision time pieces and in many cases more so because of their aesthetic value as jewellery.
Tuning-fork movements
Tuning fork watches (introduced by Bulova in 1960) use a tuning fork at a precise frequency (most often 360 hertz) to drive a mechanical watch. Since the fork is used in place of a typical balance wheel, these watches naturally hum instead of tick.
The inventor, Max Hetzel, was born in
Such watches were also sold by Swiss watch companies under license of Bulova. In 1974, after leaving Bulova, Hetzel developed a different tuning fork drive for Omega Watches. The watch featured a cal. 1220 micromotor, and a tuning fork frequency of 720 hertz.[5] This development was obsolete compared to the newer electronic quartz watch which had become cheaper to produce and even more accurate.
Tuning fork movements are electromechanical. The task of converting electronically pulsed fork vibration into rotary movement is done via two tiny jeweled fingers, called pawls, one of which is connected to one of the tuning fork's tines. As the fork vibrates, the pawls precisely ratchet a tiny index wheel. This index wheel has over 300 barely visible teeth and spins more than 38 million times per year. The tiny electric coils that drive the tuning fork have 8000 turns of insulated copper wire with a diameter of 0.015 mm and a length of 90 meters. This amazing feat of engineering was prototyped in the 1950s.
Electronic movements
Electronic movements have few or no moving parts. Essentially, all modern electronic movements use the piezoelectric effect in a tiny quartz crystal to provide a stable time base for a mostly electronic movement: the crystal forms a quartz oscillator which resonates at a specific and highly stable frequency, and which can be used to accurately pace a timekeeping mechanism. For this reason, electronic watches are often called quartz watches. Most quartz movements are primarily electronic but are geared to drive mechanical hands on the face of the watch in order to provide a traditional analog display of the time, which is still preferred by most consumers.
The first prototypes of electronic quartz watches were made by the CEH research laboratory in Switzerland in 1962. The first quartz watch to enter production was the Seiko 35 SQ Astron, which appeared in 1969. Modern quartz movements are produced in very large quantities, and even the cheapest wristwatches typically have quartz movements.
The best quartz movements are significantly more accurate than the worst, but the difference is much smaller than that found between mechanical movements and quartz movements. Quartz movements, even in their most inexpensive forms, are an order of magnitude more accurate than purely mechanical movements. Whereas mechanical movements can typically be off by several seconds a day, an inexpensive quartz movement in a child's wristwatch may still be accurate to within 500 milliseconds per day—ten times better than a mechanical movement.
Quartz mechanisms usually have a resonant frequency of 32768 Hz, chosen for ease of use (being 215). Using a simple 15 stage divide-by-two circuit, this is turned into a 1 pulse per second signal responsible for the watch's keeping of time.
Recently, efforts have been made to combine the best features of quartz and mechanical movements. For example, the Seiko Spring Drive, introduced in 2005, uses a mainspring to power both a mechanical movement and, via a generator, a quartz regulator that controls its speed. The result is claimed to be a timepiece that operates as a mechanical watch, but with quartz accuracy.
Radio-controlled movements
Some electronic quartz watches are able to synchronize (time transfer) themselves with an external time source. These sources include radio time signals directly driven by atomic clocks, time signals from GPS navigation satellites, the German DCF77 signal in Europe, WWVB in the
Because these watches are regulated by an external time source of extraordinarily high accuracy, they are never off by more than a small fraction of a second a day (depending on the quality of their quartz movements), as long as they can receive the external time signals that they expect. Additionally, their long-term accuracy is comparable to that of the external time signals they receive, which in most cases (such as GPS signals and special radio transmissions of time based on atomic clocks) is better than one second in three million years. For all practical purposes, then, radio-controlled wristwatches keep near perfect time.
Movements of this type synchronize not only the time of day but also the date, the leap-yeardaylight saving time (on or off). They obtain all of this information from the external signals that they receive. Because of this continual automatic updating, they never require manual setting or resetting.
A disadvantage of radio-controlled movements is that they cannot synchronize if radio reception conditions are poor. Even in this case, however, they will simply run autonomously with the same accuracy as a normal quartz watch until they are next able to synchronize.
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