Swiss Watch Movement

Wearing a ,Swiss watch carries distinction but requires a serious financial investment. No one wants to make such a purchase only to end up disappointed. Before laying down your cash, learn what constitutes a Swiss watch. Not all watches claiming to be Swiss, for instance, are made in Switzerland. Shopping with some basic criteria in mind keeps buyer's remorse at bay.

Quartz Watches

Quartz watches are powered using a combination of a battery and quartz crystal and is one of the most reliable time keeping machines. The battery passes an electric current through the quartz crystal, which in turn vibrates the quartz. The vibration from the quartz moves a step motor that moves the hands of the clock to keep perfect time. The battery carries a long life of one and a half years, sometimes longer. This is one of the most cost efficient watches, as quartz watches require very little maintenance.

Mechanical Watches

Before batteries were invented, most people used mechanical watches. These watches have a complex and intricate combination of gears and springs that work together to keep perfect time. For those who prefer the antique winding watches, this type of Swiss watch is for you. Mechanical watches need to be rewound every 36 to 40 hours, but most people wind their mechanical watches every day in order to make sure their watches show the correct time.

Automatic Watches

Automatic watches are more similar to the mechanical than the quartz watches, but instead of being manually wound, this type of Swiss watch is self-wound. This means that when you wear the watch, every time you move your hand, it winds itself, keeping up with the current time. Sometimes this watch does need to be manually wound because it can gain or lose a few minutes during the course of a month.