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If you’re new to the world of watches, it’s likely that you’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of choices available. Finding a watch to buy is very easy, due to the huge variety of options, however, finding the right style, movement and size for yourself is a slightly more difficult task. Finding a good fit for a person is fairly easy, but finding a great fit becomes a little more difficult.
For a start, there are complications within a watch, you may like how a moonphase looks so you want to buy a watch with this feature. You may decide that you need a digital watch because it is rugged, resiliant and reliable. In short, different people need different types of watches.
As you will see, there are many different types of wristwatch from a huge number of different brands. Quality can differentiate greatly much like any other product you can buy. There can be watches worth as much as houses made from the finest materials with the most complicated movements, as well as very poorly constructed watches which don’t even keep accurate time.
Do not be daunted by the sheer variety of watches available. A beginner will get along find with a simple quartz based watch with no complications, where as people more interested in the mechanical side of things may prefer to look into entry-level automatic watches. Rest assured, there is something for everyone.
Table of Contents
Types Of Watch By Movement
Mechanical
Hand Wound
Watches with hand wound movements have the longest history of all. Whilst they aren’t too common in modern day, there are a handful of brands which still make them.
Hand wound watches work by rotating the crown, in turn this coils the mainspring very tightly storing kinetic energy in a very small space. Over time, the mainspring will unwind very slowly which delivers energy to the movement of the watch. This causes the hands and/or any other complications on the watch dial to move.
Automatic
Automatic movements were the next logical step forwards from hand wound watches. From a purely mechanical perspective, automatic watches work in an extremely similar way to to hand wound models. However, the one significant difference which appeals to the modern man is that you do not need to wind the crown.
Instead, an automatic works as its name says it should, by moving your wrist naturally throughout the day, your watch will power itself, which means that an automatic watch doesn’t require any batteries or any manual winding by hand.
One significant difference between automatic and hand wound watches is the case size. This is due to the fact that an automatic watch requires a rotor to make full use of the wrists movement. As a result you will see most mechanical watches are automatic, where as hand wound are specifically made to be ultra-slim in modern day.
Kinetic (Meca-quartz)
Kinetic watches are a hybrid movement of automatic and quartz watches, but are specifically neither one nor the other. Fundamentally, kinetic watches get their original power in the same way that an automatic watch does, by the movement of the wrist making the rotor oscilate.
There difference is that kinetic watches then store this energy in a capacitor which powers a quartz movement. This is not a mechanical movement and is very similar to movements you will find in a traditional quartz watch.
Analog
Quartz
This is the most common movement you will find, if you don’t know what movement your watch uses, it’s likely quartz.
The name quartz may sound intrigueing, but it is actually one of the most common minerals you can find on earth. To function, a very small quartz crystal is placed inside the movement, which is essentially just a very basic electronic circuit. The quartz mineral vibrates at an exact frequency which allows your watch to display a very accurate time (moreso than almost all mechanical watches despite costing a lot less).
Solar
Solar movements are quartz-based, but work in a slightly different way to standard quartz. The most popular brands which use this technology are both Seiko solar watches and Citizen Eco-drive models. These watches draw in light from the sun and other non-natural light sources. This power is then stored in a capacitor which functions in a very similar way to a battery, which then supplies the power needed to the quartz movement.
It should be noted that solar capacitors are a lot more convenienet than regular water batteries since they last a much longer time before a replacement is needed.
Ana-Digi
Analogue digital movements are extremely unusual. Due to the complexity and lack of demand for these type of watches, there are not too many brands that make them. The most notable models of ana-digi movements are examples such as the Citizen Navihawk and the Breitling Aerospace, both of which show a digital display alongside a set of traditional hands.
Fluids
Using fluid to tell the time is very new and groundbreaking. Although not done 100% with fluid alone, the general function of this movement is powered by a typical automatic mechanism. This then pumps liquid around the watch at a speed which is accurate enough to tell the time.
Watches with this type of movement are both rare and very expensive. It is likely that you will never see one in the wild (I have not).
Watch Type List (By Style)
Dress
This type of watch is meant be either smart, casual or both. Dress watches are the kind that you can wear to work with a suit, but also wouldn’t look out of place on the weekend. In other words, this is an everyday watch that you wouldn’t want to take hiking.
Digital
Digital watches are typically marketed towards being more sporty, durable and practical than any regular watch. In terms of functionality, digital watches are great, they are super accurate and have many features such as alarms and stopwatches. Whilst they do not look the most fashionable, people that wear digital type watches do not really care about this and are mostly wearing for practicality.
Sports
In recent years “sports” style watches have changed a lot. Smart watches have taken a huge portion of the original sports watch market as analog watches simply cannot do all the things that a smart watch can.
Instead, sports watches have become a fashion watch in their own right. Mostly these are stainless steel type watches made in racing style themes – with Tag Heuer being a prime example of successfully marketing sports style watches to the mass market.
Tactical / Military
Yet another watch that has had its initial intention turned into a fashion piece. Although tactical and military watches still serve a purpose for the armed forces, warfare has progressed A LOT since the last world war in which there were only mechanical watches to tell the time.
In truth, most people like to wear tactical watches in modern day because they look cool. This type of watch is generally a lot more discrete than any other models and is genuinely useful for outdoor activities.
Smartwatches
Smartwatches are one of the most recent advancements in watch technology. For an industry which hasn’t evolved too much over the past 50 years, smartwatches are arguably not even watches are more like mini computers. Touchscreen watches are extremely popular amongst fitness fanatics as it is very easy to swipe to the app you want or select a song from the dial.
Overall, it is very debateable to include a smartwatch as a real watch since it is a very practical tool. Most modern watches are worn for fashion and style purposes.
Dive
Arguably more of a complication than a style, dive watches are increasingly being worn as a fashion piece and are taken no where near water. Despite being equipped with 300 meters water resistance, a rotating bezel and a helium escape valve, you are more likely to see a dive watch in a restaurant than the ocean.
That’s not to say dive watches cannot be worn for diving – they 100% can. But the fact is that dive computer watches already do this job a lot better and usually for a cheaper price. This has led to dive watches becoming an everyday watch, but has certainly not harmed their popularity.
Watch Type List By Complication
Please note that watches do not have to have a single complication or multiple complications, or even any at all. Many watch types are made to house various complications, where as other people prefer minimalism with a very plain and simple dial.
Chronograph
A chronograph is pretty much a fancy word for a stopwatch and is used on quartz, mechanical and digital type watches. The main intention of this function is obviously to be used as a timer, although this is a feature which is also used as a fashion accessory on many watches. When you have a mobile phone that can time splits a lot more accurately than a wristwatch, there is no real need for a chronograph. However, they are still extremely popular and used in many popular watch designs such as the Rolex Daytona.
Multi-Function Dial
Most commonly seen in fashion type watches, a multi function watch is often confused with a chronograph due to having 3 subdials. Multi function dials are very useful and usually always show 24 hour time, day and date. From a practical perspective this is a little more useful than a stopwatch as you can view a lot of information very quickly.
Minute Repeater
An extremely intricate complication in mechanical watches, the minute repeater was first made so that you would be able to tell the time in the dark, or if you were visually impaired. By listening out for the difference in chime tones, you are able to listen to what the time is instead of looking at your watch.
This feature has been altered slightly for digital watches, some of which can now read the time aloud to you. Minute repeater features in mechanical watches are often only used in luxury timepieces today.
Moonphase
A real moonphase tracker is an extremely difficult complication to make in a mechanical watch. The purpose of this is to track the visibility of the moon in the nights sky. Like many other complications, this is something that people think looks nice on the dial of a watch, since modern technology can track this a lot better using a lot less effort.
Perpetual Calender
Watches with a perpetual calender are very useful, the reason for this is that months have 28, 29, 30 or 31 days. With a perpetual calender complication, once your watch is set up it will already know how many days are in each month, as well as when to skip leap years. This is especially handy if you get tired of changing your watch over whenever there is a shorter month.
Alarm
Most commonly used on digital watches, alarms can also be used on some regular analog models. Digital watch alarms are vastly superior with some models allowing many different alarms to be set at once for various periods of the day. Some older mechanical watches also have working alarms which you set in a very similar way to a regular alarm clock. This complication is a lot more difficult to make on a mechanical watch than it is on a digital version.
Dual Timezone
In modern quartz type watches, a dual timezone is a pretty easy function to make. Instead of a single movement, two movements are put inside the same case which operate independently from one another. The same can be said for mechanical watches, although it is a lot more difficult and intricate to fit two different movements inside a single watch case. This complication obviously has its uses as you can instantly view another timezone, this is a very nice feature for those with family overseas.
Day-Date
Day-date watches do exactly what they say – display both the day and the date. The most popular watch model using this complication is the Rolex day date, a style which many other brands have copied. This is clearly a very useful function for obvious reasons.
Tourbillon
Somewhat useless, yet fantastic. The tourbillon was originally designed by Breguet in 1801 and is such a historic moment in watchmaking it is still highly valued over 200 years later. Tourbillons are extremely complicated and are exclusive to mechanical watches. The idea behind a tourbillon is to negate the force of gravity on a watches mechanical components.
Whilst the effect may be negligable in a wristwatch it is still an engineering marvel 2 centuries later. Thankfully in recent years, Chinese manufacturers have significantly reduced the price of tourbillon watches which can now be bought for around $1000, as opposed to $50 000.
GMT
Yet another complication which is mostly used for fashion. GMT watches were originally marketed towards pilots as they displayed a second timezone on a single dial. Obviously with computers and phones, you are able to find a second timezone anywhere in the world with the touch of a button. However, this advancement in technology has done nothing to stop the popularity of GMT watches. Although this is not quite as popular as the Rolex submariner, the GMT is still a very sought after watch.
Musical
When there was no such thing as quartz watches, musical watches were an extremely difficult complication which were only really used by the aristocracy. In modern day, mechanical musical watches are still extremely expensive and only produced by a handful of brands such as Jacob & Co.
There are budget musical quartz watches, although these are mostly just for kids. Funnily enough, this is a complication that is considered to be extreme luxury or extremely cheap and tacky.
Types Of Watch Strap
Steel
One of the most standard materials you will ever see in watchmaking is stainless steel. It is durable, looks good and is a very common metal. Steel is used because it does not corrode over time and is a very tough material, it will scratch, but it is almost impossible to break.
Generally steel is used for more masculine watch bracelets such as dive style watches, however, when crafted properly, it does not look out of place on a womans wrist either.
Titanium
Titanium watches and straps are mostly used for people who want a solid metal but do not like the heavy nature of steel. Equally as strong as steel, titanium will not break easily, but is over 40% more lightweight. Not only this, but the useful metal is also hypoallergenic, so if your skin is easily irritated by other metals, it shouldn’t have any problem handling titanium.
Leather
Both leather and faux-leather are very common strap materials. This is because leather is easily wrapped around a persons wrist and doesn’t require a lot of craftsmanship compared to metalwork. Secondly, by placing holes along the strap, you never have to shorten or take links out of a bracelet, which makes it a lot more convenient when first purchasing a watch.
Lastly, in recent years many faux-leather compounds have been created to make watch straps which are suitable for vegans and other people who do not want to wear animal products. The most notable brand to use this across their entire range is Olivia Burton.
Crocodile / Alligator
You would think that a strap made using crocodile or alligator skin would be waterproof, but in fact they are not. Whilst pure alligator skin is tough and durable in the water, these straps are often treated and then dyed a specific color. This treatment will ruin the waterproofness of the strap. It won’t necessarily fall apart as soon as you submerse it, but over the course of time, it will not fare well.
Due to the rareness of crocodile skin being used in watch straps, these are very expensive compared to standard materials.
Silicon
Often seen in sports watches, silicon is used for its lightweight and stretchy nature. Whilst silicon may look out of place on dress style watches, it is right at home when used for exercise. Silicon is a lot easier to clean than almost any other strap material, whether this be sweat from too much training, or simply wiping off saltwater from swimming in the sea. This material is favorited by smartwatch brands and fitness trackers.
Ceramic
Quite expensive, there is still a place in the world for ceramic watch straps. The benefit of using ceramics for watchmaking is that they are hyopallergnic and lightweight, which means anyone can wear it without being bothered by a rash or heavy weight.
Secondly ceramic straps are very difficult to scratch. Whilst stainless steel is very durable, it will scratch extremely easily – ceramic materials are pretty much the exact opposite of this.
Precious Metals
Precious metals such as gold and platinum are often used for luxury type watches. These models are made to the highest degree of finishing and of course use the most expensive materials that money can buy. Gold and platinum are extremely heavy, much more so than any other material on this list and also hold their value very well.
Movement Manufacturers
ETA
Owned by the Swatch group, ETA are largest manfacturer of Swiss movements and have almost absolute control over the entire industry. In terms of their reputation, ETA are extremely highly regarded for both quartz and mechanical movements. Brands that use ETA movements are plentiful and very well established. Examples include Tag Heuer, Raymond Weil, Tissot, Maurice Lacroix and many others.
ETA are often preferred by those who like to wear mid level automatic watches, as although they aren’t cheap, ETA movements are relatively inexpensive to service.
Sea-Gull
The Chinese answer to ETA. Sea-Gull have cloned many movements that ETA make, but have a surprisingly good reputation. Whilst the Sea-Gull brand isn’t really known by anyone who is not interested in watches, horology fans are well aware of just how good this company is.
Sea-Gull movements generally are not as accurate as Swiss movements, but are very robust. Given that they are significantly cheaper than almost any other mechanical movement made to a decent standard, many fashion brands have begun to use Sea-Gull for their automatic range of watches.
Miyota (Citizen)
Miyota are a subsidiary of the Citizen watch group and supply them with all of their movements. Not only this, but Miyota are the biggest supplier of quartz movements in the world, this is due to fashion type watch brands wanting efficient and affordable movements for their watches. Whenever you see a brand such as Armani or Hugo Boss, you can almost guarantee they are using a Miyota movement.
The same can be said for Miyota mechanical movements. These are certainly not the best movements in the world, but are reliable and once again used by many brands as well as Citizen themselves.
Sellita
Known for their very high quality mechanical movements, Sellita are some what of a small rival with ETA. Sellita are generally a little cheaper than ETA and have made their company great by recreating ETA movements, as well as developing original complications of their own.
Sellita are a very solid watchmaker and their movements can often be found in low level luxury brands such as Raymond Weil and Oris. Whilst they are not the absolute peak of luxury, they are still a very respectable manufacturer.
STP
Owned mostly by Fossil, STP is a company which manufactures mechcanical movements within Switzerland. This is a very strategic business strategy by Fossil who can make automatic watches through this subsidary company and rightfully claim that the watch is Swiss made. By owning STP, more brands are attracted to Fossil who have watchmaking facilities in both the far east and Switzerland.
This is not to detract from STP, who actually make very accurate and reliable movements. Generally these are thought to be on a par with other solid Swiss watchmakers such as Sellita.
Epson (Seiko)
Seiko are a company that is very similar to Citizen when it comes to the manufacturing and distribution of movements. The Japanese brand make both quartz and automatic mechanical movements which are both used in Seiko watches as well as sold to other brands for their own use.
The main difference is that Seiko also produces some extremely high quality spring drive automatic movements for their luxury watch series – Grand Seiko. These movements are nothing short of excellent and are up there with the quality of rival brands such as Omega and Rolex.
Ronda
Ronda are well known for being the entry-level brand for those who want to make Swiss-quartz watches. Whilst Ronda do also make mechanical movements, there is not a large variety of these and ETA is far more popular.
Unlike other watch movements, Ronda are not owned by a large group such as Swatch and provide their movements to fewer brands.
Various In-House Production
Many luxury brands choose to make their own movements to differentiate themselves from the competition. Companies such as Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet are all very well known for producing top quality in-house movements that do not rely on 3rd party companies. This gives the brand a better overall image as people are willing to pay a lot more money for something that has been made with a sense of originality – rather than an off the shelf movement.
Even brands which do not make their own movements, but modify movements such as ETA have a very good reputation. Companies such as Omega and Tag Heuer have a much better reputation than fashion brands that just use Miyota quartz (and rightly so).
Overall, there are just too many brands to list that produce their own movements in house. This is a very expensive and time consuming task, but in the long run it is well worth the effort.
