Post Script on Watches

For the longest time, watches were either mechanical or automatic. They were composed of intricate moving parts powered by the unwinding of a spring. The obvious disadvantage of springs is the difference in movement between the time it is newly wound and the time the spring has unwound.

Eventually, the use of quartz crystals enabled watches to be more accurate. Quartz crystals are piezoelectric meaning they generate an electrical charge when mechanical pressure is applied to them. They can be cut to consistent sizes and shapes and made to vibrate at thousands of times per second, making them extremely stable resonators and very accurate time keepers.

And for the record, when a watch indicates that it is 'Swiss made', it is a declaration of quality, which is a reputation the Swiss have built over the years. Not only does it encompasses the technical quality of the timepiece (its accuracy, reliability, water-resistance and shock-resistance) but also its aesthetic qualities (elegance and design).

Different watches have distinct technological trademarks. These are some of the interesting features of watches I gathered from the internet.

Timex Indiglo. From the Smithsonian Institute: "Timex received the patent for the Indiglo® nightlight in 1988. The nightlight’s bluish green light illuminates the entire dial of the watch evenly at the push of a button. The dial is coated with a compound of zinc sulfide mixed with copper, a substance which becomes luminescent when an electrical charge is applied. This layer is sandwiched between two conductive layers which act as electrodes. When the button is pushed, energy is supplied by the battery across the two electrodes, which in turn lights up the dial."

Seiko Kinetic. In 1986, Seiko unveiled its first Kinetic prototype. It was the first watch in the world to convert kinetic movement into electrical energy. They figured to have the rotor from an automatic mechanical movement charge a battery, instead of having this wind a main spring. Interestingly enough, the initial versions which were advertised as 'never replace your battery' had a life sentence of 10 years in the fine print. This resulted in the new and improved line of Seiko Kinetic watches, the Kinetic Direct Drive which had the hand-winding option to extend the life of the watch.

Citizen Eco-Drive. Fueled by light, it never needs a battery. It's unstoppable. Eco-Drive harnesses the power of light from any source. Light is absorbed through the crystal and dial ... a solar cell converts the light and stores it as energy. And is stored runs for at least 6 months even in the dark (depending on the model).

(I will add pictures when I find the ads for these watches.)

I know I have much more to learn about watches. There are die-hard watch fanatics out there that attempt to service their own watches. I'm never going to reach that point. I'm happy just watching watches time after time.