Women’s Watches

When buying a women’s watch, there are a lot of considerations to take into account. What will it be used for? What functions do you want it to have? What material or color do you want the watch to be? Is there a particular brand of women’s watch you have an affinity for? Do you need a watch that will go to the beach with your activewear or a dress watch that will look good at a formal occasion with your best formal gown? A serious watch that will look good with a business suit? This buyer’s guide will help walk you through the questions that must be answered before you buy a women’s watch.

Dress Watches

Inexpensive watch? Or luxury watch?

What are you looking to spend on this product? What standard of product or how much do you expect to receive for this price? What is the highest price you can rationally go to if the product is right? If you are looking for a high-end and name-brand watch be prepared for high-end prices. Is there a certain brand that you want to use specifically, or a certain model? Perhaps you are looking for a similar product to one you had previously. There are many brands out there vying for your purchases, so be sure to shop wisely. Dependable brands include Piaget and Rolex at the high end, and Timex or Swatch in the more affordable range. Many companies, including Seiko and Tag Heuer, make watches in various price ranges.

Diamond Watches

Simple watches or complicated watches?

Obviously all watches provide at least the time of day, displaying the hour and minute, and in some cases the second. Some models will provide the date or the day of the week if desired. Some watches will also include an alarm or a striking mechanism, so that you could learn the time just by hearing the sound the watch makes. The striking mechanism is found on most digital watches.There are also other features that can be found on what is known as a “complicated watch.” These include a chronograph, which allows the watch to operate as a stopwatch as well, and a moon phase, which displays the lunar phases. Even more high-end features are the perpetual calendar, minute repeater or the equation of time. Furthermore, some watch models do show the time in a 12-hour display.

Digital watch or analog watch?

There are two types of displays, analog and digital. An analog watch is a numbered dial on which an hour hand and minute hand rotates to show the time. Some models will have a third hand to show the seconds. For these second hands, there are two different types. A quartz powered watch will snap the second hand, whereas a watch powered by mechanical movement will appear to have a smooth sweeping motion. Analog display is virtually universal in watches sold as jewelry or collectibles, and the variety of style of hands, numbers, and other aspects of the dial is substantial. Also, consider that analog style watches are designed for the left wrist, as the knob to change the time is on the right side. If you wear the watch on the right hand, it will need to be removed to adjust the time or wind the watch. A digital watch displays the time as a number, such as 3:15, as opposed to moving hands. Many of these watches have LED or LCD screens, can glow in the dark and have alarm features. These watches are by and large used as timekeeping devices, as opposed to jewelry.

Digital Watches

Fashion accessory or durable timepiece?

Will your watch be mostly for fashion or functionality? A wristwatch is a highly visible accessory and can be treated as jewelry or even a work of art. An inexpensive watch can be purposed for simple functionality, while you might want an expensive watch that is more a fashion statement that practical. Watches can include all sorts of diamonds, precious jewels or expensive materials, such as gold. Another type of watch is known as a “geek watch” which has the ability to integrate computers or satellite navigating. For a traveler, a watch can be purchased that will tell the time in both your current location and the time at home.

Will you be swimming or diving in your watch?

A number of watches are created to be water resistant. These watches many be identified as diving watches if they are appropriate for scuba diving situations. Bear in mind there is no such thing as a waterproof watch. A watch that has been deemed as water resistant will generally be graded their degree of water resistance, generally in meters, but sometimes called bars or atmospheres, so be sure to educate yourself on the depth the watch can withstand. Or you might be more concerned with buying a watch that looks good with your favorite bathing suit or beachwear.

Dive Watches

Battery power or solar power?

In general, most watches operate on battery power or solar power. In the case of battery power, when the battery dies the watch must be taken to a repair shop for battery replacement. Silver-oxide and lithium batteries are common today, but more inexpensive batteries are available, such as alkaline, but provides shorter life. Rechargeable batteries can be used in some solar-powered watches. The solar-powered watches are powered by light. A small cell on the face of the watch changes the light to electricity, which charges a rechargeable battery or capacitor. The watch gets its power from the rechargeable battery or capacitor. In this case, the watch needs to be exposed to sunlight or other fairly strong light on a regular basis. An advantage is that it never needs battery replacement, and some of the models only require a few minutes of sunlight to supply weeks of energy.

Getting the gold watch

A watch can be made solely of metals, such as gold, silver or even platinum. Or, the watch itself can be metal with a wrist strap made of another material, such as leather. Some watch models are made of plastic, with Velcro straps for ease of removal and durability. For those looking for a glitzy watch, diamonds or other jewels, such as rubies or sapphires can be found adorning the watch in abundance. These are often made by famous jewelers such as Harry Winston. It is all up to how you want the watch to look, your taste and of course your budget. Know what you are looking for or have a good idea of the features you expect when you begin your search, and be aware of your budget as watches can run into the thousands and even hundreds of thousands.