You can buy either a good, high-end watch or two low-end watches. It can be tempting enough to opt for the latter as there’s probably no difference between the both, right? Wrong!
Expensive Watch brands are expensive for a reason. Granted, brand goodwill also adds to the price, but there’s just so much more than that! Even if you go for a mid-range but high-quality watch like Fossil, you will still feel the difference in how it feels on your wrist compared to a generic brand watch.
The Key Components Of A Watch
While watches, Luxury Watch Brands and otherwise, are made of many components, the following is what makes a difference in the price.
The Bracelet
Bracelet refers to a certain type of watch strap that may be made of metal links. This may have precious stones, an airbrushed finish, and other possibilities that add to the price.
The Band or The Strap
Bracelets straps made of leather, faux leather, cloth strap, or even paracord are referred to as straps or bands. Top-quality and high-end watches will be made of that much more premium material and finish.
The Bezel
The bezel is a metal enclosing that holds together the watch crystal and the dial to the casing.
The Crystal
The crystal is a key element that protects the ‘face’ or dial of the watch from external impact such as dust, physical clash as well as water, among other things.
The Case
The case protects the inner gear, movement, and dial of the watch.
Note:
While the inner workings of the watch, its accuracy, and its preciseness also contribute heavily to its cost, the difference is most visible in the features mentioned above.
Factors To Keep in Mind
Mass Produced Versus Handmade Watches
One of the major differences between Expensive Watch Brands and cheap watch brands is how they’re made. You will find pricey watches often come in limited numbers. This is because, more often, the key parts of the watch are put together by the hand of experts, especially the stones and gems you find on the watch. For instance, if you buy the HyperChrome Automatic Chronograph Match Point Limited Edition, you will own one of only 999 pieces in the world.
Mass-produced watches are inferior designs - not much time goes into fashioning the watch. It is also produced in large quantities without much attention to quality, and thus they’re essentially worthless in the long run. The frequency in which you’ll have to change the battery will only become more and more frequent as it reaches the end of its life.
The superior craftsmanship in Luxury Watch Brands ensures they’ll last for a long time. If you want to become an avid watch collector, then you should go for luxury watches. Not only so that the watches are worth something later but also so that they can stand the test of time.
The Movement!
The movement used in a watch is one of the most valuable parts of it and plays a key role in how it is viewed by the customer. Both low-end and high-end watches make use of Quartz movements, but only high-end watches can be found with mechanical movement.
Accuracy in telling the time can be done by both watches. However, the low-end ones might face some inaccuracies of seconds over the course of their life.
The Crystal Used
Luxury Watch Brands make extensive use of sapphire crystals as they can be resistant to scratches, cracking, and other surface damage. Cheap watches may make use of mineral glass, acrylic glass (Hesalite), and even plexiglass which is often known simply as plastic. They’re prone to blemishes and will look worn out and old within a year or two of using them - if you use them regularly.
If you’re careful enough to protect it from scratches and cracking, you will find that it is still quite dull and will not be required no matter how much you clean and polish it.
The Functions You Can Expect
When you buy a low-end watch, be prepared not to have many expectations of it. All it can do is tell you the time and nothing more. On the other hand, you can get to choose from watches with any number of processes when you are looking at Luxury Watch Brands. From various chronographs to telling the date, daylight savings, and even multiple time zones, you will find everything you need in a single watch.
Other than this, you can also have watches that tell you the moon phase, and now even notifications from your phone - all the while looking like a regular watch.
Quality Straps
Even the straps make a difference between a good and bad watch. Expensive Watch Brands use handcrafted straps that will be as good as new after years of use. Unlike cheap watch brands, your watch waistband will not have frayed stray threads, fading colour in some spots, or melt in the sunlight!
Whether you go for a bracelet strap or a leather band, you can get a better deal with an expensive watch.
Conclusion
When you’re looking to buy a new watch, it is definitely worth your time to check out both high-end and low-end watches. It will give you the satisfaction of research and learning, and you can also avoid the guilt that so often comes attached when you buy yourself something expensive for one. You will not only have a beautifully crafted watch that you can wear for a long time to come, but it may also turn out to be something you can pass on to your kids and grandkids if you preserve it well.
At Bijoux Eclore, we have stocked up an array of mid-range and high-end watches for your perusal.