Some people believe that watches only do just one thing and that is to tell the time. For those people, watches may not be much of a big deal because they see watches all the same. They also think that the number of watches is important and it comes with hands or is displayed on LCD. Perhaps you may not one of them.
In case, if you are one of them then you are underestimating the watches that how much can help in your everyday life. Sorry to say that, Perhaps, you were not able to appreciate how it really works or you have failed to maximize the amazing features of your watch.
Watches are not as simple as you look at it think. There are many useful features includes on the watches. When you will know about various types of watches then you will realize how different the watches.
There are different types of watches available in the market with different functionalities. So, at first, you have to know about the different functionality watches.
We also have the perfect collection of watches that you can give to the people around you, whether in your profession, hobby or simply for everyday life.
You can find here the watches for teenage girls and boys, your young child, your graduating kids, and even to their teachers, for the nurse, for your spouse or special someone, as well as for a wedding or other party gifts.
Contents
Importance To Know The Types Of Watches
You may look at different style watches on the market but the functionality of all types of watches is not the same. You cannot give your child the same clock which you give your wife.
Also, a policeman watch is different from a lawyer’s watch, a pilot watch is different from a medical field watch, and a student doesn’t wear the same watch as the businessmen. The classification of watches is very difficult to find but it should be maintained. So, it is important to know about the different types of watches.
When you know the types of watches then you will be able to choose the right watches for you. A specific watch will make you perfect in specific moments. When you thought that they are all the same but once you read the watches types you will know all watches are not the same.
You will be able to save yourself from wasting your valuable time when you are knowledgeable about the types of watches. Also, you will be able to know, what you should look at before buying a watch. So that you can appreciate its features and choose the most appropriate watch.
You must want, your loved one or friend will appreciate your gift. It is possible when they like your gift. So, be careful to choose the perfect watch. Before choosing the watch the most important considerations to keep in mind is that when and where you want to wear your watch.
An expensive diving or pilot’s watch might be a bit more than you need in your office job but a styling watch might be the best choice for someone when they like to spend the time outdoors or a party. Of course, you consider the style before buying the watch.
It is true that sometime you will get your required watches under your budget but sometimes you need to cross your budget to own the best perfect match. We will help you with this matter.
Our all watches collection is carefully selected by our professionals to meet the actual demand. Read the watch type and visit our blog to get the best watches under your budget.
Types of Watches
All of 27 types watch we differentiate the watches in 5 major categories
- Watch Display
- Watch Style
- Watch Movement
- Power Source
- Different Functionality
Watch Display Types
What you can see on the watch face, the display is one of the easiest ways to categorize watches. There is a total of 5 types of display, they are Digital, Analog, Hybrid, Touchscreen, and Tactile.
1. Digital Watches: Digital watches use the LCD screen to display the time and other information available on the watch. It is only available among quartz watches because it needs electric power.
2. Analog type Display: Analog display type is the most traditional type of display in the watch. Normally, there is not include any extra function. It is an old version, it includes an hour hand, a minute hand and sometimes the second hand.
But modern technology equipped the analog display with many features. They made some beautiful watches design by depending on analog display with modern technology. Those watches are looking traditional look but decorated with modern technology.
3. Hybrid type Watches: At first glance, a hybrid watch looks like an analog watch that equipped with the hour, minute and second hands. But a hybrid watches offer much more features on their LCD screen.
Many users want a watch that looks like the classic look of an analog face but combined with the modern convenience of apps, notifications, and other features like the smartwatches.
Some hybrid watches include fitness trackers, also have the features to connect to the smartphone also many other functions are available the same as smartwatches. These called are hybrid smartwatches.
4. Touchscreen Watches: Smartwatches offer more features than they could fit on the screen. To easily navigate around its menu and other functions, sometimes they come with touchscreen displays.
Primarily the watch functions are controlled through touching the screen. But some models have also functional buttons with the touchscreen. Though an Apple Watch still has the buttons, it is a perfect example.
5. Tactile Watches: A Tactile watches are built to tell time even without you looking at it. In early 1800 first tactile (pocket) watches were made. The owner of this watch discreetly knows the time, even without pulling the watch off the pocket. However, nowadays, tactile watches are generally built for the blind and pocket watches are a rare option.
In modern times, tactile watches come with various designs. They have two ball-bearing that mark the hour and minute and it rotates around the watch. It has a cover to open and close. There are also Braille watches for more accurate time reading.
Style of Watch
There is a minimum of 4 styles of the watch like Fashion, Luxury, Casual, and Dress watch. The style of the watches pertains to the visibility. Before purchasing the watches you must think that, how does the watch will you wear, formal or casual wear? It is very important because there have some differences between a formal watch and a casual watch.
6. Casual Watches: In terms of style, casual watches are the most common watches. They are very similar and familiar with clothing items. Casual watches are designed for everyday use, it is not elegant nor make you stand out in any situation.
This watches for those people who don’t really require much from their watches. That’s why the casual watch is very affordable and the best choice for a gift to someone.
7. Dress Watch: A dress watch is the best for business and formal wear. To complement the wearer’s attire, they are generally simple yet elegant. The best dress watches are slim enough to be hidden under the shirt or suit cuff. The wearer wears this dress watch by the match with his shoes and belt.
But dress watches are don’t draw the attention of people if it is not shown and it happily stays under the cuff. The dress watches are equipped with the hour and minute hands, also with a second hand, and a date window. It is just a fine addition. The dial comes with different attractive colors like black, white, blue, etc.
The bezel must be unornamented. If you like to own the best dress watches under $500 then click here. Dress watches are perfect for a banker, lawyer, CEO and other corporate people. Also good for those people who prefer a minimalist lifestyle. A student when going for the convocation or formal party can wear a dress watch with the formal dress.
8. Fashion Watches: There is no exact definition of fashion watches. According to us, a fashion watch is highly exposed to your fashion need. The style and features make a watch like a fashion watch. A fashion watch is made with modern technology with so many features.
It is also the ability to match your dress code. There are different types of fashion watches can meet your different fashion look. It’s don’t have any established horological history but fashion watches are sold by brands. Rather than their expertise in making watches, those brands are well known to the world for their reputation in the fashion world.
Many of these brands manufacture their fashion watches from other watchmaking companies and sell them through their own brands. These watches have a prominent logo and they focus on the aesthetics, branding.
Due to their brand reputation and high demand, some brands use cheap quartz movements and sell them retail in premium prices. That’s why we carefully selected the fashion watches so that you are not deceived.
For example Hugo Boss, Emporio Armani, Michael Kors, Guess, and Gucci. If you like to know the complete list of fashion watch brands then click here.
9. Luxury Watches: The types of watches will stay incomplete in this article without mentioning luxury watches. Questions may arise in your mind about luxury watches. Is it the watch brand’s own reputation that defines it as a luxury, or it is a specific style of a watch.
Whatever there have surely some specification and separation between luxury watches and fashion watches. Companies that have a long history in watchmaking, luxury watches are generally made by them. Usually, a luxury watch is made using gold, diamonds, and other precious metals and jewel.
They also carefully craft their watches by hand and use high-end movements that add to the value. Many luxuries watch brands are Swiss. They generally hold their value better than other brands and make their watches “in-house” in limited numbers.
Those luxuries watch coveted by watch collectors, celebrities and the wealthy and sold in the exclusive retail shops. Rolex, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Patek Philippe, Tag Heuer, Lange &Söhne, Hublot, Audemars Piguet are some of the well-known luxury watch brands.
Type of Movement
Mechanical Automatic, Quartz, Chronometer, Spring Drive, Solar, Kinetic. Watch movement is very essential, it gives life to the watch. Without a movement, a watch is just a showpiece. Here are different types of watches movement and you have to know that before choosing a watch for you.
10. Mechanical Automatic Movement: An automatic watch also known as self–winding watch. To run only by using mechanical parts Watches are designed. They use the potential energy stored in a long mainspring or spring. These mechanical watches have a rotor attached to the movement.
The rotor spins- winding the watch back up again by tightening the mainspring when you move your wrist with an automatic watch. You can keep automatic watches in a watch winder when you are not wearing them on your wrist. Then it moves gently back and forth and keeps it wound.
The mechanical parts of automatic watches also make automatic watches easily identifiable and just nice to look at. Automatic watches are generally quite a bit more expensive than quartz. They are being run by mechanical parts.
11. Quartz Movement: Quartz is known as silicon dioxide or sand. It is an abundant mineral on earth. It is the most common type in this category. to keep the time it uses quartz crystal oscillation and an integrated circuit.
Quartz watches offer an affordable price with accuracy and it is more durable compared to automatic watches. Quartz watches are a popular choice that combined affordability, durability, and accuracy.
12. Chronometer Movement: Chronometers are made of high-quality materials. It does not contract or expand easily with the change of temperature also it fills in the gap. The chronometer movement is more advanced than the other. It also refers to the stopwatch feature on watches.
Chronograph was tested and passed of the 16-day test by Controle Officiel Suisse des Chronometers (COSC), a testing institute in Switzerland. Those tests are quite costly. There are also other chronometers for certified accuracy. Some other watchmakers also have their own standard testing.
13. Spring Drive movement: Spring drive movement was created by Yoshikazu Akahane in1977 at SuwaSeikosha and now it merged with Seiko. First of all, Seiko commercially released the Spring Drive movement. Now it is used in their Credor, Grand Seiko, and Prospex watch lines.
The spring drive watches offers more than the kinetic. The spring drive movement is also equipped with quartz accuracy and an automatic self-winding mechanism that is similar to kinetic watches. It is one of the advanced technological movements now in the world.
The mainspring of the spring drive stores potential energy, also run the rotor. Spring drive uses a Tri-synchro regulator to keep time with regard to timekeeping. To ensure the accuracy of the watch, it also has an integrated circuit coupled with a quartz crystal.
14. Solar Powered Movement: The solar watches movement basically works like quartz watches. Solar watches capture solar energy and convert them into electricity through photovoltaic cells. This electricity power stored inside a power cell. To recharge the solar power watch not only use solar power but also use a bright light.
15. Kinetic Watches: A kinetic watch is similar to automatic watches. It is a nice combination of quartz and automatic mechanical watches. The weighted rotor causes the watch to move.
The rotor movement is converted to electricity by using the virtue of an internal dynamo in a kinetic watch. This electric power stored in a power cell. When you wear it, then it will be automatically recharged. Do not compare it with the solar-powered watches. Here are a small explanation about solar-powered watches.
Depend on Power Source
The power is categorized watches based on the source of energy, like Quartz, Lithium-ion, and Solar.
16. Quartz: Quartz watches are designed and powered by a battery. It vibrates at a certain rate. In order to maintain accuracy, you have to replace the battery when it will damage or low. Read this article to know details about the Quartz Watches.
17. Lithium-ion: Lithium-ion is another power source that provides the power to the Smartwatches. It is rechargeable and powerful because smartwatches generally include many other features that make them smart, like camera, GPS, fitness trackers, etc. Those features are usually consumed more power so that they need for a rechargeable battery.
18. Solar Powered: Solar-powered watch can run forever because it does not only use sunlight it also uses the other bright lights for recharge. It captures the sunlight through the photovoltaic cells and stored inside a power cell. Seiko and Citizen have competed with their Eco-Drive and Seiko Solar lines watch.
These brands are well known for making the best solar-powered watches on the market. Also, Casio and other brands are making solar timepieces. Its power reserve can last up to 6 months.
Functionality
One of the most important things that defined the types of watches is functionality. It differentiates watches from different categories. There are different types of functionality watches such as GMT, Pilot, Chronograph, Dive, Smartwatch, Day and Night, Moonphase. Here we are trying to define those functionalities.
19. Chronograph Watches: A chronograph deserves to be referred to as a type of its own because a chronograph adds functionality. But sometimes it referred to as an additional feature of a watch. Chronograph watches work as a stopwatch that can find in a watch face. It features two buttons on the side, one is surrounding the crown for start/stop and the other is for reset.
20. GMT Watches: GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time, it has an extra feature that differentiates these watches from other watches. Every watch has a minimum of 3 hands second, minute and hour but GMT watches have an extra hand that tells about 24 hours of time on the watch.
The 4th hand rotates separately from the other 3 hands and it rotates around the face once every 24 hours. It has an extra bezel that used to set different time zones at once. Those GMT watches are useful for travelers. Check our latest collection of the best GMT watch under 500 and the best GMT watch under 1000.
21. Moonphase Watches: These types of watches are closely similar to chronograph watches. It also called moon phase watches because the moon phase is also a feature on these watches.
Based on the calendar of the watch, the Moonphase feature indicates the phase of the moon. It indicates the day or night by showing a picture of a sun or moon. These Moonphase watches are favorite to the women.
22. Day & Night Watches: Day and night watches display the day or night time. Practically those features are similar to moon phase watches.
23. Dive Watches: A dive watches are specially designed to withstand the water. It has the features to prevent the water, which means it is waterproof. They have thicker rubber gasket for better protection against water and the crowns are often screw-down.
It needs to be screwed by using your fingers to lock/unlock. Dive watches also have a rotating bezel that works as a timer. It helps the drivers to control how long they’ve been under the surface. Check out here the latest Dive watches under your budget.
24. Pilot Watches: A Pilot watches are also known as Aviation watch. People sometimes mistake to understand that. It has specific features that are useful for pilots and specially developed for fighter pilots. It designed to be easily read.
A pilot watch is equipped with some specific features and some special tools that include compasses, altimeters, and tachymeters. To make calculations on the fly, It also has a slide rule bezel. Typically it comes in large size and with big numbers visible dial. We have the collection of the best aviator watches under 500.
25. Field Watches: Field watches are mainly built to be functional for the military. To maintaining accurate time, it has the strong ability to withstand water, dirt, sand or even mud. These watches are durable enough in order to survive any mission.
Field watches are perfect for the police, firefighters and even mud run racers. To get the field watches at affordable prices then see our top pick.
26. Tool Watches: sometimes Dive, Pilot and Field watches are grouped together in a wider group called tool watches. These watches have some special functions besides telling the time. Though there was no specific agreement on what defines a tool watch, they all have some special tools or features.
A Dive watch is useful to sea driver, a pilot watch can show the compass or altimeter to the pilot and field watches is perfect to survive any mission.
27. Smartwatches: Smartwatches features a touch screen and provides many of the functionality. It usually allows connection to your phone and other gadgets such as Bluetooth earphones. They can sync notifications, calendars, email, and other mobile apps. Your lifestyle will be changed through a smartwatch. It makes your life easier.
Above, we already have told about the Smartwatches in this article. They include different types of modern features so that they are smart. Not all smartwatches are the same, they come with specific features and all smartwatches are not include all features below.
Some offer all these features and some offer more. Different types of smartwatches brands and styles offer different types of specific features like camera, water-resistant, heart rate tracking, sleep tracking.
The Discussion on Different Types of Watches
We have also listed here some other common opinions on how to categorize watches, in order to make you fully informed on this topic.
There Are Two General Types
Mechanical Watches and Quartz Watches. Those differentiate are made to base on their maintenance needs. Mechanical watches normally need maintenance every year while Quartz watches are do not require much maintenance.
Mechanical watches are those manual winding and automatic winding watches but Quartz watches include the battery-powered, kinetic powered and solar-powered watches.
There are mainly Seven Types of Watches that people need to know:
- Quartz watches
- Automatic watches
- Chronograph watches
- Dive watches
- Smartwatches
- Solar-Powered watches
- Dress watches
Bottom Line
After reading the full article you already realize that all watches are not as simple that you think and not are the same. Different Types of Watches serve you in different angles with the different types of features. There are also different types of watches brands in the market from different countries.
It is sure that watches can offer you more than time. You can find here different types of watches that can suit your needs, in the air, on the field, or even underwater, also in your daily life.