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How one tiny mineral works to be so precise

Ever wonders how the quartz watch got its name? The name has a more literal significance than you might think. It is actually powered by the quartz crystal, a mineral most closely resembling the compound of sand and which comes from the Earth’s continental crust. It is this mineral in minute quantity that has the ability to keep time more accurately than any other mechanical or automatic watch.

The discovery of how a quartz crystal could accurately power a wrist watch changed portable timekeeping like no other invention. When the first quartz watch was introduced in the United States in the early 1970s it was an expensive wrist watch priced at around $500. Not only that, it wasn’t the most beautiful face ever to adorn a wrist. The LED (light emitting diode) that showed digital time was bright red, and the technology was only applied to digital watches. Later, the engineering behind quartz watches was transformed so the displays could be shown in digital format using LCD (liquid crystal display) or an hour and minute hand, just like a mechanical watch’s face.

Shaping the Quartz Crystal

The quartz crystal of course is at the heart of how a quartz watch works. Quartz crystals have long worked as transmitters. They were and still are used in transistor radios. This same theory, in order to be applied to powering a wrist watch, had only a couple of obstacles to overcome. One was to get the frequency to not give off too much power. Quartz in a solid form gives off a low voltage of power when it is bent a specific way. The other obstacle was to create circuit boards, in miniature, that could regulate the power given off by the crystal and work at low power.

One of the reasons quartz is such a good material for the job of powering watches, or any other device, is that quartz, stays in a solid form at even extremely high temperatures. Because of this, once it is shaped, it will stay the same shape and therefore give off the same frequency and consistent power. It is also unchanged by just about any solvent, so it can work well with other materials needed to manufacture the inner workings of the watch.

Watchmakers soon figured out that a straight bar of quartz or one shaped like a tuning fork could keep the power going indefinitely. This action is referred to as the Piezoelectric Effect. When a piece of quartz is cut properly it provides a starting frequency which then causes oscillation. This translates into pulses that can be recognized by digital circuits on the circuit board. This then shows as a display of numbers that change at the exact timing with the oscillation caused by that perfect frequency.

The exact method used in a quartz watch involves using thin bars of quartz that are plated. Then, using chemicals, it is etched into the optimum shape. This works just like an integrated circuit.

There are certainly different quality levels and accuracy levels within the general category of “quartz watch.” This is because some quartz bars are cut better than others. The real objective is to have the precise relationship of the angle cut into the quartz bar correlate with the crystalline axis. Another major difference has to do with contamination of the components of the watch. If the quartz bar and circuit are well encapsulated, they are less likely to get contaminated, which will negatively impact the accuracy of the watch.

Quartz for Powering Watches with Hands

For a quartz watch with second, minute and hour hands the initial process is the same. However, at the point where a display would register on a digital watch, the oscillation instead activates an electric motor which then powers gears to move the hands at precise increments, or pulses that equal exactly one second, just like a mechanical watch.

Quartz watches have truly changed the way watches are made. There are still some people who prefer the “art” of a watch made solely by mechanical means. However, in a world where exactness and accuracy in keeping time often count, there is no substitute for the quartz watch.



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Who is Orient Watch?

“Orient Watch has always focused on mechanical watches, primarily automatic watches with its own in-house automatic movements Orient was once part of the “Big Three” watch companies in Japan along with Citizen and Seiko. In the 70s, when mechanical watch companies faced hardship from the mass introduction of inexpensive quartz watches, Citizen and Seiko took the path of mass producing quartz watches, Orient stuck with what it did best, making mechanical watches.”

- Discount Watch Store web site, July 2006

Orient Watch was founded in Tokyo by Shogoro Yoshida, more than a century ago in 1901. And though the world was a very different place back then, everyone still needed to know what time it was - much like today’s world.

In those early watch making days, Orient Watch had some competition in the watch industry at home. Seiko and Citizen were big names in the watch making industry, and for many years Orient was ranked number three when it came to watch companies.

Mechanical Watches

“What sets Orient apart from other watch companies is really the fact that Orient has always been focusing on making its mechanical movements better and more reliable. It is unusual today to find a watch company that makes its own movement selling watches at prices offered by Orient.”

- Discount Watch Store web site, July 2006

From the early beginnings to today, Orient Watch has been focused on making the best mechanical watches that money can buy. The history of Orient Watch is interesting because Orient Watch is a company that started out with a good idea, and never once veered onto a different course. The long years have helped Orient Watch to produce high-quality, long-lasting watches that anyone can afford.

The History of Orient Watch, Today

“In 1985 Orient and Seiko established a joint factory. Orient produces a range of automatic and quartz watches ranging in price from reasonably inexpensive (about 50USD / 50Euro) to very expensive (7000USD). Orient Star and Orient Star Royal are the middle and high-end brands, with the Royal Orient being their flagship line.”

- Orient Watch Company, Wikipedia, July 2006

Today, Orient Watch is known all over the globe. With manufacturing facilities in Singapore, Brazil, and Japan, Orient Watch today offers more styles and types of watches than ever. Today, Orient Watch offers watches in many designs including quartz, light powered, and of course mechanical.

“In the Japanese market, we supply high-quality watches, such as “Orient Star Royal,” our prestigious mechanical watch series, which our customers want to carry with them for many years. In overseas markets, our strategy is to develop new outlets for our products mainly in countries and areas with high potential economic growth, and increase our sales of budget-price watches.”

- Mitsuo Mimura, President Orient Watch, Orient Watch web site, July 2006

Orient Watch

For more than a hundred years, Orient Watch has been a well-known and respected name in the watch making industry. Today, many other companies try to reach the success and the high standards that Orient Watch has set. When it comes to mechanical watches, Orient Watch is the first name in the business. For high quality at an affordable price, Orient Watch is one of the better choices in watches. But don’t just take my word for it. Let the history of Orient Watch speak for itself.



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Introduction:

Watch is not only used for time but since a long time it is also used as a fashionable item. The variety of look and design were used to modify and make the watch attractive. Various jewelry items such as silver, gold, diamond and platinum were incorporated in various proportions by the manufacturers to give watch an attractive look.

Early Watch Manufacturing:

In the history, 1524 is known to be the earliest watch manufacturing year, however early manufacturing begins in France and in the year 1574 a watchmaker named as Charles Cousin shifted to Geneva in Switzerland from France and settled there and got citizenship after thirteen year. During that period, the watch was being used a jewel and became available for masses much later.

Charles Cousin founded a watch guild in Geneva and during the period Switzerland watches became famous. There were various watchmakers in Switzerland before Charles Cousin, but the commitment of Charles Cousin to organize the sector has given boost to the quality manufacturing and propagating the quality to the world. The timepieces made during the period were not perfect as of today. These first timepieces were inaccurate and most of the watches have only hour hand and had to be wound twice a day.

During the period 1600 to 1700, the watches remain a jewelry pieces and the period also saw technical innovation. Two types of watches pendulum and pocket watch were made available during the period. During 1675, a spiral balance spring was used, which improved the accuracy of timekeeping from a fraction of hour earlier to a fraction of minute. Till 1675, the pendulum type were used in the neck, Charles II of England introduced long waistcoats and men used the pockets of these waistcoats to put the watches.

By 1715, English watch makers started using diamond as bearings. By the ends of century the upper bearing of the balance shaft were likely to have the diamonds. During the early 1800’s, the machines for manufacturing watches were developed and clock parts were being manufacturers and subsequently the cost of various watches came down. In late 1800’s many well-known watch companies came and croton watch is one of them.

Croton Watch Company:

Croton Watch Company Inc. was established in the year 1878 and since then the family is continuously running business. Croton Watch Company Inc. is operated from New Jersey, USA. More than 128 years old company is known worldwide for the classical watches. Since the inception of the business, the family is fostering the business in not only United States, but throughout the globe.

Croton wristwatches are classically designed to keep the trends and advances in trend setting for the future generation. The various models of Croton watches have been featured in various magazines including Harpers Bazaar magazine. The models available with Croton are sometimes better than the costlier models supplied by other companies. Croton watch comes with a lifetime warranty.

Classical Models of Croton Wrist watches:

Some of the classical watch models of croton includes RC 307335 wrist watch for male, RC 211069 wrist watch for female, Croton ladies watch model 207758 RHMP, Croton men’s stainless steel limited edition Swiss automatic multifunction diamond bracelet watch, Croton men’s nicolet sport stainless steel bracelet watch, croton skeleton dial watch. All these watches are available from a range of $ 70 to $ 700 in the market.



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The first watches did not wind automatically. They did not light up with digital numbers, nor did they tell the date or have alarms that could be set. These completely mechanical watches didn’t need batteries either, but they did need to be “powered” somehow. In order to keep on going, a mechanical watch needs to be wound regularly — usually once per day. So why would people today opt for a mechanical watch in this age of inexpensive quartz and digital watches? It’s all about aesthetics and an appreciation for the art of watch making.

What Makes a Watch Mechanical?

For a watch to be completely mechanical it must not only run by means of a wound spring and set of gears, but these must be powered by mechanical means. This is different from a quartz watch which also ticks off time by the movement of gears, but keeps those gears moving through the energy of a quartz crystal. With a mechanical watch the energy to move the gears is powered by the winding of the mainspring. When the spring is fully wound on a typical mechanical watch the watch will keep accurate time for about 40 hours. There are more complex mechanical watches that can keep time for much longer with a full wind of the mainspring. Automatic watches are also considered mechanical watches, but the movement of the wearer’s wrist is able to activate the winding, hence the name automatic watches.

The same basic design of a mechanical watch is not all that different today than it was half a century ago. The intricate workings of a mechanical watch involves more than a dozen types of screws and about 40 more wheels, springs, plates, balances, and jewels — and that doesn’t even include the case, face or strap! All of these tiny parts go into making the precise movement of a mechanical watch. However, at the heart of the finer watch movement are the jewels.

The Hidden Jewels in Every Mechanical Watch

The jewels are named as such because they are literally jewels — specifically rubies. Genuine rubies were once used because they are made of crystallized aluminum oxide. This is a very hard material with a smooth, slippery surface that allows the wheel pivots to move in a consistent, constant manner as powered by a wound mainspring. This also keeps the steel wheel pivots from wearing down from the friction of the movement. Today, synthetic rubies are used in numbers ranging from 5 to 35 jewels depending on the complexity of the movement. At one time, manufacturers believed more jewels were better, but have settled in with about 4-8 jewels being the most efficient way to power the mainspring.

How All of the Components Work Together

If you were to open the back of a mechanical watch you would see the ticking off of the mainspring. This is wound using the stem winder that sticks out from the watch’s encasement, also know as the crown. The first mechanical watches used an oscillating balance wheel and spring as the time base. This was then replaced with a tuning fork that acts as the resonator to move the gears at the appropriate rate. These in turn move the hands on the face of the watch at right increments.

Caring For Your Mechanical Watch

A finely crafted mechanical watch can last a lifetime and even be the type of heirloom that gets passed from one generation to the next. In order to keep your mechanical watch functioning well it is important to take it to a watchmaker every 3 to 5 years to have it lubricated and cleaned of dust and debris. You want to keep a mechanical watch completely dry. When you take it in for its routine service, be sure to have the case checked for any cracks where water might get in. Water can be especially damaging to the steel parts of the watch including the escape wheel and anchor escapement.

A mechanical watch never needs batteries and a good one can keep time accurately to within 2-3 seconds per day (not as accurate as a cheaper quartz watch which is accurate to 0.5 seconds per day). Mechanical watches are typically purchased because of their appearance and the timeless craftsmanship that goes into them. Most people today have several types of watches in their wardrobe of accessories, so adding a mechanical watch is one way to balance yours out with a truly classic style.



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