Caliber
A caliber can be described as the type of movement used in a watch. It is expensive and impractical to design a unique movement for each watch model, so most manufacturers often use the same movement in different watch models, sometimes with significantly different designs. The term "caliber" is due to the fact that initially the type of movement was designated by a number (in inch lines) corresponding to its largest size; however, today unique names or alphanumeric indices that are not directly related to sizes are widely used.
Knowing the name of the caliber on which the watch you are interested in is built, you can, if desired, find more detailed information about the mechanism and determine how its characteristics meet your requirements.
Power source
The power source of a quartz watch (see "Movement type") — in other words, the type of power source used in it.
—
Battery. A miniature battery, usually in the form of a characteristic "pill"; used exclusively in quartz watches (see "Movement type"). The main disadvantage of this option can be called the need for replacement when the charge is exhausted; at the same time, almost all replaceable elements of miniature standard sizes used in wristwatches are produced only in the format of disposable batteries, without the possibility of recharging. On the other hand, they provide a long time of work, are inexpensive and are sold almost everywhere.
—
Solar battery. Power supply system consisting of a photocell and a built-in battery. The photocell generates electricity when exposed to bright light, and the battery stores this energy and feeds the watch mechanism. The convenience of such models lies in the fact that with the regular presence of solar (or at least bright artificial) light, the owner does not have to worry about the energy reserve. On the other hand, the photocell significantly affects the price, and if you constantly stay indoors or wear clothes with sleeves that cover your watch, it becomes practically useless. Therefore, this option has not received wide popularity, and it is worth paying attention to such models primarily because they are regularly and a lot outdoors and/or in
...bright daylight.
— Autoquartz movement (“kinetic”). A kind of automatic winding (see above), used in quartz watches. This technology was originally released by Seiko under the name "Kinetic", but nowadays it can be found in other manufacturers. Anyway, such systems work similarly to mechanical self-winding — transforming the energy from the movement of the user's hand into the energy necessary for the operation of the mechanism. However, in this case, such a mechanism does not start the spring, but rotates a miniature generator that generates electricity. The resulting charge is stored in a special capacitor and used to operate the quartz movement. Models with such mechanisms are positioned as "quartz watches in which you do not need to change the battery", and in general it is so. At the same time, they have the same limitations as conventional self-winding devices — in particular, with a sedentary lifestyle, this technology is practically useless. Yes, these watches are quite expensive.Dial colour
Clock face background colour. Indicated for models with pointer or combination dials (see "Dial type"); in purely electronic models, usually, either a grey substrate (for conventional LCDs) or a dark base (for LEDs) is used.
The most popular in modern watches are
black,
white,
silver and
blue dials. However, in addition to this, other shades can be found on the market — in particular,
beige,
yellow,
green,
golden,
brown,
red,
orange,
pink,
grey and
purple. A special case are watches with chameleon glasses (see below).
Some models are available in several colour options, in such cases these options are listed separated by commas — for example, "white, red, silver." If the dial is painted simultaneously in 2 or 3 colours, they are indicated as a combination — for example, "white with red" or "white with yellow and red". And multi-coloured models include models in which more than 3 colours are used for the dial.
Colour
The main colour of the watch case.
Modern watches are quite diverse in colour options. The most widespread models are in shades of "
stainless steel ",
golden and
black ; however, in addition to this, on the market you can find, in particular,
white,
yellow,
green,
brown,
red,
orange,
pink,
silver,
grey,
blue and
purple cases.
In general, the colour of the case is a fairly obvious parameter; Let's note only some of the nuances associated with marking:
— Multi-coloured models include models in which there is no clearly defined primary colour. If there is such a colour, it is indicated in the characteristics. And for two-tone cases, an additional colour can be specified, for example, "stainless steel
with gold " or "black
with blue "
— Silver, among other things, are plastic cases without additional coloring.
— "Stainless steel" in this case is a colour, not a material; other metals (e.g. alumin
...ium and titanium) that are not complemented by PVD coating (see “Case Coating”) may have this shade. And the cases of gold watches, in turn, are not necessarily made of gold — red and white gold are also used in jewelry.
— Camouflage coloring is indicated separately — such watches are designated as "military", and here, again, the main shade of the coloring is given. However, not every military model has camouflage on the body; see below for details.Strap colour
The main colour of the watch strap/bracelet.
The most popular shades nowadays are
stainless steel(the colour of most metal bracelets, not necessarily steel ones),
golden(bracelets made of gold and "gold"),
black(strap made of different materials, including rubber and nylon, as well as separate bracelets) and
brown(mostly leather straps). Other colour options include
beige,
white,
yellow,
green, camouflage (
military style),
red,
orange,
pink,
silver,
grey,
blue, and
purple.
In addition, some models of watches are equipped with two-tone straps. Most often,
white,
gold and
black are used as secondary colours, and this colour is specified after the main one — for example, “blue with white” or “stainless steel with gold”. If this paragraph lists several colours separated by commas — for example, "black, red, blue" — this means
...that the watch is either sold in several versions that differ in the colour of the strap, or comes with several interchangeable straps / bracelets of the corresponding colours at once. This nuance should be clarified separately.Diameter (width)
The nominal size of a watch case in diameter (for round cases) or width (for other options, see "Case Shape"). In the most miniature modern models, this size is
21 – 25 mm or even
less, among the largest there are cases of
46 – 50 mm and even
larger.
Larger watches are more convenient in the sense that the dial readings are better visible on them, and it is easier to provide various additional functions in the design. On the other hand, small watches look neater and create less discomfort directly when worn. In addition, female models (see "Gender") are traditionally made more miniature than male ones. So the choice for this indicator depends mainly on the intended specifics of the application: for example, large cases are best suited for outdoor activities and tourism, about
41 – 45 mm in size, for household wear (regardless of gender) — about
31 – 35 mm, and as an accessory to an evening dress, a small watch of
30 mm or less would be more appropriate.
Also note that the size of a compatible strap/bracelet is associated with this indicator — see "Strap Width" for details.
Thickness
The thickness of the watch case. A fairly obvious parameter; we only note that nowadays it is customary to attribute watches with a thickness of less than 7 mm to
ultra-thin models. This design has both aesthetic and quite practical meaning — a thin watch will be useful for those who wear narrow sleeves with tight-fitting cuffs.
