Second Hand Watches

How to Clean Antique Watches

Citizen Ecodrive Watches

The first Citizen Eco-Drive watches, which are light powered watches, were sold in 1995. There is an amorphous silicon solar cell behind the dial that charges a titanium lithium-ion secondary battery. This high tech watch will never need a battery change, and comes in many cool and attractive styles for men and women.

For men the Solar-Tech 180 Titanium is a rugged looking sports watch that is water resistant up to 200 metres. It is a quartz watch with a one-way rotation elapsed-bezel, date window and a screwed down crown. It is a very light and durable watch, being mostly titanium and has a good safety clasp.

It is all stainless steel, water resistant up to 200 metres and also never needs a battery. With the black dial and red highlights, this is the watch of a lifetime.

The Largo has a dressier look, all stainless steel and black dial, with the same water resistant and battery features as all Citizen Eco-Drive watches. It has 12/24 hour time and a 1 second chronograph measuring up to 60 minutes.

The Miramar Chronograph is an elegant two toned stainless steel and rose gold watch with 28 diamonds around a mother of pearl dial. This watch could go anywhere as it has sports features as well as other elegant features.

The Stiletto is another beautiful watch, in all stainless steel gold tone with a simple rectangular white dial.

The Normandie, for ladies, is a dress watch with Swarovski crystals all along the face and around the band. It comes with a rectangular or oval face in stainless steel, and with black ion plating. These watches never need batteries and are also water resistant.

Citizen Eco-Drive watches are truly the leaders in environmentally friendly timepieces. They are very strong - even the delicate ladies' styles, and will last for decades, never needing a battery. The sports watches and chronographs can stand any challenge and will never let you down. All of these features combined with some of the best watch styling in the business makes this brand of watch worth owning.

- Peter Farrar

The Differences between Manual Wind, Automatic and Quartz Watch Movements

Five Things to Check when Buying a Pocket Watch

Watches tell the time: something that is an integral part of each and everyone's day to day life. How you look at the time each day depends on what you are carrying on you. Many people like pocket watches instead of wearing them on their wrist. These types of watch are handy and stylish, especially when you want to wear them with formal clothing. For people who want to create a fashion statement, antique pocket watches look trendy. Nowadays pockets watches are not just meant for gentlemen: ladies love carrying them as well.

Antique pocket watches are usually made with metal outer covers and look extremely traditional. In fact many people not only like carrying pocket watches but also love collecting them as a hobby. People who are passionate about pocket watches are usually ready to pay any price for obtaining their collection of watches and putting them up on display. It is not very difficult to get hold of an antique pocket watch nowadays. These are available via many online shopping portals and they do offer great deals. But it is important to check a few things before you go for an antique pocket watch.

Firstly, see whether the watch that you are buying is really antique. There are many fraudsters around claiming that the watch they are selling is antique when in fact is has been manufactured recently. Fundamentally, an antique pocket watch is called antique in its true sense if only it dates back to 1890 and before. This is the period when antique watches were really introduced. So beware, check inside for the date, and start asking more questions if something seems a little fishy...

Secondly, check the price against the product that you are being offered. If it really dates back to the seventeenth century then the price should be more than a modern day pocket watch! Also, older antique pocket watches might also feature jewels, which would also make them more expensive. In such cases, the price would be more dependent on the quality of the jewels and make of the watch itself. Many antique pocket watches are also made of silver or gold rather than other metals like copper. Antique pocket watches are family treasures and get passed on from generation to generation.

Thirdly, check out the working condition. It should be ticking and the hands should be aligned properly. If it is really antique, there is unlikely to be any manufacturing defect, but you still do a check just in case.

Fourthly, check the glass used. Sometimes if watches are really old then the glasses break and are replaced by other glasses which might not be of superior quality. Check for scratches and minor cracks.

Fifthly and finally, check if the pocket watch is being sold with a case. For obvious reasons, prices will differ according to the quality and make of the case.

Citizen Dive Watch Review

Citizen Watches: Pure Quality

Citizen Watches were established in 1918, and during the last 85 years Citizen has expanded its business throughout the world and has achieved recognition as a global brand. The past 25 years have coincided with the company's dramatic rise to its current position as the world's largest watchmaker, a distinction Citizen Watches has held every year since 1986.

Reiterating its commitment towards ecology and green initiatives, Citizen has launched the Citizen Eco Drive Watches. The Citizen Eco Drive Watches are capable of fuelling themselves with any kind of natural or artificial light, so they do not require batteries. You could even check out the Skyhawk A-T radio controlled atomic-timekeeping flight chronographs which is the latest addition in the watch range. You can easily check out range of Citizen Watches online such as Eco Drive Watches, Skyhawk, Calibre, Stiletto, Citizen Divers at affordable competitive prices.

Amongst the Citizen Eco Drive, the Men's BM0310-54L Eco-Drive Watch is simply apart. Built in stainless steel, this Citizen Eco Drive is capable of recharging itself through regular light exposure. The watch features a blue dial background with silver dial markers, a date feature at 3 o'clock, water resistance to 100m, Japanese Quartz movement. In all, it is 1.4 inches in diameter and has a wide bezel.

Citizen Women's EP6000-07H Eco-Drive Professional Diver Black Rubber Strap Watch is yet another commendable watch which comprises of a screw down crown on a solid one-piece case. You can use a one-way rotating elapsed time bezel while for ascertaining the time, luminous hands and markers clearly do their task. The entire watch comes mounted on a black polyurethane strap for providing further water resistance.

The Citizen Men's JR3155-54E Eco-Drive Black Ion-Plated Skyhawk Watch seems to be pretty popular for it is has received great reviews. Do check out the Eco-Drive Caliber C650 Japanese-quartz movement which charges both in natural sunlight and indoor lights. Available in black ion plated case and bracelet with a time and calendar in 22 time zones, three world time alarm functions and one touch interchangeable analog-digital times. This Eco-drive Sky Hawk watch is water resistant up to 330 feet.

Citizen Men's JV0020-12F Eco-Drive 20th Anniversary Aqualand Black Metric Dive Watch is a durable watch which is self chargeable. The watch is available in stainless steel case and contains a black dial along with day-date functions. Its water resistant capacity is almost double at 660Feet.

With an impeccable and exhaustive range of Citizen Watches, you do have to study and conduct research in greater detail as to which of the watches is most suitable and perfect for your purpose. Check out online the model, make and other specifications of the watch before you purchase one for yourself or as a gift to someone else.

- Daniel Crow

Seiko Orange Monster Review

Water Resistance Ratings

If you are considering buying a watch you would be well advised to determine its water resistance rating before you purchase it. Watches always have their water resistance rating on the case, if you are buying online you should find this information in the product specifications. Most of the customers that I speak to do not have a firm grasp of the differences between the ratings in part because of the different ways that the same information is recorded. You are likely to come across these three ways of denoting water resistance; bar, atmosphere or meter. 1 Bar = 1 Atmosphere = 10m.

It is important to remember that unless a watch is a specified professional divers watch it is probably unsuitable for prolonged use in the water. Watches are tested for water resistance in static laboratory conditions for short periods. The result of this is that a 10m rating does not necessarily mean that the watch will endure being taken to that depth, it is merely indicative of the pressure the watch can withstand in still conditions.

Water Resistance Ratings

Some watches have only minimal water resistance, they will be marked simply 'water resistant'. If this is the case then the watch will be splash proof but nothing more, meaning that it should not be worn whilst washing up or showering. If you need a watch that can be used for these everyday tasks it would be better to go with a watch with a water resistance rating of at least 30m. Watches within this category are not suitable for swimming.

The next common rating of water resistance is 50m or 5 atmosphere. These watches are suitable for swimming but not for diving as the pressure at the moment of impact with the water would exceed 5 atmosphere. If you want to do more than just swim you need a watch with a 100m rating. A watch within this classification is appropriate for everyday swimming, watersports and diving, but must not be used for high board or scuba diving.

A watch within the 200m water resistant class can be used for most water sports. If you are searching specifically for a divers watch, it is imperative that you check that the watch complies with international standards for divers watches. Generally the word 'divers' will be imprinted on the case back of the watch. There are higher classifications of water resistance, 300m or more. In principle the higher the water resistance rating the more durable the watch will be, although this is dependant on the quality of manufacture.

Tips for Maintaining Water Resistance

Water resistance can be compromised if the buttons and stem are not screwed down or pressed in correctly. It is also advisable to have your watch pressure tested after the battery is changed, in order to be assured the water resistance has been maintained. The most common way to do this is to return your watch to the manufacturer for the battery change.

Do not immediately worry if your watch has traces of condensation underneath the glass. This can occur during a dramatic temperature change, for example diving in to cold water. Normally the condensation will disperse without any intervention after a number of hours. If it does not I would advise returning your watch to the manufacturer to be examined.

The Hamilton Khaki King!

Wrist Watch Power; Time Keeping And Types Of Watch Batteries

Many people say to me that they could not live without their watch. But it was not until the last century that this became a realistic possibility for the majority of people. Timekeeping has been possible in a fairly accurate way since the 1400's but it was not until the 1800's, when watches began to be mass produced rather than made by hand by skilled watch makers, that this became accessible technology. The trend of wearing wristwatches began in the trenches in WW1 as they were a more practical accessory than a pocket watch. Since then the technology has developed in leaps and bounds.

Mechanical Watches

The first wristwatches were mechanical. They are powered by the energy stored in a spring which is used to move a number of weighted wheels, or gears as they are also known, that turned the hands. This technology came from spring-powered clocks that were around as early as the 1400's; it began to be used for smaller watches in the 1600's. These types of watches need to wound regularly; meaning that as well as being prone to losing time they rely on their user to remember to wind them. For these reasons mechanical watches are generally collectors items or created primarily for nostalgic purposes rather than for practicality.

Kinetic or Automatic Watches

The modern variation of the mechanical watch that has recently seen a revival is the kinetic watch also known as an automatic watch. These watches have a similar internal structure as the mechanical watches but rely on the movement of the wearer to power the spring. They are often less reliable than other forms of power for watches; there is a greater likelihood that they will lose time, in some cases a few seconds every day. They have made a comeback in certain designers ranges such as Police and Seiko. This is partly because they never need to have a battery change and also the mechanics allow for some additional stylistic features like transparent backs through which the mechanism can be viewed.

Quartz Watches

In 1969 the first quartz powered watch was available on the market. Quartz has special properties so when it is shaped in a certain way and subject to an electrical field it will bend. When the field is removed the quartz generates an electrical field of its own as it moves back to its original shape. This property is known as piezoelectricity. Due to this property quartz crystals can be used to regulate the movement of an electronic oscillator. This energy and movement powers, controls and regulates the hands of the watch. This revolutionary technology is now the most common form of power in wristwatches. It is also the most reliable timekeeping method which also comes at a low price.

Atomic Timekeeping

The most accurate time pieces on the planet are connected to atomic clocks. An atomic clock deviates by around a second every million years! Certain wristwatches such as the Casio WaveCeptor range utilise this technology. This is done through a network of radio transmitters which emit time signals. Radio controlled watches receive this signal and adjust themselves accordingly.

Types of Watch Batteries

There are three main types of battery that are used to power watches. The most common is the silver oxide battery. They are frequently used in watches because they have a high energy to weight ratio. This means that they should last for a long period of time. Due to the silver content they can be expensive to produce which is why they are not often used for products that take larger batteries.

Lithium batteries are long-life and also relatively expensive. They are used primarily in watches that have lights or other energy draining features.

Solar cells are now becoming a popular and effective way of powering wristwatches. High-tech battery cells are fuelled by the light that reaches them through the watch face. This means that the user will never have to change the battery. Citizen's Eco-Drive range has set the standard for the practical application of this technology. As an additional ecological bonus the batteries do not contain any of the harmful chemicals found in regular batteries.

by Amy