Watches are made from a wide variety of different materials. If you are buying a quality watch from a reputable dealer you will be able to tell what a watch is made from before you buy it. These details can normally be found on each different component; the watch strap or bracelet and the case back.  If you are buying online this information should be found in the product description. 

Gold Watches

Gold is only used for luxury watches. There are two main reasons for this; firstly that gold is an expensive material, secondly that it is an extremely soft metal. Gold watches are dress watches, normally purchased for special occasions and are not suitable for everyday wear. One advantage to having a gold watch is that gold has an intrinsic value. If the watch can no longer be worn the gold still has a value according to its weight and the price of gold on any given day.

Gold Plated Watches

If you fancy a gold watch but want something more usable than a solid gold watch you can opt for a watch with a leather strap and gold case or a gold plated watch. Gold plated watches have the same lustrous colour as gold but come at a fraction of the price. New technology in this field means that instead of layering the gold on top of a base metal it is now infused into it (by a process known as Physical Vapour Deposition or P.V.D.). This results in a more even spread of colour and longer lasting cover.

Silver Watches

Silver is also a luxury item that retains its value. It is not as expensive or as soft as gold but is still a malleable substance which is why it is used so frequently in jewellery. Silver watches are more durable than gold watches but are more prone to tarnishing. Although this can be rectified by regular cleaning and taking good care of your watch.

Titanium Watches

Titanium is a lightweight and exceptionally durable material. It has the highest strength to weight ratio of any metal. Anything that is worn on the wrist is likely to take a lot of damage over it’s life, so titanium is an ideal material to make a watch out of.. The downside is that it is an expensive material compared to stainless steel, so the cost is often considered prohibitive by watch makers.

Stainless Steel Watches

Stainless Steel is the most common of all metals used in the construction of watches. It is strong, resistant to most forms of corrosion and does not easily stain. This combined with its distinctive bright colouring make it an ideal metal to use in watch making. It is commonly used for watch cases whatever the strap type and is a relatively cheap option.

Rubber/Resin Watches

Watches with resin straps are normally designed for serious outdoor use. They are really tough and have the advantage of being both lightweight and water resistant, protecting the delicate workings of the watch. Often childrens watches will have a strap made from resin for much the same reasons!

Leather Strap Watches

Leather is used to make watch straps because it is inexpensive, compared to the other products. It also allows for customisation. Leather can be dyed any colour. Due to the predominant use of buckles as a fastening, leather straps can be made one length and easily adjusted to fit a number of different sized wrists. The downside is that they are nowhere near as long lasting as metal straps and they can get stained fairly easily. Leather straps have the advantage of being made from a soft natural fabric, so most people find that they are comfortable to wear. Imitation leather is also available, these straps tend to be cheaper and less durable. Some people may find that they are allergic to them.

Webbing Strap Watches

Webbing straps are generally the cheapest of the straps on the market. They are commonly made from nylon. They are fairly durable and normally water resistant. They are often used for watches that are designed specifically for outdoor pursuits or for childrens watches.

Karen Millen started in 1981 with only £100 pounds to their name. They are a real rags to riches success story as they are now an international fashion house gracing catwalks from Rome to New York with stores in 29 countries. They started selling clothes through a party plan business model but their contemporary designs captured the public imagination. They quickly progressed to open the first dedicated Karen Millen shop in 1983. In 2004 they were acquired by Mosaic Fashions Ltd and added to their glowing fashion retailers portfolio joining household names, Oasis, Coast, Warehouse and Principles amongst others.

Ethical Traders

The clothing industry has suffered in recent years due to exposes of horrific sweat shops. But you can be assured that this will never happen to Karen Millen. They hold progressive ethical principles at the very heart of their business. They guarantee that they will uphold international labour standards to the best of their ability. Additionally they strife to achieve that dignity is always upheld and that all employees are treated with respect and fairness. In order to maintain these admirable ideals they have employed a number of internal ethical auditors and ethical trading specialists. So you can buy Karen Millen without any ethical qualms! 

Style

Their innovative and modern ethical business plan is the perfect accompaniment to their style. Karen Millen clothes bring designer looks to the high-street. They prize classic looks whilst valuing ingenuity and innovation.  Their aim is to create beautiful, well designed modern products that are feminine, fun and above all flattering. Karen Millen produce seasonal collections of clothes as well as ranges of bags and accessories.

Watches

In autumn of last year Karen Millen launched a stunning range of watches; quite unlike anything else on offer at the moment. The eye-catching styles take the traditional watch in a new fashion-conscious direction. Karen Millen have achieved this by taking simple and classic designs and adding a contemporary twist by using crystals, animal prints or oversized bracelets. This attention to detail and the beautiful finish make them must-have items. Plus animal prints and patent leather are tipped to be making appearances on the catwalk Spring 2009.

A few years ago if someone had told you that you could watch football matches online, you would have laughed at such people. It is no longer the case, live football over the internet becoming a reality. You just need a PC in order to watch your favorite teams online these days. Moreover, you do not need any kind of specialized software to watch your favorite stars in action too.

A PC and a good high speed internet connection is all that you need to watch live football these days. You do not need any expensive software too to watch online football. A simple online search is all that you need to find free software for the purpose. Most of the websites that offer these live feeds also offer free software. This freeware is usually very easy to download and use. While you can watch online football with an old dial up connection, it is always preferable that you go in for a broadband internet connection. This is so because; with broadband internet connection you get better quality video streams.

Using the free software you can now transform your PC into a TV in next to no times. A few clicks is all that you need to watch football this way. In order to enjoy these facilities, you usually need to pay a minimal fee towards becoming a registered member of the particular website. No longer do you need to depend on cable to watch live football. The advent of internet based live TV has come as a boon to all the football fans around the world for this very reason.

Just in case you no live football feeds are available, you can also watch other sports or movies this way. In fact you can easily switch to live rugby or tennis if you find that live football feeds are not available for the time being. In most of the cases, the online sources offering internet based TV will also provide you with a host of other services. Some of them include providing you access to hundreds of other channels offering a variety of entertainment programs.

What enables live sports on the internet is ‘P2P’ technology. This technology enables you to watch football right from the comforts of your home, any time of the day. No longer do you need to depend on the cable alone for live football action. A few clicks of the button are all that you need in order to watch live football.

You don’t need any extra hardware for watching online football. The necessary software can also be easily downloaded from various different websites. P2P technology enables high quality video streams, without any kind of distortions. This is in fact one of the reasons for their phenomenal popularity. You can also record your favorite matches and get to have a look at them later on. Your viewing choice does not end with football with the P2P technology. From movies to music and news, the advent of this new technology has come as a boon to all football fans.

The term watch glass refers to the transparent covering over the face of a watch. There are a number of different materials that are used to make watch glasses. They are generally made of one of three common materials depending on the make, uses and quality of each particular watch. Each material has it’s own advantages and disadvantages, so it is worth understanding the differences. Sometimes the glass is referred to as the crystal, this is not to be confused with the quartz crystal inside of a lot of watches which regulates the timekeeping.

Acrylic Glass
The cheapest glass is actually a plastic. Acrylic plastic is tough, flexible and transparent. It is not likely to shatter as it is very light. The downside is that it may scratch easily. The scratches can be removed, it is advisable to consult a jeweller about the best way to proceed. Childrens’ watches often have an acrylic glass as they are unlikely to be able to break it even if they are not as careful as they could be! 

Mineral Glass
The most common form of glass is mineral glass. This is made by using heat or chemicals to treat ordinary glass in order to make it more scratch resistant. If the glass does become too scratched it will need to be replaced.  Unfortunately this also has the affect of making the glass more likely to shatter. Occasionally when a watch glass shatters small shards of glass can lodge themselves into the workings. If this happens then the cost of repair is likely to exceed the value of the watch. Most watches, however, do not end their life in this way; so there is no need to be unduly worried. But it is worth being careful if your watch glass does shatter in order to prevent this from happening.

Sapphire Crystal
The most desirable watch glasses are made out of either synthetic or genuine sapphire. Commonly synthetic sapphire is used. This is made out of crystalised aluminum oxide, it has the same physical properties as the natural gem frequently used in jewellery but without the colouring. It is the most expensive way to create a watch glass but the advantage is that the glass is incredibly durable. Sapphire rates 9 on the Moh scale, (that is the scale that measures the relative hardness of all materials) and is just behind diamond which measures 10. Of all the glasses it is the least likely to shatter or be scratched. If anything you should be more concerned that your watch may scratch another surface! Sapphire crystal is one of the features that pushes up the price of high end watches. This is due to the value of sapphire and partly because expensive tools that use diamonds to cut and shape the sapphire have to be used to make them. Premier brands such as Seiko and Citizen watches often use sapphire glass for their watches.

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.       

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 1400s but it was not until the 1800s, 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.

Sekonda was founded in 1931, now it is part of Time Products (U.K). It remains the same privately owned business that it started as, but has evolved to cater to 6.5% of the British watch market (GFK data 2006). With a market share like that it is no surprise that Sekonda is presently the U.K.’s best selling watch brand. More amazing is the fact that it has remained the U.K.’s favorite watch brand since 1988 and in 2006 became the best seller by both volume and value. Showing that it is firmly established in its position at the top of this industry. The reasons for their success are many and perhaps can be best summed up by their own slogan “beware of expensive imitations.”

The History

Sekonda used to import Soviet watches for sale in the Western markets. They are associated with the original production of both digital and quartz watches. Firstly sourcing Russian mechanical watches and then moving their production to Hong Kong as quartz technology became the highly desired watch mechanism. This flair for utilising innovations has been a crucial element of their success. In the 1980’s a host of fashion houses such as DKNY, Gucci and Guess began producing their own fashion watches. This marked the beginning of a new era of competition within the watch industry and questions began to be raised about how to combat the new influx of competitors; the main problem was that the size of the market had not increased at the same rate as those after market share.

Sekonda’s Solution

The key values that have driven Sekonda’s success are price, quality and service. RRP’s are chosen before product development is complete. This places the emphasis on the buyers to reduce material costs, rather than on the retailers to sell at a higher price. The core lines retail between £20 and £80, eminently more affordable than their fashion house counterparts. Strict quality controls have remained firmly in place since the start. Each watch is checked by hand for any faults which has resulted in a return rate of less than 1%, even though they sell in excess of 1.6 million watches a year. Admirable. Additionally both end customers and retailers continually express their satisfaction with the sales process and the after sales care.

Brand Revolution

Sekonda have managed to retain their market status not only by providing a high quality of product and service but by constantly evolving to satisfy the desires of their key target market, 25-35 year olds. In the last twenty years this has meant a change of strategy as fashion now dictates that style must be fast and disposable. The notion of impulse buying has become not just a bonus for the retailer but a staple diet. Sekonda decided to develop ranges that fed into this market and, in 2004 and 2005 respectively, the Seksy and One ranges were born.

These two identities now account for 20% of Sekonda’s overall sales. Both ranges consist of watches that are individually named, most famously the Seksy Eclipse, which both emulates high fashion’s penchant for naming items and creates a tag that is significantly more likely to lodge in the mind of the consumer than just an image or traditional product code. Image conscious women and men were suddenly provided with high fashion style for high street prices from a reliable brand. This sales strategy has been one of the most successful of recent years. Essentially the model that they have created is eminently effective marketing actually backed up by a good quality product at a good price. They are ticking all the boxes and this constantly creates a substantial amount of work but allows for continual reassessment and innovation.

Practical Management

One of the essential elements of a fashion brand is a quick turn around on products. The lead time for a new Sekonda watch is only 3 months, so their ‘cool hunters’ can capitalise on a trend within a relatively short time. They also have product launches every six months to facilitate this. This is a logistic nightmare. But thanks to a precise stock system, based upon perceptive use of market research and advertising strategies Sekonda have one of the lower waiting times for delivery in the watch sector. This has come to be essential in a market based upon rapidly changing fashions. At any time they have approximately 1 million watches in stock, yet aim to sell 600,000-700,000 of this stock within a short period. In addition to this they will also label products for individual retailers based on their systems rather than Sekonda’s. This further enables a speedy transition to the shop shelf.

Brand Management

The most visible and therefore the most important element of their sales is brand representation. In 2006 they had a marketing budget of £1.6 million, this increased to £1.9 million in 2007. A significant outlay which has yielded impressive results. This budget is in part spent on traditional magazine advertising including features in Heat, OK, Closer, Nuts and Zoo. But they have embraced new advertising realms. Noting the prevalence of media celebrity culture they have aligned their brand with a number of high profile celebrities; most recently Girls Aloud, Take That and Jack Osbourne. They have also sponsored television shows with anticipated high viewing figures such as the 2008 X-Factor. One of the most notable forms this has taken is the distinctive idents placed in advertising breaks, which include a number to text for your nearest Sekonda retailer. During the program “An Audience with Take That’ they received 1500 texts, the highest number ever recorded for this type of advertising. Putting aside for one moment the valuable brand exposure the ads provide, Sekonda have managed to turn TV advertising into actual sales. The effect of their campaign has filtered down right through the sales network. It is rarely that a customer asks for a specific watch that they have encountered through any advertising campaign. The retailer that I work for has received unprecedented numbers of enquiries about Seksy and One watches solely based on the effects of the TV campaigns.

The Future

Sekonda have entered into the travel retail market which as well as direct sales opportunities has the added benefit of brand exposure. Customers with enough capital to travel are a captive audience for the duration of flights. They are highly likely to browse the in-flight magazine the products are featured in even if they do not purchase anything. Other businesses have been keen to capitalize on Sekonda’s success. Virgin flights had Sekonda advertising running on the back cover of the summer edition of their magazine. Sekonda now sell their watches on a number of airlines, have flagship stores at major airports and are completing a number of deals to place shops in popular U.K. tourist destinations and in ex-pat communities located in Dubai, Spain, Sharm el Sheikh and South Africa. At present U.K. consumers account for approximately half of all Sekonda’s sales.

Looking after a watch properly can extend its life by many years. There are a number of easy ways that you can do this.

Treat your watch according to its water resistance rating. Every watch has a water resistance rating. For a breakdown of what each one means click here.

Do not expose your watch to rapid temperature change. It is best not to wear your watch in a sauna or in a cold plunge pool. This is because rapid temperature change causes materials to contract, if the seal (that makes the watch water resistant) changes size and/or shape it could mean that your watch is no longer water resistant.

If the air under the glass rapidly cools it may mean that the water in the air will condense. In most cases this goes away without any intervention, but water can get into the workings of the watch. The best course of action to take if this happens is to have the case opened and left to dry as soon as possible.

Once the case has been opened the water resistance rating can not be guaranteed until the watch has been tested in a pressure tank. If you frequently use your watch in water it is best to send it back to the manufacturer as local retailers are unlikely to have the equipment necessary to do this.

Do not knock your watch. Undue shocks can damage the internal workings or scratch the glass. It is generally inadvisable to wear a watch during sports, unless it is specifically designed for them. This is especially important if you have a watch which has moving parts. Mechanical/automatic watches and quartz watches contain moving parts. A digital watch has no moving parts so an impact should only damage the glass. A breakdown of the different qualities of watch glasses can be found here.

Avoid wearing perfume or moisturisers in the same place that you wear your watch. Watch bracelets, straps and the internal workings can be susceptible to corrosion from cosmetics.

Check straps and bracelets regularly. Ensure that they are not loose or too worn. If necessary get the clasp tightened or obtain a new strap, both of these tasks can be done by your local jeweller. Keep hold of any additional links that you have for the watch, these will come in handy if one breaks.

Keep your watch clean. If it has a water resistance rating of 50m you can clean your watch with luke warm water and a very small amount of soap.  A tooth brush or similar object can be used to easily loosen dirt. Make sure that you remove all soap and dry it thoroughly afterwards. If the water has a rating of less than 50m the best thing to use is a soft cloth and a dry toothbrush to clean between the links.

Change the battery when necessary. If a battery powered watch has stopped or is losing time it probably needs a new battery. Even if you do not intend to wear the watch for a while it is better to keep it running as the mechanisms inside may seize up if they are not used. It is advisable to get the battery changed by a jeweller as there are a number of small parts which can easily be lost. Remember that water resistance cannot be guaranteed unless it is tested. To find out more about different kinds of power for wrist watches click here.

Get your watch serviced. If you have an automatic, divers or a particularly expensive watch it is recommended to have it serviced every 2-3 years. Otherwise the cost of servicing is likely to outweigh the cost of replacement. If the watch is under guarantee ensure that the service centre used is one recognised by the manufacturer so that the warranty is not invalidated.