.BRAND DNA
* Wristwatches: More Than Just Timepieces
written Sarah Arendts
Wristwatches have been a staple for many people to tell the time for decades. A recent study shows that 52% of Germans look at the watch on their wrist when they want to know the time. While smartphones have become ubiquitous, the traditional wristwatch remains a status symbol for many people.
But how do wristwatches actually measure time? There are several types of watches that use different methods to measure time.
Mechanical watches are known for their traditional watchmaking techniques and craftsmanship, using hand-wound or automatic movements powered by a mechanical spring. Quartz watches, on the other hand, use battery-powered quartz movements to measure time. Meanwhile, smartwatches are purely electronic and are often not primarily used to tell the time, but to monitor health data and other functions.
The precision of these watches depends on the method they use to measure time. Quartz movements use a crystal oscillator to regulate time, while smartwatches and smartphones use servers on the Internet to keep accurate time. Mechanical watches, on the other hand, use an escapement consisting of a balance spring, pallet fork, and a balance cock to keep accurate time.
Watchmaker NOMOS Glashütte is known for producing the highest number of mechanical watches in Germany and uses a special in-house developed escapement called the NOMOS swing system to guarantee exceptional precision in their mechanical watches.
No quartz watches or smartwatches: Around 200 people work at NOMOS Glashütte as engineers, designers, toolmakers and, of course, as watchmakers. They build mechanical watches—both hand-wound and those with automatic calibers—in the tradition of 175 years of watchmaking.
The study conducted by Verivox also revealed that the likelihood of a person wearing a wristwatch increases with income and level of education. Wristwatches are not just timepieces, but also serve as status symbols, representing a person's taste and style. In conclusion, wristwatches continue to be an important tool for many people to tell the time, with mechanical watches being a symbol of traditional watchmaking and craftsmanship.
With different methods to measure time, including quartz and mechanical movements, and the ability to serve as a status symbol, wristwatches will continue to be a popular accessory for many years to come.
The movement of a good mechanical watch is made up of many small and tiny parts, each of which is manufactured to the highest precision, sometimes within a matter of microns. Pictured here is the proprietary DUW 3001 automatic caliber from NOMOS Glashütte.