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| Although there was an attempt to modernise clock manufacture with mass production techniques and the application of duplicating tools and machinery by the [[British Watch Company]] in 1843, it was in the [[United States]] that this system took off. Aaron Lufkin [[Dennison]] started a factory in 1851 in Massachusetts that used interchangeable parts, and by 1861 it was running a successful enterprise incorporated as the [[Waltham]] Watch Company. | | Although there was an attempt to modernise clock manufacture with mass production techniques and the application of duplicating tools and machinery by the [[British Watch Company]] in 1843, it was in the [[United States]] that this system took off. Aaron Lufkin [[Dennison]] started a factory in 1851 in Massachusetts that used interchangeable parts, and by 1861 it was running a successful enterprise incorporated as the [[Waltham]] Watch Company. |
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− | === The Wristwatch ===
| + | == The Wristwatch == |
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| The concept of the wristwatch goes back to the production of the very earliest watches in the 16th century. Elizabeth I of England received a wristwatch from Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester in 1571, described as an armed watch. The oldest surviving wristwatch (then described as a bracelet watch) is one made in 1806 and given to Joséphine de Beauharnais. From the beginning, wristwatches were almost exclusively worn by women, while men used pocket watches up until the early 20th century. | | The concept of the wristwatch goes back to the production of the very earliest watches in the 16th century. Elizabeth I of England received a wristwatch from Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester in 1571, described as an armed watch. The oldest surviving wristwatch (then described as a bracelet watch) is one made in 1806 and given to Joséphine de Beauharnais. From the beginning, wristwatches were almost exclusively worn by women, while men used pocket watches up until the early 20th century. |
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| ==Quartz== | | ==Quartz== |
| The commercial introduction of the [[quartz watch]] in 1969 in the form of the Omega [[Omega Electroquartz|Beta 21]] and the Seiko [[Astron (wristwatch)|Astron]] was a revolutionary improvement in watch technology. In place of a balance wheel which oscillated at perhaps 5 or 6 beats per second, they used a [[crystal oscillator|quartz crystal]] [[resonator]] which vibrated at 8,192 Hz, driven by a battery-powered electronic oscillator. Since the 1980s, more quartz watches than mechanical ones have been marketed. | | The commercial introduction of the [[quartz watch]] in 1969 in the form of the Omega [[Omega Electroquartz|Beta 21]] and the Seiko [[Astron (wristwatch)|Astron]] was a revolutionary improvement in watch technology. In place of a balance wheel which oscillated at perhaps 5 or 6 beats per second, they used a [[crystal oscillator|quartz crystal]] [[resonator]] which vibrated at 8,192 Hz, driven by a battery-powered electronic oscillator. Since the 1980s, more quartz watches than mechanical ones have been marketed. |
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− | Tuning-fork watches use a type of electromechanical movement. Introduced by [[Bulova]] in 1960, they use a tuning fork with a precise frequency (most often 360 [[hertz]]) to drive a mechanical watch. The task of converting electronically pulsed fork vibration into rotary movements is done via two tiny jeweled fingers, called pawls. [[Electric watch#Types of electric watches|Tuning-fork watches]] were rendered obsolete when electronic quartz watches were developed. [[Quartz watch]]es were cheaper to produce besides being more accurate.
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− | {{Main|Mainspring}}
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− | Traditional mechanical watch movements use a spiral spring called a [[mainspring]] as a power source. In ''manual watches'' the spring must be rewound periodically by the user by turning the watch crown. Antique [[pocketwatch]]es were wound by inserting a separate key into a hole in the back of the watch and turning it. Most modern watches are designed to run 40 hours on a winding and thus must be wound daily, but some run for several days and a few have 192-hour mainsprings and are wound weekly.
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− | ==== Automatic watches ====
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− | {{Main|Automatic watch}}
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− | [[File:Jaeger-Lecoultre-p1000838.jpg|thumb|[[Automatic watch]]: An eccentric weight, called a rotor, swings with the movement of the wearer's body and winds the spring]]
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− | [[File:Seiko 5 Automatic 21 Jewels.png|thumb|upright|Seiko 5 Automatic Watch 21 Jewels]]
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− | A ''self-winding'' or ''automatic'' watch is one that rewinds the mainspring of a mechanical movement by the natural motions of the wearer's body. The first self-winding mechanism was invented for pocket watches in 1770 by Abraham-Louis Perrelet,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.worldtempus.com/fr/encyclopedie/index-encyclopedique/lhorlogerie-dans-le-monde/lhorlogerie-europeenne-en-chine-watches-wonders/ | title=Watchmaking in Europe and China: Watches & Wonders | work=[[Richemont]] | publisher=Worldtempus |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011232012/http://www.worldtempus.com/fr/encyclopedie/index-encyclopedique/lhorlogerie-dans-le-monde/lhorlogerie-europeenne-en-chine-watches-wonders/ |archivedate=11 October 2012}}</ref> but the first "[[self-winding watch|self-winding]]", or "automatic", wristwatch was the invention of a British watch repairer named [[John Harwood (watchmaker)|John Harwood]] in 1923. This type of watch winds itself without requiring any special action by the wearer. It uses an eccentric weight, called a winding rotor, which rotates with the movement of the wearer's wrist. The back-and-forth motion of the winding rotor couples to a [[ratchet (device)|ratchet]] to wind the mainspring automatically. Self-winding watches usually can also be wound manually to keep them running when not worn or if the wearer's wrist motions are inadequate to keep the watch wound.
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− | In April 2014 the Swatch Group launched the ''sistem51'' wristwatch. It has a purely mechanical movement consisting of only 51 parts, including a novel self-winding mechanism with a transparent oscillating weight. So far, it is the only mechanical movement manufactured entirely on a fully automated assembly line.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.watch-insider.com/featured/exclusive-an-inside-view-of-the-eta-high-tech-swatch-sistem51-production-in-boncourt-in-the-swiss-jura/|title=EXCLUSIVE: An inside view of the ETA high-tech Swatch Sistem51 production in Boncourt in the Swiss Jura – Watch-Insider.com|date=3 December 2014|website=Watch-insider.com|accessdate=28 October 2017}}</ref> The low parts count and the automated assembly make it an inexpensive mechanical Swiss watch, which can be considered a successor to ''Roskopf'' movements, although of higher quality.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.watch-insider.com/news/swatch-sistem51-swiss-watchmaking-revolution|title=Swatch Sistem51 a Swiss-made watchmaking revolution|website=Watch-insider.com|accessdate=28 October 2017}}</ref>
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− | == Display ==
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− | === Analog ===
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− | [[File:Poljot-Aviator-3133.jpg|thumb|[[Poljot]] [[chronograph]]]]
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− | [[File:Casio AE12.jpg|alt=Casio AE12|thumb|Casio AE12 LCA (liquid-crystal-analog) watch]]
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− | Traditionally, watches have displayed the time in analog form, with a numbered dial upon which are mounted at least a rotating hour hand and a longer, rotating minute hand. Many watches also incorporate a third hand that shows the current second of the current minute. Watches powered by quartz usually have a second hand that snaps every second to the next marker. Watches powered by a mechanical movement appears to have a gliding second hand, although it is actually not gliding; the hand merely moves in smaller steps, typically 1/5 of a second, corresponding to the beat (half period) of the balance wheel. In some escapements (for example the ''duplex'' escapement), the hand advances every two beats (full period) of the balance wheel, typically 1/2-second in those watches, or even every four beats (two periods, 1 second), in the ''double duplex'' escapement. A truly gliding second hand is achieved with the ''tri-synchro regulator'' of [[Spring Drive]] watches. All of the hands are normally mechanical, physically rotating on the dial, although a few watches have been produced with "hands" that are simulated by a [[liquid crystal display|liquid-crystal display]].
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− | Analog display of the time is nearly universal in watches sold as jewelry or collectibles, and in these watches, the range of different styles of hands, numbers, and other aspects of the analog dial is very broad. In watches sold for timekeeping, analog display remains very popular, as many people find it easier to read than digital display; but in timekeeping watches the emphasis is on clarity and accurate reading of the time under all conditions (clearly marked digits, easily visible hands, large watch faces, etc.). They are specifically designed for the left wrist with the stem (the knob used for changing the time) on the right side of the watch; this makes it easy to change the time without removing the watch from the wrist. This is the case if one is right-handed and the watch is worn on the left wrist (as is traditionally done). If one is left-handed and wears the watch on the right wrist, one has to remove the watch from the wrist to reset the time or to wind the watch.
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− | Analog watches, as well as clocks, are often marketed showing a display time of approximately 1:50 or 10:10. This creates a visually pleasing smile-like face on the upper half of the watch, in addition to enclosing the manufacturer's name. Digital displays often show a time of 12:08, where the increase in the number of active segments or pixels gives a positive feeling.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/28/business/media/28adco.html|title=Why Time Stands Still for Watchmakers|work=New York Times|accessdate=28 November 2008|date=28 November 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Ten Ten Tenet|url=http://www.snopes.com/business/market/clockhands.asp|work=Snopes.com|publisher=Barbara and David P. Mikkelson|accessdate=14 July 2013|author=Barbara Mikkelson|date=13 May 2011}}</ref>
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− | ==== Tactile ====
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− | [[Tissot]], a Swiss luxury watchmaker, makes the Silen-T wristwatch with a touch-sensitive face that vibrates to help the user to tell time eyes-free. The bezel of the watch features raised bumps at each hour mark; after briefly touching the face of the watch, the wearer runs a finger around the bezel clockwise. When the finger reaches the bump indicating the hour, the watch vibrates continuously, and when the finger reaches the bump indicating the minute, the watch vibrates intermittently.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tissot Silen-T User's Manual|url=http://support.tissot.ch/usersmanual/137-en.pdf|format=PDF|website=Support.tissot.ch|accessdate=28 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230208/http://support.tissot.ch/usersmanual/137-en.pdf|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
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− | Eone Timepieces, Washington D.C.-based company, launched its first tactile analog wristwatch, the "Bradley", on 11 July 2013 on the ''[[Kickstarter]]'' website. The device is primarily designed for sight-impaired users, who can use the watch's two ball bearings to determine the time, but it is also suitable for general use. The watch features raised marks at each hour and two moving, magnetically attached ball bearings. One ball bearing, on the edge of the watch, indicates the hour, while the other, on the face, indicates the minute.<ref>{{cite web|title=Innovative Tactile Watch Helps You 'Feel What Time it Is'|url=http://mashable.com/2013/07/13/tactile-watch-bradley/|work=Mashable|publisher=Mashable|accessdate=14 July 2013|author=Anita Li|date=14 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Thanks to Kickstarter, tactile watch debuts|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/07/11/watch-for-blind-kickstarter/0dt8VUnqc0hZ3z3gxUXROP/story.html|accessdate=14 July 2013|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=12 July 2013|author=Callum Borchers}}</ref>
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− | === Digital ===
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− | A digital display shows the time as a number, ''e.g.'', ''12:08'' instead of a shorthand pointing towards the number 12 and a long hand 8/60 of the way around the dial. The digits are usually shown as a [[seven-segment display]].
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− | The first digital ''mechanical'' pocket watches appeared in the late 19th century. In the 1920s, the first digital mechanical wristwatches appeared.
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− | The first digital ''electronic'' watch, a [[Pulsar (watch)|Pulsar]] LED prototype in 1970, was developed jointly by [[Hamilton Watch Company]] and Electro-Data, founded by George H. Thiess.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.texascooppower.com/texas-stories/people/all-in-good-time|title=All in Good Time: HILCO EC director donates prototype of world's first working digital watch to Smithsonian|work=Texas Co-op Power|date=February 2012|accessdate=21 July 2012}}</ref> John Bergey, the head of Hamilton's Pulsar division, said that he was inspired to make a digital timepiece by the then-futuristic digital clock that Hamilton themselves made for the 1968 science fiction film ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]''. On 4 April 1972, the Pulsar was finally ready, made in 18-carat gold and sold for $2,100. It had a red [[light-emitting diode]] (LED) display.
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− | Digital LED watches were very expensive and out of reach to the common consumer until 1975, when [[Texas Instruments]] started to mass-produce LED watches inside a plastic case. These watches, which first retailed for only $20,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://invention.smithsonian.org/centerpieces/quartz/coolwatches/20watch.html|title="TI $20 Watch", The Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, [Smithsonian Institution]|website=Invention.smithsonian.org|accessdate=28 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110818043131/http://invention.smithsonian.org/centerpieces/quartz/coolwatches/20watch.html|archive-date=18 August 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> reduced to $10 in 1976, saw Pulsar lose $6 million and the Pulsar brand sold to [[Seiko]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/nerdwatch/|title=Nerd Watch - Vintage Electronics Have Soul – The Pocket Calculator Show Website|website=Pocketcalculatorshow.com|accessdate=28 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029012925/http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/nerdwatch/|archive-date=29 October 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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− | [[File:Cfx400c.JPG|thumb|A Casio CFX-400, scientific calculator watch.]]
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− | An early LED watch that was rather problematic was [[Black Watch (wristwatch)|The Black Watch]] made and sold by British company [[Sinclair Radionics]] in 1975. This was only sold for a few years, as production problems and returned (faulty) product forced the company to cease production.
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− | Most watches with LED displays required that the user press a button to see the time displayed for a few seconds because LEDs used so much power that they could not be kept operating continuously. Usually, the LED display color would be red. Watches with LED displays were popular for a few years, but soon the LED displays were superseded by [[liquid crystal display]]s (LCDs), which used less battery power and were much more convenient in use, with the display always visible and no need to push a button before seeing the time. Only in darkness would a button need to be pressed to light the display with a tiny light bulb, later illuminating LEDs.<ref>{{US Patent|4096550}}: W. Boller, M. Donati, J. Fingerle, P. Wild, ''Illuminating Arrangement for a Field-Effect Liquid-Crystal Display as well as Fabrication and Application of the Illuminating Arrangement'', filed 15 October 1976.</ref>
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− | The first LCD watch with a six-digit LCD was the 1973 [[Seiko]] 06LC, although various forms of early LCD watches with a four-digit display were marketed as early as 1972 including the 1972 Gruen Teletime LCD Watch, and the Cox Electronic Systems Quarza. The Quarza, introduced in 1972 had the first Field Effect LCD readable in direct sunlight and produced by the International Liquid Crystal Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/magicalgadget/index3.html#teletime|title=Casio TA-1000 Electronic Clock & Calculator|work=Magical Gadgets, Sightings & Brags|publisher=Pocket Calculator Show|accessdate=17 January 2007|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415005859/http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/magicalgadget/index3.html |archivedate=15 April 2012}}</ref> In Switzerland, Ebauches Electronic SA presented a prototype eight-digit LCD wristwatch showing time and date at the MUBA Fair, Basle, in March 1973, using a [[twisted nematic]] LCD manufactured by [[Brown, Boveri & Cie]], Switzerland, which became the supplier of LCDs to [[Casio]] for the ''CASIOTRON'' watch in 1974.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/First-Hand:Liquid_Crystal_Display_Evolution_-_Swiss_Contributions |title=First-Hand:Liquid Crystal Display Evolution – Swiss Contributions – GHN: IEEE Global History Network |publisher=Ieeeghn.org |date= |accessdate=23 October 2011}}</ref>
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− | A problem with Liquid Crystal Displays is that they use [[polarized light]]. If, for example, the user is wearing polarized sunglasses, the watch may be difficult to read because the plane of polarization of the display is roughly perpendicular to that of the glasses.<ref>{{cite book |title=Inquiry into Physics |first1=Vern |last1=Ostdiek |first2=Donald |last2=Bord |publisher=Cengage Learning |year=2012 |isbn=1-133-71150-2 |page=343 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YeYJAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA343}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=YeYJAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA343 Extract of page 343]</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Physics |edition=illustrated |first1=Jim |last1=Breithaupt |publisher=Nelson Thornes |year=2001 |isbn=0-7487-6243-4 |page=151 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uSPzV9R08nsC}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=uSPzV9R08nsC&pg=PT151 Extract of page 151]</ref> If the light that illuminates the display is polarized, for example if it comes from a blue sky, the display may be difficult or impossible to read.<ref>{{cite book |title=Transflective Liquid Crystal Displays |first1=Zhibing |last1=Ge |first2=Shin-Tson |last2=Wu |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |year=2010 |isbn=0-470-68906-4 |pages=39–40 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1Sp1avgTedMC}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=1Sp1avgTedMC&pg=PA39 Extract of page 39-40]</ref>
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− | From the 1980s onward, digital watch technology vastly improved. In 1982 Seiko produced the Seiko TV Watch<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hightechies.com/gadgets/the-seiko-tv-watch.html |title=The Seiko TV Watch |publisher=HighTechies.com |accessdate=23 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006090525/http://hightechies.com/gadgets/the-seiko-tv-watch.html |archive-date=6 October 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> that had a television screen built-in,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taschenfernseher.de/doku/doku-seikotvwatch.pdf |title=T001 Instruction Manual |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=27 May 2012}}</ref> and Casio produced a digital watch with a thermometer as well as another that could translate 1,500 Japanese words into English. In 1985, Casio produced the CFX-400 scientific calculator watch. In 1987 Casio produced a watch that could dial telephone numbers and Citizen revealed one that would react to voice. In 1995 Timex released a watch which allowed the wearer to download and store data from a computer to their wrist. Some watches, such as the [[Timex Datalink#Timex Datalink USB|Timex Datalink USB]], feature [[dot matrix]] displays. Since their apex during the late 1980s to mid-1990s high technology fad, digital watches have mostly become simpler, less expensive timepieces with little variety between models.
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− | <gallery widths="270px" heights="270px">
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− | File:Jumphour.jpg|[[Cortébert (watch manufacturer)|''Cortébert'']] digital mechanical pocket watch (1890s)
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− | File:Cortjump1.jpg|''Cortébert'' digital mechanical wristwatch (1920s)
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− | File:PulsarLED.jpg|A silver Pulsar [[Light-emitting diode|LED]] watch from 1976.
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− | File:Timex T5E901 Ironman Triathlon 30 Lap FLIX.jpg|A [[Timex Group|Timex]] digital watch with an always-on display of the time and date
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− | </gallery>
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− | === Illuminated ===
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− | {{more citations needed|subsection|date=June 2014}}
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− | [[File:Tritium-watch.jpg|thumb|left|upright|An illuminated watch face, using tritium]]
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− | Many watches have displays that are illuminated, so they can be used in darkness. Various methods have been used to achieve this.
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− | Mechanical watches often have [[luminous paint]] on their hands and hour marks. In the mid-20th century, radioactive material was often incorporated in the paint, so it would continue to glow without any exposure to light. [[Radium]] was often used but produced small amounts of radiation outside the watch that might have been hazardous.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alan's Vintage Watches|url=http://alanwatch.homestead.com/page9.html|publisher=Radium Watch Dial Pattern|accessdate=16 April 2015}}</ref> [[Tritium]] was used as a replacement, since the radiation it produces has such low energy that it cannot penetrate a watch glass. However, tritium is expensive—it has to be made in a [[nuclear reactor]]—and it has a [[half-life]] of only about 12 years so the paint remains luminous for only a few years. Nowadays, tritium is used in specialized watches, e.g., for military purposes (See [[Tritium illumination]]). For other purposes, luminous paint is sometimes used on analog displays, but no radioactive material is contained in it. This means that the display glows soon after being exposed to light and quickly fades.
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− | Watches that incorporate batteries often have the electric illumination of their displays. However, lights consume far more power than electronic watch movements. To conserve the battery, the light is activated only when the user presses a button. Usually, the light remains lit for a few seconds after the button is released, which allows the user to move the hand out of the way.
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− | [[File:Backlit LCD display.jpg|thumbnail|Views of a [[liquid crystal display]], both with [[electroluminescence|electroluminescent]] backlight switched on (top) and switched off (bottom)]]
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− | [[File:Casio LCD Watch F-E10.jpg|left|upright|thumbnail| Digital LCD wristwatch Casio type F-E10 with electroluminescent backlighting.]]
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− | In some early digital watches, [[LED]] displays were used, which could be read as easily in darkness as in daylight. The user had to press a button to light up the LEDs, which meant that the watch could not be read without the button being pressed, even in full daylight.
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− | In some types of watches, small [[incandescent]] lamps or LEDs illuminate the display, which is not intrinsically luminous. These tend to produce very non-uniform illumination. Incandescent lamps are very wasteful of electricity.
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− | Other watches use [[Electroluminescence|electroluminescent]] material to produce uniform illumination of the background of the display, against which the hands or digits can be seen.
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− | == Speech synthesis ==
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− | [[Speech synthesis|Talking]] watches are available, intended for the [[Visual impairment|blind or visually impaired]]. They speak the time out loud at the press of a button. This has the disadvantage of disturbing others nearby or at least alerting the non-[[deaf]] that the wearer is checking the time. Tactile watches are preferred to avoid this awkwardness, but talking watches are preferred for those who are not confident in their ability to read a tactile watch reliably.
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− | ==Handedness==
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− | Wristwatches with analog displays generally have a small knob, called the crown, that can be used to adjust the time and, in mechanical watches, wind the spring. Almost always, the crown is located on the right-hand side of the watch so it can be worn of the left wrist for a right-handed individual. This makes it inconvenient to use if the watch is being worn on the right wrist. Some manufacturers offer "left-hand drive", aka "destro", configured watches which move the crown to the left side<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wornandwound.com/a-guide-to-destro-watches-from-sinn-muhle-citizen-and-more/|title=A Guide to "Destro": Watches from Sinn, Mühle, Citizen, and More - Worn & Wound|date=10 May 2016|website=Wornandwound.com|accessdate=28 October 2017}}</ref> making wearing the watch easier for left-handed individuals.
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− | A rarer configuration is the bullhead watch. Bullhead watches are generally, but not exclusively, [[chronograph]]s. The configuration moves the crown and chronograph pushers to the top of the watch. Bullheads are commonly wristwatch chronographs that are intended to be used as stopwatches off the wrist. Examples are the Citizen Bullhead Change Timer<ref>CITIZEN "BULLHEAD" CHALLENGE TIMER</ref> and the Omega Seamaster Bullhead.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/hands-on-with-the-omega-seamaster-bullhead-live-pics-pricing|title=Hands-On: With The Omega Seamaster Bullhead (Live Pics + Pricing)|website=Hodinkee.com|accessdate=28 October 2017}}</ref>
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− | Digital watches generally have push-buttons that can be used to make adjustments. These are usually equally easy to use on either wrist.
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− | ==Functions==
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− | [[File:Rolex-Submariner.jpg|thumb|upright|left|The [[Rolex]] Submariner, an officially certified chronometer]]
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− | [[File:Breguet MG 2573.jpg|thumb|upright|left|A [[Breguet (watch)|Breguet]] squelette watch 2933 with [[tourbillon]]]]
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− | [[File:Patek-Philippe MG 2583.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Perpetual calendar and moonphase wristwatch by [[Patek Philippe]]]]
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− | Customarily, watches provide the [[time of day]], giving at least the hour and minute, and often the second. Many also provide the current date, and some (called "complete calendar" or "triple date" watches) display the day of the week and the month as well. However, many watches also provide a great deal of information beyond the basics of time and date. Some watches include [[alarm]]s. Other elaborate and more expensive watches, both pocket and wrist models, also incorporate [[Striking clock|striking mechanisms]] or [[Repeater (horology)|repeater]] functions, so that the wearer could learn the time by the sound emanating from the watch. This announcement or striking feature is an essential characteristic of true clocks and distinguishes such watches from ordinary [[Clock|timepieces]]. This feature is available on most digital watches.
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− | A ''complicated watch'' has one or more functions beyond the basic function of displaying the time and the date; such a functionality is called a [[Complication (horology)|complication]]. Two popular complications are the '''[[chronograph]]''' complication, which is the ability of the watch movement to function as a [[stopwatch]], and the '''moonphase''' complication, which is a display of the [[lunar phase]]. Other more expensive complications include [[Tourbillon]], [[Perpetual calendar]], [[Minute repeater]], and [[Equation of time]]. A truly complicated watch has many of these complications at once (see [[Calibre 89]] from [[Patek Philippe]] for instance). Some watches can both indicate the [[Qibla compass|direction of Mecca]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Muslim watches |url=http://www.watchismo.com/search.aspx?find=muslim |publisher=Watchismo |accessdate=14 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928004218/http://www.watchismo.com/search.aspx?find=muslim |archivedate=28 September 2015 }}</ref> and have alarms that can be set for all daily prayer requirements.<ref>{{cite web|title=Islamic Watch & Clock|url=http://www.alfajr.com|publisher=ALFAJR|accessdate=14 April 2012}}</ref> Among watch enthusiasts, complicated watches are especially collectible. Some watches include a second 12-hour or 24-hour display for [[UTC]] or [[GMT]].
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− | The similar-sounding terms '''chronograph''' and '''chronometer''' are often confused, although they mean altogether different things. A chronograph is a watch with an added duration timer, often a [[stopwatch]] complication (as explained above), while a [[chronometer watch]] is a timepiece that has met an industry standard test for performance under pre-defined conditions: a chronometer is a high quality mechanical or a thermo-compensated movement that has been tested and certified to operate within a certain standard of accuracy by the [[COSC]] (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres). The concepts are different but not mutually exclusive; so a watch can be a chronograph, a chronometer, both, or neither.
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− | [[File:Datalink USB Dress Edition.JPG|thumb|upright|Timex Datalink USB Dress edition from 2003 with a dot matrix display; the ''Invasion'' video game is on the screen]]
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− | Many computerized wristwatches have been developed, but none have had long-term sales success, because they have awkward [[user interface]]s due to the tiny screens and buttons, and short battery life. As miniaturized electronics became cheaper, watches have been developed containing [[calculator watch|calculators]], [[tonometer]]s, [[barometer]]s, [[altimeter]]s, a [[compass]] using both hands to show the N/S direction, [[video game]]s, [[digital camera]]s, [[keydrive]]s, [[GPS watch|GPS receivers]] and [[cellular phone]]s. A few [[Astronomical clock#Watches|astronomical watches]] show [[phase of the Moon]] and other celestial phenomena. In the early 1980s [[Seiko]] marketed a watch with a television in it. Such watches have also had the reputation as unsightly and thus mainly [[geek]] toys. Several companies have however attempted to develop a [[computer]] contained in a wristwatch (see also [[wearable computer]]).
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− | Electronic sports watches, combining timekeeping with GPS and/or [[Activity tracker|activity tracking]], address the general [[Physical fitness|fitness]] market and have the potential for commercial success ([[Garmin forerunner]], Garmin Vivofit, Epson,<ref name="Epson" /> announced model of [[Swatch]] Touch series<ref>Hug, Daniel : ''Swatch lanciert 2015 eine intelligente Uhr.'' In: ''NZZ am Sonntag'', 27 July 2014, page 26 (German)</ref>).
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− | [[Braille watch]]es have analog displays with raised bumps around the face to allow blind users to tell the time. Their digital equivalents use [[synthesised speech]] to speak the time on command.
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− | === Fashion ===
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− | Wristwatches and antique pocket watches are often appreciated as [[jewelry]] or as [[collectible]] works of [[art]] rather than just as timepieces.<ref name=NYT012113>{{cite news|title=Buying Back a Forgotten Chinese Heritage|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/21/fashion/21iht-acaw-pocket21.html|accessdate=22 January 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=21 January 2013|author=Nazanin Lankarani|quote=We try to explain why it makes sense to spend $500,000 on a watch.}}</ref> This has created several different markets for wristwatches, ranging from very inexpensive but accurate watches (intended for no other purpose than telling the correct time) to extremely expensive watches that serve mainly as personal adornment or as examples of high achievement in miniaturization and precision mechanical engineering.
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− | Traditionally, dress watches appropriate for [[informal attire|informal]] (business), [[semi-formal]], and [[formal wear|formal]] attire are [[gold]], thin, simple, and plain, but increasingly rugged, [[Complication (horology)|complicated]], or sports watches are considered by some to be acceptable for such attire. Some dress watches have a [[cabochon]] on the crown or [[facet]]ed [[gemstone]]s on the face, [[bezel setting|bezel]], or bracelet. Some are made entirely of faceted [[sapphire]] ([[corundum]]).
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− | Many fashions and [[department store]]s offer a variety of less-expensive, trendy, "[[costume jewelry|costume]]" watches (usually for women), many of which are similar in quality to basic quartz timepieces but which feature bolder designs. In the 1980s, the Swiss [[Swatch]] company hired graphic designers to redesign a new annual collection of non-repairable watches.
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− | Trade in [[counterfeit watch]]es, which mimic expensive brand-name watches, constitutes an estimated {{USD|1 billion}} market per year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.havocscope.com/counterfeit-watches-market-value/|title=Havocscope Counterfeit Watches Market Value: $1 billion}}</ref>
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− | === Space ===
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− | [[File:OMEGA-Speedmaster-Professional-Front.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Omega Speedmaster]], selected by [[NASA]] for use on space missions in the 1960s.]]
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− | The [[Weightlessness|zero-gravity]] environment and other extreme conditions encountered by [[astronaut]]s in [[Outer space|space]] require the use of specially tested watches.
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− | The first ever watch to be sent into space was a Russian "[[Pobeda (watch)|Pobeda]]" watch from the [[Petrodvorets Watch Factory]]. It was sent on a single orbit flight on the spaceship [[Korabl-Sputnik 4]] on 9 March 1961. The watch had been attached without authorisation to the wrist of Chernuchka, a dog that successfully did exactly the same trip as Yuri Gagarin, with exactly the same rocket and equipment, just a month before Gagarin's flight.<ref>{{cite book |title=Animals in Space: From Research Rockets to the Space Shuttle |edition=illustrated |first1=Colin |last1=Burgess |first2=Chris |last2=Dubbs |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-387-49678-8 |page=213 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xSdHVIpsrKkC}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=xSdHVIpsrKkC&pg=PA213 Extract of page 213]</ref>
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− | On 12 April 1961, [[Yuri Gagarin]] wore a Shturmanskie (a transliteration of ''Штурманские'' which actually means "navigator's") wristwatch during his historic first flight into space. The Shturmanskie was manufactured at the [[Poljot|First Moscow Factory]]. Since 1964, the watches of the First Moscow Factory have been marked by the trademark "Полёт", transliterated as "POLJOT", which means "flight" in [[Russian language|Russian]] and is a tribute to the many space trips its watches have accomplished. In the late 1970s, [[Poljot]] launched a new [[Chronometer watch|chrono]] movement, the 3133. With a 23 jewel movement and manual winding (43 hours), it was a modified Russian version of the [[Switzerland|Swiss]] [[Valjoux]] 7734 of the early 1970s. [[Poljot]] 3133 were taken into space by [[astronaut]]s from Russia, France, Germany and [[Ukraine]]. On the arm of [[Valeriy Polyakov]], a [[Poljot]] 3133 chronograph movement-based watch set a space [[World record|record]] for the longest space flight in history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.netgrafik.ch/russian_space_watches.htm |title=Russian Space Watches History |publisher=Netgrafik.ch |date= |accessdate=27 May 2012}}</ref>
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− | [[File:Sts088-359-037.jpg|thumb|Astronaut [[Nancy J. Currie]] wears the Timex Ironman Triathlon Datalink model 78401 during [[STS 88]].]]
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− | Through the 1960s, a large range of watches was tested for durability and precision under extreme [[temperature]] changes and vibrations. The [[Omega Speedmaster]] Professional was selected by NASA, the U.S space agency, and it is mostly known thanks to astronaut [[Buzz Aldrin]] who wore it during the moon landing, 1969. [[TAG Heuer|Heuer]] became the first Swiss watch in space thanks to a Heuer Stopwatch, worn by [[John Glenn]] in 1962 when he piloted the [[Friendship 7]] on the first manned U.S. orbital mission. The [[Breitling SA|Breitling]] Navitimer Cosmonaute was designed with a [[24-hour analog dial]] to avoid confusion between AM and PM, which are meaningless in space. It was first worn in space by U.S. astronaut [[Scott Carpenter]] on 24 May 1962 in the [[Aurora 7]] mercury capsule.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.breitling.com/en/models/navitimer/cosmonaute/|title=Navitimer, the aviator favourite watch|work=[[Breitling SA|Breitling]]|accessdate=17 January 2007}}</ref>
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− | Since 1994 [[Fortis Uhren AG|Fortis]] is the exclusive supplier for manned space missions authorized by the [[Russian Federal Space Agency]]. [[China National Space Administration]] (CNSA) astronauts wear the [[Fiyta]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fiyta.com.cn|title=Fiyta.com.cn|work=Fiyta|accessdate=17 January 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070115191903/http://www.fiyta.com.cn/|archive-date=15 January 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> spacewatches. At [[BaselWorld]], 2008, [[Seiko]] announced the creation of the first watch ever designed specifically for a space walk, Spring Drive Spacewalk. [[Timex Datalink]] is flight certified by [[NASA]] for space missions and is one of the watches qualified by NASA for space travel. The [[Casio]] [[G-Shock]] DW-5600C and 5600E, DW 6900, and DW 5900 are Flight-Qualified for NASA space travel.<ref name="NASA 5-8 Article">{{cite web |url=http://www.nasaexplores.com/show2_5_8a.php?id=02-024&gl=58 |archive-url=https://archive.is/20061114025319/http://www.nasaexplores.com/show2_5_8a.php?id=02-024&gl=58 |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 November 2006 |title=Internet Archive Wayback Machine |date=14 November 2006 |accessdate=23 October 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref name="NASA 9-12">{{cite web |url=http://www.nasaexplores.com/search_nav_9_12.php?id=02-024&gl=912 |archive-url=https://archive.is/20080304191551/http://www.nasaexplores.com/search_nav_9_12.php?id=02-024&gl=912 |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 March 2008 |title=Internet Archive Wayback Machine |date=4 March 2008 |accessdate=23 October 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
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− | Various Timex Datalink models were used both by cosmonauts and astronauts.
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− | === Scuba diving ===
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− | [[File:Seiko 7002-7020 Diver's 200 m on a 4-ring NATO style strap.JPG|thumb|upright|Seiko 7002–7020 Diver's 200 m on a 4-ring NATO style strap]]
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− | Watches may be crafted to become water resistant. These watches are sometimes called [[diving watches]] when they are suitable for [[scuba diving]] or [[saturation diving]]. The [[International Organization for Standardization]] issued a standard for water resistant watches which also prohibits the term "[[waterproof]]" to be used with watches, which many countries have adopted.
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− | Water resistance is achieved by the [[gasket]]s which forms a watertight seal, used in conjunction with a sealant applied on the case to help keep water out. The material of the case must also be tested in order to pass as water resistant.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.europastar.com/europastar/watch_tech/waterresistance.jsp|title=Watch Industry Questions and Answers: Water-Resistance|work=Europa Star|publisher=VNU eMedia Inc|accessdate=17 January 2007}}</ref>
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− | None of the tests defined by [[ISO 2281]] for the Water Resistant mark are suitable to qualify a watch for scuba diving. Such watches are designed for everyday life and must be water resistant during exercises such as swimming. They can be worn in different temperature and pressure conditions but are under no circumstances designed for scuba diving.
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− | The standards for diving watches are regulated by the [[ISO 6425]] international standard. The watches are tested in static or still water under 125% of the rated (water) pressure, thus a watch with a 200-metre rating will be water resistant if it is stationary and under 250 metres of static water. The testing of the water resistance is fundamentally different from non-dive watches, because every watch has to be fully tested. Besides water resistance standards to a minimum of 100-metre depth rating ISO 6425 also provides eight minimum requirements for mechanical diver's watches for scuba diving (quartz and digital watches have slightly differing readability requirements). For diver's watches for mixed-gas saturation diving two additional requirements have to be met.
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− | Watches are classified by their degree of water resistance, which roughly translates to the following (1 metre = 3.281 feet):<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jwnz.co.nz/page/watches.aspx|title=Watches|website=Jwnz.co.nz|accessdate=28 October 2017}}</ref>
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− | {| class="wikitable"
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− | |+ Main Article [[ISO 6425#Water resistance classification|ISO 6425]]
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− | ! nowrap="nowrap" |Water-resistance rating || Suitability || Remarks
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− | | Water Resistant or 30 m || Suitable for everyday use. Splash/rain resistant. || NOT suitable for diving, swimming, snorkeling, water-related work, or fishing.
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− | | Water Resistant 50 m || Suitable for swimming, white-water rafting, non-snorkeling water related work, and fishing. || NOT suitable for diving.
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− | | Water Resistant 100 m || Suitable for recreational surfing, swimming, snorkeling, sailing, and water sports. || NOT suitable for diving.
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− | |-
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− | | Water Resistant 200 m || Suitable for professional marine activity and serious surface water sports. || Suitable for diving.
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− | |-
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− | | Diver's 100 m || Minimum ISO standard for [[scuba diving]] at depths not requiring helium gas. || Diver's 100 m and 150 m watches are generally old(er) watches.
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− | | Diver's 200 m or 300 m || Suitable for scuba diving at depths not requiring helium gas. || Typical ratings for contemporary diver's watches.
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− | | Diver's 300<sup>+</sup> m helium safe|| Suitable for [[saturation diving]] (helium-enriched environment). || Watches designed for helium mixed-gas diving will have additional markings to point this out.
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− | |}
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− | Some watches use [[Bar (unit)|bar]] instead of meters, which may then be multiplied by 10, and then subtract 10 to be approximately equal to the rating based on metres. Therefore, a 5 bar watch is equivalent to a 40-metre watch. Some watches are rated in [[Atmosphere (unit)|atmospheres]] (atm), which are roughly equivalent to bar.
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− | === Navigation ===
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− | {{Main|Cardinal direction#Watch dial}}
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− | There is a traditional method by which an [[analog watch]] can be used to locate north and south. The Sun appears to move in the sky over a 24-hour period while the hour hand of a 12-hour [[clock face]] takes twelve hours to complete one rotation. In the northern hemisphere, if the watch is rotated so that the hour hand points toward the Sun, the point halfway between the hour hand and 12 o'clock will indicate south. For this method to work in the southern hemisphere, the 12 is pointed toward the Sun and the point halfway between the hour hand and 12 o'clock will indicate north. During [[daylight saving time]], the same method can be employed using 1 o'clock instead of 12. This method is accurate enough to be used only at fairly high latitudes.
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− | == See also ==
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− | {{Portal|Technology}}
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− | {{clear}}
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− | {{div col|colwidth=23em}}
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− | * [[24-hour analog dial]]
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− | * [[American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute]]
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− | * [[Clock]]
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− | * [[Coin watch]]
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− | * [[Smartwatch]]
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− | * [[List of watch manufacturers]]
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− | *[[List of most expensive watches sold at auction]]
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− | * [[Marine chronometer]]
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− | * [[National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors]]
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− | * [[Tachymeter (watch)]]
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− | {{div col end}}
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− | ==References==
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− | {{Reflist}}
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− |
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− | ==Further reading==
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− | * [[Edmund Beckett, 1st Baron Grimthorpe|Beckett, Edmund]], [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/17576 ''A Rudimentary Treatise on Clocks, Watches and Bells''], 1903, from [[Project Gutenberg]]
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− | * Berner, G.A., [http://www.fhs.ch/berner/?l=en ''Illustrated Professional Dictionary of Horology''], [[Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry]] FH 1961–2012
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− | * Daniels, George, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ZWq8c0xvGxsC&printsec=frontcover ''Watchmaking''], London: Philip Wilson Publishers, 1981 (reprinted 15 June 2011)
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− | * De Carle, Donald, (Illustrations by E. A. Ayres), [https://archive.org/details/practicalwatchre0000deca ''Practical Watch Repairing''], 3rd edition, New York : [[Skyhorse Pub.]], 2008. {{ISBN|978-1-60239-357-8}}. Significant information on watches, their history, and inner workings.
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− | * Denn, Mark, "The Tourbillon and How It Works", ''IEEE Control Systems Magazine'', June 2010, [[IEEE Control Systems Society]], DOI 10.1109/MCS.2010.936291.
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− | * Grafton, Edward, [https://books.google.com/books?id=GlIEAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover ''Horology, a popular sketch of clock and watch making''], London: Aylett and Jones, 1849
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− |
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− | == External links ==
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− | {{Wiktionary}}
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− | {{Commons category|Watches}}
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− | * [http://www.watkinsr.id.au/david.html American and Swiss Watchmaking in 1876 by Jacques David]
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− | * [http://www.sil.si.edu/digitalcollections/HistoryCultureCollections/SIL-029-015/pdf/SIL-029-015.pdf The Watch Factories of America Past and Present by Henry G. Abbott (1888)]
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− | * [http://www.fhs.ch/ Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH]
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− | * [http://v3.espacenet.com/textdoc?DB=EPODOC&IDX=GB218487&F=0 UK patent GB218487, Improvements relating to wrist watches], 1923 patent resulting from John Harwood's invention of a practical self-winding watch mechanism.
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− | {{Jewellery}}
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− | {{Time measurement and standards}}
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− | {{Time topics}}
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− | {{Authority control}}
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− | [[Category:Watches| ]]
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Early History
Watches evolved from portable Mainspring and spring-driven clocks, which first appeared in 15th century Europe. Watches were not widely worn in pockets until the 17th century. One account says that the word "watch" came from the Old English word woecce which meant "watchman", because it was used by town watchmen to keep track of their shifts at work. Another says that the term came from 17th century sailors, who used the new mechanisms to time the length of their shipboard watches (duty shifts).
The 17th Century -Balance Spring
A great leap forward in accuracy occurred in 1657 with the addition of the balance spring to the balance wheel, an invention disputed both at the time and ever since between Robert Hooke and Christiaan Huygens. This innovation increased watches' accuracy enormously, reducing error from perhaps several hours per day to perhaps 10 minutes per day. Christiaan Huygens published in his letter in the Journal des Sçavants of 25 February 1675 the application of the spiral balance spring for watches which ushered in a new era of accuracy for portable timekeepers, similar to that which the pendulum had introduced for clocks.The spiral balance spring revolutionized the accuracy of watches, enabling them to keep time to within a minute a day. This advance sparked an almost immediate rise in the market for watches, which were now no longer typically worn on a chain around the neck but were carried in a pocket, a wholly new fashion in clothing.
The increased accuracy of the balance wheel focused attention on errors caused by other parts of the movement, igniting a two-century wave of watchmaking innovation. The first thing to be improved was the escapement. The verge escapement was replaced in quality watches by the cylinder escapement, invented by Thomas Tompion in 1695 and further developed by George Graham in the 1720s. Improvements in manufacturing such as the tooth-cutting machine devised by Robert Hooke allowed some increase in the volume of watch production, although finishing and assembling was still done by hand until well into the 19th century.
The 18th Century- Bimetallic Compensator
A major cause of error in balance wheel timepieces, caused by changes in elasticity of the balance spring from temperature changes, was solved by the bimetallic temperature compensated balance wheel invented in 1765 by Pierre Le Roy and improved by Thomas Earnshaw. The lever escapement was the single most important technological breakthrough, and was invented by Thomas Mudge in 1759 and improved by Josiah Emery in 1785, although it only gradually came into use from about 1800 onwards, chiefly in Britain. The British had predominated in watch manufacture for much of the 17th and 18th centuries, but maintained a system of production that was geared towards high-quality products for the elite only.
The 19th Century and Mass Production Arrives
Although there was an attempt to modernise clock manufacture with mass production techniques and the application of duplicating tools and machinery by the British Watch Company in 1843, it was in the United States that this system took off. Aaron Lufkin Dennison started a factory in 1851 in Massachusetts that used interchangeable parts, and by 1861 it was running a successful enterprise incorporated as the Waltham Watch Company.
The Wristwatch
The concept of the wristwatch goes back to the production of the very earliest watches in the 16th century. Elizabeth I of England received a wristwatch from Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester in 1571, described as an armed watch. The oldest surviving wristwatch (then described as a bracelet watch) is one made in 1806 and given to Joséphine de Beauharnais. From the beginning, wristwatches were almost exclusively worn by women, while men used pocket watches up until the early 20th century.
First Military Use of Watches
Wristwatches were first worn by military men towards the end of the 19th century, when the importance of synchronizing actions during battle, without potentially revealing the plan to the enemy through signaling, was increasingly recognized. The Garstin Company of London patented a "Watch Wristlet" design in 1893, but they were probably producing similar designs from the 1880s. Officers in the British Army began using wristwatches during colonial military campaigns in the 1880s, such as during the Third Anglo-Burmese War of 1885.The company Mappin & Webb began production of their successful "campaign watch" for soldiers during the Battle of Omdurman and accelerated production for the Second Boer War a few years later. In continental Europe, Girard Perregaux and other Swiss watchmakers began supplying German naval officers with wristwatches in about 1880.
Early models were essentially standard pocket-watches fitted to a leather strap but, by the early 20th century, manufacturers began producing purpose-built wristwatches. The Swiss company Dimier Frères & Cie patented a wristwatch design with the now standard wire lugs in 1903. Hans Wilsdorf moved to London in 1905 and set up his own business, Wilsdorf & Davis, with his brother-in-law Alfred Davis, providing quality timepieces at affordable prices; the company later became Rolex.
WW1 and rapid development
The impact of the First World War dramatically shifted public perceptions of of the man's wristwatch and opened up a mass market in the postwar era. Service watches produced during the War were specially designed for the rigours of trench warfare, with luminous dials and unbreakable glass. The War Office began issuing wristwatches to combatants from 1917.By the end of the war, almost all enlisted men wore a wristwatch and after they were demobilized, the fashion soon caught on. See WW1 Military Watches for a more detailed exploration of this area.
1920s onwards
By 1930, the ratio of a wrist to pocket watches was 50 to 1. The first successful self-winding system was invented by John Harwood in 1923.
Hamilton Electric
Hamilton Electric were the pioneers of the first electric watch . Unlike the Quartz and the Bulova Accutron this was the first movement to use a battery as a source to oscillate the balance wheel. Hamilton released two models of the Electric: the first released was the Hamilton 500 on 3 January 1957, which was produced into 1959. This model had problems with the contact wires misaligning and the watch returned to Hamilton for alignment. The Hamilton 505 was an improvement on the 500 and was more reliable: the contact wires were removed and a non-adjustable contact on the balance assembly delivered the power to the balance wheel.
Quartz
The commercial introduction of the quartz watch in 1969 in the form of the Omega Beta 21 and the Seiko Astron was a revolutionary improvement in watch technology. In place of a balance wheel which oscillated at perhaps 5 or 6 beats per second, they used a quartz crystal resonator which vibrated at 8,192 Hz, driven by a battery-powered electronic oscillator. Since the 1980s, more quartz watches than mechanical ones have been marketed.