The perfect holiday gift
> Watches that are worth your time
manufacturing, it takes up to 80 individual steps to produce a Milanese watch strap. 3 What’s the best mechanism – mechanical or quartz?
This is an important question when buying watches. “We see that women prefer quartz watches,” says watchmaker Guido Grohmann. “This is mainly due to the fact that they are more practical than mechanical watches.”
Men tend to prefer mechanical watches “because they have a soft spot for technology,” explains Grohmann. The difference between a mechanical and a quartz watch mechnism is easily explained. A mechanical watch is wound by hand. By rotating the crownwheel, a rotor is set into motion, which then winds up the steel mainspring. Quartz watches are electrically operated, using a quartz crystal as the timekeeper. According to Grohmann, there is another reason why it’s best to choose quartz if you are giving a watch to a woman. “They often have more than one watch, which are worn for different occasions. You don’t need to check quartz watches every couple of weeks to see if they’re still working.” Generally, the battery in a quartz watch lasts for around two years. 4 What other advice should be taken into account when buying a watch?
“Before buying a watch as a gift, you should discreetly ask for what occasion it will be worn,” advises Fischer. “For men, the main question is if the watch will be worn with a suit or something more casual and sporty.
In the latter case a chronograph watch would be a good option.” This type of watch, which has a stop function, is also on trend.
Smartwatches are also popular, and are “completely different from the reduced classic trend”, says Grohmann. Smartwatches are watches that can be connected to tablets or smartphones and have access to thousands of different apps. 5 What about the colour – is that important? Watches in striking colours have long been a hit. As with other accessories, there are always seasonal trends. “In the high price segment, for example, vibrant blue is a big trend,” says Grohmann. “Otherwise, delicate pastels such as pink or turquoise are still the most popular.” For classics, gold always looks fine. – dpa