UNDERSTANDING WATCH BASICS

ECO-DRIVE
If you own a newer Citizen Watch, chances are, it is an Eco-Drive. If you haven’t worn it for a while and pull it out of your drawer to find it has stopped, don’t go rushing to the jeweler for a battery. Citizen created a timepiece that runs by using light to charge an internal cell. The Eco-Drive technology can convert any kind of light into energy to power the watch. Simply placing your watch near your desk lamp or in a sunny window should have you back on time again. 

QUARTZ
A quartz watch runs on a battery. The word quartz is often written on the dial but not always. The quartz watch is one of the most accurate types of timepieces, in fact, keeping more accurate time than the more expensive luxury watches. If your watch is not keeping accurate time, or you start to see your secondhand jump, that is an indication that the battery is possibly dying. Be mindful of how long it has been since you changed to a new battery. A dead battery left in a watch can corrode, and this would cause damage to the actual watch movement. 

MECHANICAL WATCH
A mechanical watch is a type that the wearer must physically wind. When winding the spring, be cautious not to overwind. Overwinding past the point where the stem begins to tighten will cause damage. It is important to note that mechanical watches need to be winded every time they are worn.

AUTOMATIC WATCH
An automatic movement is a self-winding watch. Most must be manually wound the first time, but once actively being worn will wind themselves from the wearer’s movements. This type of watch will store a power reserve for an average of 24 to 48 hours. This range allows the timepiece to keep running overnight. If the watch is not worn within the power reserve range the setting and winding process begins again. Automatic watches have the most complicated movement and are the most expensive type of watch. The most popular is the Rolex Watch. Many collectors will also own watch winders. Keeping an automatic watch on a winder will keep the required movement and energy allowing the wearer to switch between watches without having to re-set each use.