Eternal Pieces of Time
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Watches are time pieces made up of a small clock and two straps connected through Velcro, chains or metal clasps in holes. They have developed from the old chains placed on pockets. Nowadays, they do not only serve as accurate time keepers, but they serve as fashionable accessories. Traditionally, they blend with business, semi-formal or formal clothes, but now, they serve as sports gear or even diving gadgets. Watches also range from the classic gold or silver pieces, rugged and brusque looking time bands, geek gadgets bearing calculators, tonometers, barometers, altimeters, GPS receivers, video games, digital cameras, cellular phones or even a television down to the fancy kid bracelets.
Through the years, watches have displayed not only the time (hour and minute, sometimes the second), but also the current date and day of the week. Some even have alarms, while some have striking mechanisms or a repeater function. Through this, the user can learn the time of the day by hearing just the particular sound from the watch. When the date and time are not the only ones shown, the watch is called a complication. There are two kinds. The first is the chronograph which has the capacity to function as a stop watch. The moon phase complication displays the lunar phase. Other more costly complications are the equation of time, minute repeater, Tourbillion and perpetual clock. Interestingly, some are designed to show the direction of Mecca and has alarms for the prayers.
A watch can move either mechanically or electronically. The former is less accurate because of sensitivity to temperature and position. Error often arise from the moving components especially the hands of the clock. The movement is controlled by an escapement mechanism which regulates the winding and unwinding sections of the spring. Mechanical movement also utilizes a balance wheel and a balance spring. Meanwhile, the electronic movement use the piezoelectric effect situated in a small quartz crystal. This crystal forms a back and forth movement which resonates at a precise and stable frequency. This type is more accurate.
Watches can also be classified depending on the power source. An automatic watch has an irregular weight which swings with the user's body movement and winds the spring. Another kind is the electronic watch which relies on a little generator supplying a rechargeable battery. There are also solar-powered time pieces that are moved by photovoltaic cell on the dial.
The time pieces may also differ in display type. Analog ones are the traditional pieces with a numbered dial (clock) upon which two hands, the hour and minute hands rest. Some even show a third hand bearing the second. Reading from analog types is easy if watch is placed on the left hand. As such, changing time is less hassle since most people are right handed. The other type is digital which displays the time in numbers. This is relatively easy to read than analog types.
Indeed, watches come in different forms, color and designs. Whatever they look like, they still remain as vital pieces of time keeping. |
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Author Resource:-
Peter Farrar is an expert when it comes to fossil and rotary watches. If you want to read more about fossil and rotary watches visit his website at http://www.watchshop.com.
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By :
Jessie Stone
Submitted
2010-11-13 22:36:06 |
Article From Article Mayhem
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