Wednesday, April 23, 2014

What's The Difference Again?

 A watch salesman once told me that an average Victorinox automatic (using a standard ETA movement, in stainless steel) is the exact same thing as a Rolex or any other watch. The only difference according to him is a "difference in packaging!"

 May I just say; what the hell was he thinking when he opened his mouth! Don't get me wrong, I know he's there to sell lots of watches, pocket knives and other accessories; but seriously?! Once again don't take it the wrong way, I love Victorinox. Who doesn't! Their watch design show a lot of promise. 

 Honestly, what would you chose? A Submariner, or some ETA Victorinox? Victorinox lovers might hold strong, but would any one else go for the ETA? Since we're being honest, I can truly say that I'd take a Tissot over Victorinox, they may both use ETA's but Tissot defiantly has more style.

 Once more very few people who know any thing about watches pick an ETA, over an in house.


----MainSpringWatch----

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

What to Buy?

 Recently I directed a father, giving him a list of suggestions of what watch to buy for his 24 year old son. I couldn't just pick any watch either, we had the reasonable budget limit of $200.00. If you have had this conundrum, which I know I had when starting out, what do you do? Personally I turned to blogs, forums and chat rooms. Now that I have a blog of my own up and running I would like to share this valuable under $200 top watch list with you (first being best, and last being... least best of the best).
Oh, also I apologize to Submariner owners in advance.

1. The Seiko Orange Monster: Can be found for as low as $180 online
-Automatic (self-winding)
-excellent lume
-Good for swimming diving etc.

2. The Invicta Pro Diver Titanium: can be found for as low as $100
-Automatic (self-winding)
-Ultra light and strong titanium case
-styled after the Submariner for 100x less money

3. G-Shock GA100MC-1A: can be found for between $120 and $140
-Gadget for the wrist: feature packed, ani-digital
-In most cases nearly indestructible
-2 to 3 year battery life


----MainSpringWatch Team----

Thursday, March 27, 2014

News

 Hi everyone just alerting you guys that BaselWorld 2014 is now in progress! If you are in Switzerland before April 3 I suggest you check it out.
 I've got to say the new Rolex Sea Dweller is pretty awesome.
Once again if you are around for it, you should really check it out.

-Mainspringwatch team

Friday, March 14, 2014

News

 Okay first I will say that I finally got some emails with watch review requests. Secondly our first series is at a close. The last episode of everyman's watch will air tomorrow night at sometime or other. After I am finished with the last everyman's watch episode, I will then get to reviewing the chosen watches.

 Thank you for your patience,
 The Mainspringwatch team.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Automatic Watches

 Some people don't know what they're getting into when they buy a watch. I was one of those people! Without extensive research it is almost impossible to choose a watch on the fly. Usually we look at price tag, complications and look of the watch. What is truly strange, however; is that people rarely look at movements and watch engines.

 The average non-watch enthusiast, who happens to own a watch, will ask, "Why? Why is it important to know what type of movement a watch has?" It cost an average (if you go to a mid quality watch establishment) of $320 every 16 years, and up to 60hrs of your time. If you are an economical person and you have owned your watch for a few years now, and plan to keep it, you will probably spend twice as much on batteries as you have on your watch. There is a solution... go Mechanical.

 Mechanical movements have no battery. A coiled main spring is their power source, the main spring must either be wound by you every day or so, or if it is an automatic it will be wound by a pendulum/rotor. The heart of the watch is the thing that keeps the time (accurate) it vibrates (half spins) at a calculated rate. If you buy a mechanical watch you will have to have it serviced (every 4-6 years) as mechanical watches moving parts need to be lubricated. Most watch companies have released some sort of eco friendly watch engine, so why not try out an automatic watch? Remember to always look at what watch movement you're buying into.

Some companies with (in my personal opinion) excellent automatic watches: Rolex , IWC, Oris, Alpina, and Christophe Claret

If you are on a budget I would recommend Tissot, or Swatch.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Tissot or Timex: What does it mean to be a "Swiss Made" Watch?

 Contradictory to the first part of the title we will not be talking about Timex at all. Instead we will be talking about what it means to be a real "Swiss Watch". We will also be talking about the difference between "Swiss Made" and "Swiss Movement".

 If I asked all of you what your favourite dream watch is, I can guarantee that at least 85% of you would say the name of something Swiss. Realistically, it has almost always been this way (except maybe in the 1980s when Japanese watches were super popular), and now with the internet we can get terrific deals on some of our favourite Swiss brands. Are they really Swiss brands, though? Before I go any farther I beg you not to go and throw your $30,000 Oris in the garbage, no that's a real Swiss watch brand. What I'm talking about is Swiss Legend (neither very legendary, or very Swiss), and Stührling Original; those types of brands. Do not let them fool you with things at six o'clock like: Swiss Mov. or Swiss Mvt. or even Chrono Swiss. If a watch says something similar to this on it, and you are looking for a real Swiss watch... Do not Buy it. If it says something like this on it it means that the movement is Swiss Made to varying degrees of quality. After the movement is finished it is then exported and cased somewhere else (cheap-labour countries mostly), it is then tested for flaws... in those countries. Meaning that it is more susceptible to defects, where real Swiss-made watches are not.

 A watch that is labeled "Swiss Made", is, as the name suggest, mostly Swiss made. In order for a manufacturer to legally* put Swiss made at the six o'clock the watch must meet the following requirements:
-Swiss Made movement (made in Switzerland)
-Cased in Switzerland
-Tested for defects in Switzerland by- the- Swiss
-Must be 60% or more Swiss made

 Thanks for reading- The bloggers at Mainspringwatch


*some companies will not abide by the rules and will make watches and illegitimately call them "Swiss Made"
*note some Swiss Legends, and Stührling Originals maybe Swiss made, the brands are both highly respected by Mainspringwatch
*note no Oris price has actually been quoted, if a particular Oris is priced similarly it is simply coincidental 

Friday, February 7, 2014

2014 Olympic Games in Sochi

 Yes, the time for the winter olympics is finally upon us! Television sets all over the world will be turned on non-stop for the next while. After these olympics we will say where did the time go? Certain journalists who are partaking in Russia's, staying in unbuilt hotels' tradition will think otherwise. You've got to give Russians some slack though. They only knew that the olympics where coming to Sochi for seven years!

 No need to despair whilst wondering were the time went though! Thanks to the new, Sochi olympic games, Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 45.5mm "Sochi 2014" Limited Edition. They also came out with two other Sochi limited edition watches... Which will not be mentioned here because we would like you to visit their website.

Omega

Also don't feel sad if you missed out on the limited edition Sochi watches; if their Speedmasters' are good enough for Chris Hadfield, they should be good enough for you.

 Please enjoy the Olympic games, our next episode of everyman's watch will be sometime after. The exact date has not, as of yet been decided.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Everyman's watch episode two: Casio Edifice Chronograph, EF-539

 Today, we watch lovers down at a Casio. I'll stop there and tell you outright: It's not a G-Shock.
What could it be if not a G-Shock you ask? What other Casio watch is worth buying? I could literally here all day, writing the names of all the great watches that they have produced! Should I start in the sports section or the pro trek section?

 In all seriousness, though; the Casio chronograph from the Edifice collection is possibly one of the best watches of the year.


Saturday, January 25, 2014

New episode

Sorry for the delay everyone but we have been very busy of late. That means that the newest episode of everyman's watch will be released later on (at it's latest monday). I will get you to guess which Casio watch that you think we are doing. You can leave a comment with the model number in tow. Here's a hint, it's not a G-Shock!

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Upcoming episode

Sorry to be so late in posting this, but the next episode of everyman's watch will be posted tomorrow at this time (about) (NYC standard time).

I'd also like to say that I'm sorry I didn't announce earlier that Tissot celebrated their 160th anniversary last year.

You can check out Tissot's watches on there website, but you have to say their name with a french accent. http://www.tissot.ch/

You can also, if you can't speak french for your life (unlike me), go to amazon: http://www.amazon.ca/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=watches+tissot&tag=googcana-20&index=aps&hvadid=31158632742&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1104006378392840408&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_8w3fen68gl_b

Friday, January 17, 2014

Everyman's watch episode one: Henry Birks, and Sons

 As promised, we at Mainspring Watch bring you a great episode about the 2010, Henry Birks and Sons, K90X174-1, brand watch. The watch was made primarily to promote Henry Birks, the luxury watch dealer's, corporate incentive line of products.

About the Watch
The Henry Birks and Sons watch is made of high quality stainless steel, and is water resistant. It features normal time keeping plus a date box so you can keep track of the days. The is one of the best* reasonably priced* watches of 2013.

Case, Face and Strap
The face has a diameter of 33mm, the "glass" covering the face is mineral, while the face itself is black.
The watch is 45mm from lug to lug, which are both made of solid stainless steel. The band has a width of 20mm and is comprised of stainless steel links. The watch uses a trifold buckle (without a clasp), also in stainless steel. The watch uses a reliable quartz movement, powered by a two-year-battery*. The watch rides about 7mm above the wrist.


You can view other Birks collections at: http://secure.birksrecognition.com/

*(1) in our opinion
*(2) costs about 100 Canadian dollars
*(3) battery life will vary; we can not ensure that the said battery will last two years

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

News

 The Swiss watch company Breitling will be celebrating it's 130th birthday this year! Breitling offers solid Swiss watches (primarily men's) for professionals of every suit. From diver to formula one driver they have the professional instrument for you.

 Breitling was founded by Léon Breitling in 1884 (when he established his work shop). Breitling is one of the only legitimate brands which boast a certified chronometer on every watch model. Breitling is usually associated with pioneering aviation, and modern aviation watches. This association did not come around by chance! In the early 20th century pilots needed a reliable procession time piece, so it was in the 1930s that many pilots became interested in the Breitling pocket chronograph. Breitling, seeing a chance to enrich it's customer base, made a specialty range of chronographs intended for airplane cockpits. This revelation, seeming small at the time, earned them world wide fame. The sad thing is they still don't have an "aviator" collection. Well I guess "super avenger" is good enough for all of us down here at mainspringwatch.

 Everyone reading this should now probably give Breitling a big hand. They have truly suffered through some tough times. Tough times indeed. With the growing popularity of the watch companies, Timex and Casio, no 100% Swiss watch maker is truly safe, except maybe Swatch. Okay and Wenger is pretty safe, but other than that these guys have been going through some tough times. Luckily for them there will always be people who will drop a few thousand for a watch. Some watch indeed. Breitling maybe the number one Swiss watch maker just because of it's functionality and personality, or just because you want a slide rule on your watch.

You can look into Breitling and their amazing timepieces further at: http://www.breitling.com/en/
Or you could look for a hot deal on Amazon, I know they've got lots. First go to: amazon.ca or amazon.com go to watches, then select the brand Breitling.

Monday, January 13, 2014

New series alert! "Everyman's watch" will feature 3 episodes in which I will dissect three of the best every day watches, for affordable prices.

The first episode comes to you at 8:00pm NYC standard time, Friday, January 17 2014.

Welome to Mainspringwatch

Dear Readers and viewers,

 As of January 13 2014 our official blog: Mainspringwatch is operational! Before I get into any detail about that though, let me tell you a little bit about Mainspringwatch. Up here at Mainspringwatch we pride ourselves in giving you the best of todays' watch news and reviews, with a unique point of view on every watch. You can even tell us the watches that you want us to review! They could be watches that you own or watches that you like, which ever it is we will have one special episode each series in which we will take a look at a reader's watch choice. To have your watch selected you can contact us after we have put out our per series post asking for a watch suggestion. We can not guarantee  that all of the suggestions we get will be acted upon, however; we can tell you that the first one to contact us at: nt.bendzsa@gmail.com, will be accepted into the final episode of the series that we happen to be working on when we post: "Any Watch Review Suggestions?". If you do own the watch that you want us to review you can also email us pictures of the watch, that you have taken yourself.

 Our first series is called every man's watch in which we will be reviewing (next 3 episodes) the (in our opinion) the top three every day watches. The episodes should air from now until march break (north american march break). Most of our episodes should be accompanied by a youtube video, a link to which will be posted on this blog. Our first review will be posted at around 8:00pm, NYC standard time, Friday, January 17 2013.

 As this first post comes to an end I have two happy belated birthdays to announce; Jaeger-LeCoultre celebrated it's 180th last year, but they weren't the only watch company who had a big birthday last year! Tag Heuer celebrated their 153 birthday last year!

See both their collections at: TAGHeuer.com, and http://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/US/en/luxury-watches/home-page both of their collections are magnificent, and 100% swiss made.