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Frequently Asked Questions |
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Written by Richard Brown
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Page 2 of 3 Q: What is the difference between mineral glass and sapphire?
A: First of all, the crystal is the clear part of the watch that
protects the face of the watch. On some models this is slightly convex
(like a magnifying glass), on other models it sits slightly projecting
from the case. This glass covering or "crystal" is usually made out of
several types of materials:
Mineral Glass – This is a specially treated glass that is more
resistant than normal glass to scratches. It can still be scratched
with a sharp object like a knife or a razor blade. With careful wear
you can get a long life out of a mineral glass crystal.
Sapphire – Artificial sapphire is used in the higher end replicas, and
on original watches such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Rado (Rado goes
crazy with this, making the band on some models out of this substance).
Having a hardness rating just slightly under diamonds sapphire crystals
are usually impervious to scratches. Because of their hardness they can
shatter if subjected to hard blows. This is the recommended material
for a crystal.
Q: What is a crown?
A: The "crown" of a watch is the knob that is used to wind or set the
time. A typical crown on an automatic watch can do several functions:
set the time, wind the watch, set the date and day. Some watches have
multiple crowns if there are additional functions that need to be
controlled.
Counterfeit Note Rolex uses a one piece crown with the Rolex logo at
the end. There are different dots or bars under the crown that indicate
the type of movement and functions that the crown will perform. Current
Rolex watches have three dots below the emblem on the crown, indicating
"Trip-lock" capability. This means the crown can perform all the
functions needed to set the date and time. It also has a hacking
function to stop the second hand during these procedures.
Cheap Rolex replicas will have a two-piece crown, with the emblem
actually glued onto the end of a generic crown. These are noticeable by
the lip around the glued-on emblem.
Note: some crowns have gems instead of emblems at their end.
Counterfeit gems have a glass-like quality to them and can typically be
easily identified.
Q: What an anti-reflective coating?
A: Some manufacturers coat the inside and or outside of the crystal of
their watches with a thin film that cuts down on the reflections
visible when viewing the dial. This anti-reflective film sometimes
gives a slight blue tint to the crystal.
Manufacturers like Breitling , Zenith and Panerai use this coating
extensively through their product line. The effect of the coating is
that the watch crystal appears to be invisible at certain viewing
angles. Also the watch is viewable in outdoor setting where without the
coating the glare would make reading the dial difficult.
Counterfeit Watch Missing anti-reflective coating is one of the easiest
way to spot a counterfeit. Move the watch around and view it from
different angles. If the crystal remains glossy and reflective from
various angles then it does not have the coating. This is great way to
spot fake Panerais and Breitlings as they are great proponents of the
coating.
Q: Is there a quick way to tell if I have a Swiss or high end Japanese replica?
A: Since all Swiss movements have a hacking function, just unscrew the
crown and pull it out to the position to set the time. If the second
hand does not stop moving then it does not have the hacking function
which means it's not a Swiss movement. Some Japanese movements will
also hack, so this test does not differentiate between Swiss and
Japanese movements.
Q: Are replica watches legal?
A: Replicas of an original model watch are considered counterfeit. Like
any counterfeit item they are not legal. Rolex and other manufacturers
are actively working to eliminate replica manufacturers.
Q: What is a deployant clasp?
A: A deployant clasp is a metal clasp that typically is fitted to a
leather strap. This clasp closes the watchband instead of using a
traditional tang and buckle. Deployants are easy to open and close with
one hand and usually allow you to adjust the watch strap to finer
degree than a normal tang and buckle.
Movement Questions
Q: What is a movement?
A: The movement of a watch is the mechanical parts that keeps the time
and causes the hands of the watch to move. There are several different
types of movements, but usually three are used in replicas: Quartz,
Manual and Automatic.
Q: What is a Quartz Movement?
A: A Quartz movement is a movement that relies on the vibrations of a
quartz crystal to keep time. Powered usually by a battery, quartz
movements are accurate and cheap to make. Many of the watches that
replicas emulate do not use quartz movements. This means that if a
replica has a quartz movement it is not going to function like the
original watch. Quartz watches have a "ticking" motion to the second
hand, which usually gives it away as a replica, since most original
watches have a "sweeping" hand.
Q: What is an Automatic Movement?
A: An automatic movement is also sometimes called a "self-winding"
movement. It uses the movement of your arm through the normal activity
of your day to wind the watch. Usually there is a weight set on a pivot
that rocks and swings back and forth with the rhythm of your movements.
This swinging winds the main spring of the watch, just as if you were
manually winding it over time.
The higher quality replica watches typically use an automatic movement,
since this is the movement normally used in the original watch they are
emulating. Automatic movements are typically not as accurate as quartz
movements, and are more expensive.
Q: What is a Manual Movement?
A: Manual Movements are also sometimes called "hand wound." They are
the traditional movements that require human effort to wind the crown
in order to power the watch. Winding the crown causes a spring to
tighten inside the watch. Over the course of the day the spring
releases its energy in order to move the gears of the watch. When the
spring loses all of its energy the watch stops working. Some manual
watches have a "Power Reserve" that indicates how many hours of energy
the spring has remaining.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 14 August 2007 )
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