What are the materials used to make watch cases?

There are many types of metal to be used for making watch cases, Solid Yellow Gold, Pink Gold, White gold in gold like 9K, 14K and 18K, nowadays, gold case is almost 18K (75%)
Stainless steel is used to be the most common material for case. The High end watch is often made of Platinum or Titanium.
Platinum is a very heavy metal, and gives a shiny white metallic appearance. Unlike gold, pure platinum is fairly hard and resistant to scratches (similar to hard stainless steel). For this reason, it is often used in 95% purity (i.e. Pt 950). However, raw platinum is expensive to be used, not only because of its rarity, it is tough and the tooling has to be changed for not more than 3 cases, so manufacturing cost of high. But also because it is used in higher purities and requires more effort to work into a final shape. So as traditional practice in marking prices of watch, Platinum is used to be the Most expensive line of the Watch, then Pink gold, White Gold, yellow gold.
Take Rolex watch Price as for examples, make it a stainless steel as 1. the Two one is about 1.7X Yellow gold is 4X, Rose Gold is 5X, Platinum is 7X.
Other case materials which one will run across occasionally (especially on the vintage market) are Sterling Silver (92.5% purity silver), Coin silver (80% purity silver), nickel silver or silveroid (not silver, but 66% copper, 24% zinc, and 10% nickel), nickel, and nickel plated steel. Also, more recently, one can even find watch cases made of ceramic (zirconium oxide, Rado has been using for many years as used recently by IWC) and aluminum (used in conjunction with other metals, as currently used by Porsche Design and BVLGARI.)
Titanium is a relatively light-weight metal, with a hardness exceeding that of most steels. It also has a poor heat conductivity character, which means that it won't carry heat away from your skin as quickly as steel or aluminum (i.e. it will feel warmer to the touch - sometimes you'll see claims that titanium "remains at skin temperature" - this is technically incorrect, any more than a small piece of wood stays at skin temperature). Several varieties of titanium are available. Titanium has some interesting mechanical properties: it can "rip" when cut so it is difficult to machine, and two pieces of titanium pressed together can "weld" themselves together.
This latter property is why it is important that watches with titanium cases and backs have the casebacks removed periodically - the threads can actually rip out of the case if left undisturbed too long.
Later trend like AP introduces the carbon Fibre that has to be molded under hi temperature and pressure.
Rado has been using unscratchable ceramic material to make watch for many years..
Plastic watch case has vibrant colour that has no limit at all, but the sweat that goes into the plastic will ultimately changes colour of the plastic, the plastic will become brittle after years. It may crack. So only cheap watch use plastic to make cases.
So what is the best material to make watch cases, my opinion is Platinum as it is precious metal that has a dull silver grey colour. Rose gold because of the colour is beautiful and classical look. White gold as it is like stainless steel, good low profile metal for cases, yellow gold that shines the way forever when you wear it on your write. Titanium is good for sport watch as it seem has it unique colour and super light weight yet strong to resist scratches, Ceramic is not a good material a sit is too cold on my hand. Plastic is limited to be used for low cost watch I believe, though there has been a trend for expensive watch case to have some plastic parts on the watch cases Like AP. But I don't like it at all.
Attached picture is a Rolex Oyster watch case made of solid single piece of 18KT Yellow Gold.

HK Snob

What is a watch winder, and do I need one?

Collectors who have more than one automatic watch may have "difficulty" keeping any one watch going continuously. This leads to increased inconvenience especially if perpetual calendars and moonphases must be reset. A solution has been invented - the automatic watch winder.
The idea is quite simple, to strap the automatic watch on to s socket which is mounted on top of a geared motor, which then moves the watch enough to keep it wound when not worn on the wrist. That way, one can choose to wear any watch at any time, and not have to reset the time or calendars. In theory, this device should be simple and cheap.

In practice, it's not as easy as it sounds. First, while an automatic watch has an overwind protection mechanism to avoid damage to the movement, if the overwind mechanism is constantly used for hours at a time (i.e. though constant turning, rather than the unpredictable movement of the human wrist), the lubrication of the mechanism is worn out faster. This means that watch winders must be designed to only make so many turns per day, and to let the watch sit and run itself through its power train. Furthermore, since automatic winding mechanisms vary from watch model to model, the winder must be designed to have an adjustable number and direction of turns per day. Finally, mechanical watches are considered luxury items, which means watch winders are doubly so - due to the small number of people who would actually want one.

An important factors for Watch winder is the magnetic flux leakage. It should not have significant leakage that would magnetize your Expensive Watch. Battery driven motor is preferred as it is quiet and less electrical interference. Two size A battery cells can run continuous for two years. Some of the cheapest one of watch winder is HKD$800 and more expensive Watch Winder is sold at HKD$1,000,000.00.

A Mechanical watch is prone to get easier for wear and tear if they are set to run on timer for more than one year. If I had too many watches I had rather manual set the time before I wear it, only concern is Perpetual calendar that is hard to set-up. I know many people even does not care the day and date on their calendar perpetually at all,

All of this means that manufacturers for the consumer market must not only make their winders mechanically foolproof to avoid damaging watches, but they often construct the winder comparably to a jewelry box. The upshot of all this is that most consumer’s watch winders with programmable winding are expensive - often costing several hundred or thousand dollars.

While cheaper professional models exist, these often do not come with programmable settings, as the maker assumes that they would be used in a watchmaker's shop.

Some Cheap Watch winder has a lousy watch capture and lock device, you expensive watch may drop out and get scratched when you are travelling.

Last word - winders are not a necessity, they are a convenience. You should decide whether they are worth it based on whether you feel inconvenienced resetting your automatics occasionally.
HK Snob

You're not ready!

You’re not ready!
You’re young.
You haven’t been with the company all that long.
You’re not quite sure of your position.
Maybe in a few years, when you’re a little bit established.
But not yet.
Of course, if you disagree, you can visit an official Rolex jeweler!

This is a famous Rolex Advertisement for Rolex Day Date set with Diamonds in 1980’s!
HK Snob

Don't leave home without it!

There was AMEX card Ad in 1986 in HK TV: “Don’t leave home without it?
Now I should say that Don’t leave home without my Rolex!
The attached Rolex Day Date is the all time favourite for works, shopping, Yam Cha, Monday to Sunday. as it is a typical low profile watch because it is white Gold. Matches easily with your clothes, white shirt with aligned harmony, Black shirt with glows of great lustre Contrast!
'From the top of the world to the bottom of the sea, Rolex proves dependable'
Rolex advertisement, 1954’
Founded by Hans Wilsdorf in 1908, Rolex have always been a manufacturer of firsts; first wristwatch to receive Chronometer certification, first with automatically changing date, deepest sea record, fastest Speed record on bomber jet, first with an oscillating winding rotor as is still used today and the first waterproof wristwatch too. Can any other manufacturer boast this much provenance? No! that is Why Rolex is always my first Choice of Watch!

HK Snob

What does "adjusted", "unadjusted" and "regulated" mean?

An "unadjusted" movement is a movement where no attempt has been made to ensure that the daily error rate in several orientations (positions) have been minimized or optimized across the positions. An "adjusted" movement, therefore, has had some extra care in ensuring that the variance in accuracy between several orientations is minimized.
Watches are typically adjusted to 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 positions. Traditionally, they are ordered as follows:

1. Dial Up
2. Crown Down
3. Dial Down
4. Crown Left
5. Crown Up
6. Crown Right
For example, a watch adjusted to two positions include positions 1 & 2 from the above list (i.e. face up and crown down). Similarly, a watch adjusted for 4 positions has been adjusted in positions 1-4, and so on. Watches can also be adjusted for isochronism (i.e. constant time across varying states of wind) and temperature. Some manufacturers (Franck Muller, and Patek Phillipe) adjusts to 8 positions (the above six plus two half-way orientations); though this is a bit over-the-top, but that takes a lot of works to achieve that position accuracy.
All Rolex Chornometers are adjusted to Five Positions! refer to above Picture.
A "regulated" movement is a when the overall rate of the entire movement (either adjusted or not) is brought into correct absolute timing. Unlike adjustment, this is a simple tweak, which moves the daily rates of all of the positions up or down without intentionally changing the relative rates in positions.

HK snob

What does "17 jewels" mean?

Higher grade watches use a jeweled movements, which means that jewels were actually been used in the movement. These jewels are functional - they are used as the bearings for the wheel trains and in high wearing parts such as the escape lever and impulse jewel.
Most manual wind watches will have a standard complement of 17 jewels.
Automatic winding movements will add about 4-8 jewels to help most efficiently transfer the relatively small rotor forces into winding the mainspring. An automatic Winding watch will normally have 25 jewels.
Special Movements with additional functions such as chronographs and calendars, can up the total number of jewels tremendously. For example, the IWC Il Destriero Scafusia (claimed to be among the most complicated wristwatches) has a total of 76 jewels to accommodate the time, perpetual calendar, rattrapante chronograph, repeater, and tourbillon functions - and this is a manual wind watch.
Why do they use synthetic ruby?
Ruby is significantly better than steel in handling the forces involved, never wear out easily and providing a super low friction surface suitable for both high-load as well as high-speed motion. With modern production methods, they are cheap USD$0.1
Ruby is technically known corundum, and is a crystallized form of aluminum oxide (Al2O3). In pure form, corundum is white in colour; trace impurities are added to change the colour - to red in the case of rubies. It should also be noted that any other colour of corundum (including clear) is known as sapphire. Ruby is used because it is an extremely hard and provides a smooth surface for the wheel pivots (and other steel components) to operate on. In a mechanical watch, there is a constant force applied to the pivot of every wheel in the wheel train, which is applied by the wound-up mainspring… Without any jewels, the steel wheel pivots would very quickly wear away the bridge and plate material until the wheels came out of alignment, and the movement would crash to a halt. In the inexpensive watch of yesteryear, the pivot holes may have been provided with hardened metal bushings.
Are more jewels better?
Not necessarily. As noted above, a typical hand-wind movement today will have only 17 jewels as a full complement. Some really high-grade or ultra-thin movements will add a few extra jewels to further protect against any wear, but even these top out at 21-23 jewels.
Only those pieces of the movement which are between the mainspring and the escape wheel are candidates for jewelling, as these are the movement parts that experience the higher forces or relatively higher speeds of the mainspring or escapement. Other components, such as the motion works (i.e. hour and minute wheels), calendar mechanisms, and winding train are not under this constant stress, and thus arguably do not need jewels.
One will occasionally encounter a quartz movement with 4-6 jewels in it.
As a historical note, there was a "jewel craze" about 50 years ago, where manufacturers, under the belief that the public thought more was always better, came up with 75 or even 100 jewel movements. They are decorative Jewels.

HK Snob

Seiko Kinetic Watch

The capacitor is inserted under Copper plate at 7 O'clock position.

Is Seiko Kinetic Watch does not carry battery!
The answer is, No, it does not carry a battery,
But instead it does carry a Capacity!
The Kinetic watch power is relied on a mechanical rotor to generate electricity when we move the rotor. It will charge up the capacity and that battery will be used to maintain the power of the Microprocessor and all the steppers driving the analogues display.
When the watch is un-touched or left behind more than a 24 hours, the hands of the watch will stop, that is going into a hibernate mode to save power. That is a very good feature of Seiko Kinetic. When you pick up the watch again, the hands will be moved to the current display time.
The beauty of the Kinetic watch is mechanical movement for power generation and runs at the accuracy of the Quartz Watch at about 0.3 seconds a day.
The Draw back of the Kinetic Watch is that still it contain a Capacitor that you might have to replace after 6 to 10 years after the capacitor wears out. And it is quite expensive. The watch that I have shown here is required to replace the capacitor for HKD$280 after 7 years.
Next time I would like to buy a pure mechanical watch instead of Kinetic version from Seiko!

HK Snob

How to replace battery and get it started for a Citizen Minute Repeater

This is the proper way to change battery of the Citizen Minutes Repeater (limited to 1000 pieces).

Just follow the instruction on the label on the back of the watch cover as shown.

You can set-up yourself in less than 5 miniutes. No need to send to Citizen Service Centre.

I have done these three times already. The battery can last about 4 years.

HK Snob

How Much the Accessories of your pre-owned Rolex Valued?!

Sometimes, the pre-owned Rolex can be more expensive than the new Rolex,, why as because that is discontinued, or those were limited production.
We have to go for shops buying these pre-owned or used Rolex Watches...
How to tell the value of the accessories?

This is purely a reference only
For example for Date Day
If the strap is not from Rolex… it value will be 1/3 of the original strap a Original pre-owned Rolex President strap is approx HKD$40,000. Whereas a local made Rolex Strap may cost about HKD$12,000
Original Box – HKD$500
Original Warranty certificate- HKD$1,000
Original Purchase invoice HKD$300
Rolex booklet and operation manual, HKD$500
Leather Passport holder HKD$500
Rolex Oyster Seal HKD$100
So a fully equipped Rolex may ask you for HKD$100,000
But purely a same Rolex without the accessories, come with local watch strap may just cost you. HKD$60,000 or less estimated… Sometimes the Rolex Repair slip that is also an important Reference as it tells you Rolex has accepted to service the watch, as only if Genuine Rolex will be serviced in Rolex Service Centre. Attached a sample of Rolex Service Slip on a Rolex DD.
Next time when you buy….check the watch carefully! HK Snob

How to tell a Rolex Case has been polished or not…

Well, if you find a beautifully Rolex which looks like new… whereas there is another one may have lines of scratches and traces of usage… everyone will pick up the new one first, but I do hesitate… all we have to check the case has been polished after leaving Rolex Factory.
As if they have been polished many times… though it looks like NEW, but the Rolex oyster curvature and profile may be lost. And the watch looks a bit “Thin”. When you pick up a new Rolex, is “Fat” meaning that they have muscle on all corners, slugs, and it look wider.
The how to tell a Rolex case has been polished? I usually look at the for surfaces of the slugs. If they are original un-polished, it has a rectangle shape with shape corner edges. if the watch has been polished , especially by non-professional operators, they look filmsy and the rectangle will be gone.. If a professional operator could polish the case removing all scratches and lines and at the same time restoring the rectangle, yes, it can, but the overall watch length will be shortened.. Experienced Watch collector can easily tell by comparing two Rolex side by side to tell the length of it…but most of the cases, the about check can tell how much the case has been polished and is good to serve our purposes… and most of the case, the Shop keeper will be hesitate for a customer to do such a stringent body-checks!
A polished case will lose it value. But not too much if they have been polished lightly. But if we are buying that Rolex for Collection, of course the first choice if going to the un-polished one…
In another cases that non Rolex AD Rolex may be Restored… so you do have to check also see if that has been undergone some polishing works to restore the original luster with trade off of the "Fatness" of the Oyster.
HK Snob

A Very Enchanting 14K Solid Gold Omega Seamaster De Ville with Art Deco set-up

A Vintage OMEGA Seamaster De Ville. 14KT Yellow-Gold, automatic with Date indicator! I believe it was made in the 60's whereas Omega watch making manufacturing technology was at the summit of the whole 20 Century. Who will resist this Art Deco Watch Dial Design? The case is very Excellent in condition and likley not to be opened not more than 2 times. One minor flaw is that Watch was a gift from wife to the husband.... Or a rich lady given to the beloved man... This Gold Omega may be sold in HK at about HKD$2,800 in the 60s' that is an equivalent to some Clerks 9 months salary! Now it is about HKD$7,200. Case, Crystal, Dial, crown and Movement is Original. Can you buy an Automatic Gold Watch of the current production with this amount of money?
HK Snob

Rolex Ref, 1803 Yellow Gold

ROLEX Ref.1803 18K Yellow Solid-Gold. "Fat case" 3 Hall-Mark. Original Dial with Diamonds-set numbers. Looking from the end of the four slugs on the picture to reveal the rectangular shape of the End Surface thus to tell the case has not been Polished, if polished the end surface area will be reduced... this is one way to tell the case has been polished or not. Below HKD$40K!
HK Snob

Rolex Ref. 1803 White Gold Brown Dial

A Fine and Very Rare ROLEX Ref.1803 18K White-Gold case & Bracelet. Brown colour Dial with Diamonds-set numbers. Ref. 1803 is one of my Favourite Rolex Date Day as they have the classical history. The Movement is a bit thinner than the latest revision. At that time 1956-1976, a Rolex Day Date is as expensive as a compact Japanese Car. Not easy for most of grass root people like my father to afford to buy. So the number of unit with Excellent condition left is little, with special Colour dial is even less. This watch is estimated as HKD$120,000. As simply, the colour is beautiful and the unit is un-polished at all.
HK Snob

Where to buy your Rolex Watch, AD or Shop for Pre-owned Rolex?

Tricks in Selling Pre-owned Watch in HK.
There are too many smart business men doing watch Business sin HK…
Mainly they have a way to make their money…
If you are not Local HK, people, if you are not Watch Expert, if you do not know the shops well, well, I will not suggest you buy pre-owned watch... as
We know some times. The Pre-owned watch is selling more expensive than New watch
Sometime they also sell new watch in the shops but the watch is actually not new. They have been special handled and treated with some minor punishment. Say a 95% new watch can easily been Make Up to be a NEW watch, selling the price of a new watch.
Some time they may have some watches that has not been completed installed with 100% genuine parts, such as the Strap, they might put local made strap, some good shop will tell you that is local strap, but some do not. Some of the Crystal is not real Rolex Crystal, that may cause you problem in watch resistance.
Also, how can you tell the accuracy of your Rolex is still within +/-5 seconds a day in such kind of shop!?
So, it might be some secure for you going to Rolex AD to buy your New Rolex..
So what is the value of the pre-owned watch shops. Well, Antique or vintage watch, this is one of the source we can buy the pre-owned watch…. Also some of the limited version you might miss in the past, you can only find it again in the pre-owned watch market…
If you are going to buy your first Rolex, no question about it… go to Rolex AD shop in HK.
HK Snob

Where to Buy New Rolex Watch in Hong Kong?

A Singaporean Friend asked me where he should go for buying his Rolex in HK,,
This has been a hot topics for foreigner who do not understand too much about the shops selling Rolex in HK. I hereby put them here as to tell what are the difference between this and that shops.
These are the authorized Dealer of Rolex in Hong Kong.
Artland
Chow Sang Sang
Chow Tai Fook
Dickson
Eldorado
Emperor
Europe
Fung Leung Kee
King Fook
La Suisse Watch
Oriental
Precision
Right Watch
Solomon
Tai Hing
Times City
Times Watch
Wah Hing
Zurich
As some of the Shops have a few branches, there are totally 74 shops in Hong Kong selling Rolex Watch, the watch are guaranteed genuine watches from Rolex.
As for the price, all goes with the SAME list price and almost they offer the same Discount of 4-5% depending on what model you are looking for. If the Hot item like Explorer II Orange, e now they do not offer discount at all.
The difference between those Jewelry shop like Chow Tai Fook, Chow Sang Sang and Pure Watch Shop like Oriental and Emperor is that the former one do not carry a Rolex service man stationing in the shop, but the later one has a station Watch smith to take care your Rolex. When you buy, you may request to have the watch health check for accuracy before you conclude your order. They usually offer some service for simple health Check for your watch, or even some repair.
That is the Difference between the shops.
Also in those Chow Tai Fook they are usually packed with Chinese People buying gold and jewelry. Where you those Oriental and Emperor, you may enjoy a quiet and decent environment for you to Choose the Rolex you want.
Nathand Road Snob

Rolex Explorer II Orange starts on Sale now Ref 216570

We have heard that some of the branches of Oriental Watch Company had started having supply of this watch already. It is about HKD$68,000.00 last week, then came down to HKD$63,000 beginning of this week. of course no discount at this moment. The Standard price should go to HKD$61,000.00 I guess!. Well, I have reserved one here and another there, see when I can get one at a standard price... I expect no discount already...
If you had ordered this watch, go and check!
HK Snob