Our story & craft

A mechanical watch is a few hundred parts agreeing on what time it is.

Movements

Automatic movements wind themselves: a weighted rotor spins as your wrist moves and tightens the mainspring. Manual-wind movements ask you to turn the crown every day or two — a small ritual many people love. Quartz movements use a battery and a vibrating crystal; they are accurate to seconds per month and need almost no attention. Solar quartz charges from any light.

Materials

Stainless steel is the everyday standard: tough, polishable and corrosion-resistant. Titanium is lighter and warmer on the skin. Ceramic resists scratches and never fades. Bronze develops a patina that is unique to each owner. Precious metals — gold and platinum — are heavier and softer, and wear in beautifully.

Crystals

Sapphire crystal is close to scratch-proof. Mineral glass is affordable and tough. Hesalite (acrylic) can scratch but polishes out and will not shatter — which is why it flew to the Moon.