One of the most asked-about concepts in mechanical watches is the power reserve. Essentially, the power reserve is the amount of stored energy inside a mechanical watch (the amount of time it can continue to run for) before running out of power.

What is Power Reserve on a Watch?

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L2.908.4.78.3 The Longines Master Collection watch

What is the Power Reserve on a Watch?

There are a host of types of calendar functions built into a watch—each of which operates slightly differently from one another, with some being simple and some being highly complex.

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L2.910.4.78.3 The Longines Master Collection watch

Different Types of Calendar Watches

For those dive enthusiasts who are looking for a watch that can go the distance (and depths), there are many watch options that may suit these needs.

What Defines A Dive Watch?

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L3.782.4.96.6 Longines Hydroconquest watch on a hand

Here we take a look at the standard accuracy of automatic watches and of quartz watches, as well as at the factors that can affect accuracy in automatic watches.

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L2.828.4.73.0 Heritage Classic watch

Accuracy of Automatic Watches

In watchmaking, we often hear the term PVD as it pertains to a color or coating, but it helps to understand exactly what PVD is.

Understanding PVD

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L4.209.1.97.7 La Grande Classique de Longines watch

Often misunderstood or confused with a chronograph, a chronometer is fundamentally a highly accurate mechanical watch movement that has undergone – and passed – strict precision tests over a period of time in a host of different circumstances.

What is a Chronometer?

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L2.821.4.11.6 Longines Record watch

What is a Swiss watch? The answer may appear simple, a watch made in Switzerland. However there are more factors to consider as it does not mean a watch was 100% made in Switzerland.

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L3.781.4.96.6 Hydroconquest Longines watch

Defining “Swiss-Made” Watches

With watch collecting on the rise, many novice watch lovers often wonder whether it’s best to own a quartz watch or an automatic mechanical watch. There is no right or wrong answer, but it's good to understand the difference.

Understanding Automatic and Quartz Movements

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L2.773.4.78.6 The Longines Master Collection watch

This is considered the brain of the mechanical watch, and the place where time is measured. Along with the balance, it is the watch's regulating organ. Its quality determines the watch's accuracy.&nbsp;

The balance spring

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The Balance Spring

Diamonds are classified according to four criteria: cut, colour, clarity and carat.

About diamonds

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l2-409-4-87-6-master-customer-service

About Diamonds

Swiss Super-LumiNova is a material that has similar properties to radium and tritium – except it is not radioactive, and it is more environmentally friendly.

Super Luminova

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spirit-customer-service

Used in watchmaking for decades, bronze is an ancient alloy which is frequently used in the nautical industry and in the world of scuba diving.

Bronze

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l3.774.1.50.2-legend-diver-customer-service

A high-tech, robust material widely used in the aerospace and medical industries, titanium is particularly well suited for use in sports watches.

Titanium

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L3.811.1.53.6_Spirit Titanium_Couche_16-9

Their high-end quality is a perfect match for the sporty elegance that characterises Longines' watches.

Rubber straps

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L3.774.4.50.9_PUB

Rubber Straps

The exact definition of a chronometer and a chronograph is set out by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Chronometer Certification

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L3.810.4.53.0_DRface

Leather has had countless uses since time immemorial. Processing leather has always involved a variety of different crafts, most of which are still practised today.

Leather Straps

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L4.795.4.58.0_PR

Technical ceramics, high-tech materials which start out in powder form, only melt at very high temperatures. They cannot, therefore, be turned to liquid to make them flow, like metals.

Ceramic

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L3.784.4.56.9_additional_1

Synthetic material used for the crystal that protects the watch dial and/or its mechanism.&nbsp;

Sapphire

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BEACH_STILL_HYDROCONQUEST_L3.781.4.56.6_131A1703_ANTINOMIA

Fine gold in its pure state (24 karats) is a highly malleable metal that is not easy to finish (polish). It must therefore be alloyed with other metals to enhance its properties and enable its transformation for use in jewellery and watchmaking.

Gold & Gold cap

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L8.115.5.61.7_FACE

Gold & Gold Cap

Long sought after for decoration, marquetry and jewellery making, mother of pearl comes from the interior coating of certain mollusc shells.

Mother of pearl

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Mother of Pearl

The qualities of mechanical watches and how to preserve them.

Mechanical Movements

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