Comparison Rotary Greenwich GS05354/04 vs Pierre Lannier Automatic 329F133

The country of origin of the brand under which this watch brand is produced. Usually, the headquarters of the manufacturer is located in the same country. But production facilities may be located in another country, or even in several countries. Most of the brands under which modern watches are produced come from the following countries (in alphabetical order): Austria, England, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Korea, Russia, USA, France, Switzerland, Japan.

Note that in the modern world, the quality of a product is very weakly related to its country of origin (both claimed and actual). Much more it depends on how carefully one or another manufacturer controls the quality in their production. So when choosing, it makes sense to focus not so much on “nationality” as on the overall reputation of a particular brand.

The number of stones provided in the design of the watch.

This parameter is relevant for models that have arrows and corresponding moving parts in the "stuffing" (wheels, gears, etc.). The stones in this case are, in fact, a specific kind of bearings used to fasten rotating parts. "Stones" are made from synthetic minerals (for example, artificial sapphires). They provide slightly less friction than traditional metal bearings, and most importantly, they are more reliable and less prone to wear, which accordingly affects the durability of the entire mechanism. However, it is worth noting here that these advantages are relevant mainly for mechanical watches (see “Mechanism type”), quartz models in this sense are not so demanding on bearings.

It is believed that the more stones, the better, but here it is worth considering the functionality of the device. So, for a watch with a central second hand, 16 jewels are considered sufficient, with a side one - 17, but if there are additional functions (calendar, days of the week, etc.), this number can increase accordingly. In addition, the presence of 40 or more stones is often not so much a real necessity as a publicity stunt.

The main colour of the watch case.

Modern watches are quite diverse in colour options. The most widespread models are in shades of " stainless steel ", golden and black ; however, in addition to this, on the market you can find, in particular, white, yellow, green, brown, red, orange, pink, silver, grey, blue and purple cases.

In general, the colour of the case is a fairly obvious parameter; Let's note only some of the nuances associated with marking:

— Multi-coloured models include models in which there is no clearly defined primary colour. If there is such a colour, it is indicated in the characteristics. And for two-tone cases, an additional colour can be specified, for example, "stainless steel with gold " or "black with blue "

— Silver, among other things, are plastic cases without additional coloring.

— "Stainless steel" in this case is a colour, not a material; other metals (e.g. alumin...ium and titanium) that are not complemented by PVD coating (see “Case Coating”) may have this shade. And the cases of gold watches, in turn, are not necessarily made of gold — red and white gold are also used in jewelry.

— Camouflage coloring is indicated separately — such watches are designated as "military", and here, again, the main shade of the coloring is given. However, not every military model has camouflage on the body; see below for details.

The material of the transparent coating covering the dial.

— Plastic. Transparent plastic (also known as "plexiglass", also known as "organic glass") is considered the simplest option and is found mainly in models of the initial and middle price range, mainly sports and tourist specialization. This material is lightweight, inexpensive, and also tolerates shocks and falls well: with a strong impact, it will crack rather than break, and plastic fragments are much safer than glass ones. These properties are indispensable for shockproof watches. On the other hand, plastic is very sensitive to scratches and tends to become cloudy quickly due to scratches; and in general it gets dirty more easily than glass.

— Mineral. Mineral in this case means ordinary, widespread glass — like the one used in windows. It favorably differs from plastic in high hardness: to scratch such material, you need to make considerable efforts. As a result, mineral glass varieties do not become cloudy and remain transparent for almost the entire life of the watch. Among the shortcomings, brittleness can be noted: upon impact, the glass surface can shatter into fragments. On the other hand, even for ordinary glass, such a blow should be quite strong; in addition, manufacturers often use various design solutions (“dial” recessed into the case, tempered glass, etc.) in order to reduce the ri...sk of such an accident to an absolute minimum. Thanks to all this, mineral glass has become widespread today in all types and price categories of watches.

— Sapphire. Glass made of artificially grown sapphire (transparent corundum — aluminium oxide). The main advantage of this material is the highest scratch resistance: such a surface can only be scratched with a diamond or a material similar in hardness to it. On the other hand, sapphire crystals are not cheap, but they do not withstand shocks well and are relatively unsuitable for "protected" watches. As a result, this material is found mainly in rather expensive models designed for everyday use (although there are exceptions).

The nominal width of the strap/bracelet supplied with the watch. It is indicated by the width of the fasteners for installing the strap on the case.

This parameter does not play a special role when choosing a watch, but it is key when choosing a third-party strap / bracelet — for example, to replace a broken one. If the width of such an accessory does not correspond to the characteristics of the watch, it will be very difficult to install it at best, and most often it will be impossible at all.

Also note that in most cases this width is about half the width of the watch itself (see "Diameter / Width"). For example, 32 mm watches are usually equipped with 14 mm straps, and for 43 mm cases this width is 22 mm. However, there is no strict dependence here, and models with the same case sizes may differ in the size of straps/bracelets.

The nominal size of a watch case in diameter (for round cases) or width (for other options, see "Case Shape"). In the most miniature modern models, this size is 21 – 25 mm or even less, among the largest there are cases of 46 – 50 mm and even larger.

Larger watches are more convenient in the sense that the dial readings are better visible on them, and it is easier to provide various additional functions in the design. On the other hand, small watches look neater and create less discomfort directly when worn. In addition, female models (see "Gender") are traditionally made more miniature than male ones. So the choice for this indicator depends mainly on the intended specifics of the application: for example, large cases are best suited for outdoor activities and tourism, about 41 – 45 mm in size, for household wear (regardless of gender) — about 31 – 35 mm, and as an accessory to an evening dress, a small watch of 30 mm or less would be more appropriate.

Also note that the size of a compatible strap/bracelet is associated with this indicator — see "Strap Width" for details.

The thickness of the watch case. A fairly obvious parameter; we only note that nowadays it is customary to attribute watches with a thickness of less than 7 mm to ultra-thin models. This design has both aesthetic and quite practical meaning — a thin watch will be useful for those who wear narrow sleeves with tight-fitting cuffs.

Total weight of the watch. As a rule, it is indicated taking into account the complete strap/bracelet.

The lightest modern watch weighs no more than 50 g. The most popular models weigh 50 - 100 g, and weight more than 150 g most often means not only a large, but also a fairly advanced device, usually for sports and tourism purposes.

Both light and heavy weight have their advantages: light watches create minimal inconvenience when worn, while massive watches are subconsciously perceived as a solid and reliable device.