Here we take a look at the item the smartphone has nearly wiped off the map - the traditional watch - and see whether it can still offer us features a mobile cannot.
Life After Phone Signal
We all carry our phones with us wherever we go: we are reliant on them not just for contacting people, but for navigation, banking and various other pursuits. It was recently shown that smartphones have become the most highly valued possession of individuals about to embark on a trip, further demonstrating the grip they have on the global population. Yet as useful as smartphones are, they are devastatingly flawed. Requiring regular charge and a clear network connection, you can't help but think how easily they could be made redundant in a tricky situation.
Watches have been steadily dropping in popularity, pretty much in line with the rise of the smartphone. Who needs a wristwatch to tell the time when they have a phone in their pocket? But this technology has been to the moon and back; the Apollo 11 pilots proudly took the first spacewalk sporting Omega Speedmasters on their wrists. We are more than aware of all the benefits of mobile technology, but perhaps it's time we recapped on the many wonders of the watch - and how they can succeed in areas that the phone fails.
The Many Functions of the Watch
If we are seeking out the most developed readings a watch can offer, with all-round toughness and lifespan, then the best example would probably we those developed for combat missions. Military watches come in all shapes and sizes with various features built for endurance in even the harshest and inhospitable conditions.
Lifespan
Quartz is generally speaking the most popular and prevalent movement for all modern watches. Depending on the type of battery, it can last up to 10 years without needing to be changed and will never need winding. Quartz movements also offer the greatest levels of accuracy, with just ten seconds being lost a month. However, an automatic mechanical watch could technically last a lifetime as its self-winding mechanism uses the wearer's movements to generate kinetic energy in the spring. The comparative downside is that they lose far more time than their electric counterparts, sometimes up to ten seconds a day.
Water resistant
Many watches are waterproof, and can operate at extreme depths. Rolex originally made a name for itself producing divers' watches, releasing the first incarnation of the Submariner in 1953 with a working depth of 100 metres. Things have come a long way since then, and in 2009, Charmex's mechanical Swiss Military Watch set the record as the deepest diving watch with their 20,000 feet model. Rotating bezels and chronographs are features which have been added in order to assist precise countdown timing, and operate compatibly even at these deep depths.
Multiple readings
Back on land, military watches can offer a full spectrum of complications that offer information about time, climatic, and atmospheric conditions. Temperature gauges, tide graphs, compasses, and even barometers assist anyone hoping to stay on-course while off-the-grid. A perpetual calendar can follow the day, month, year (including leap years) and sometimes even the century and millennia you are in. Add on a moon phase calendar and an equation of time reading for measuring the difference between solar time and mean time as it varies throughout the year, and there is little you won't be clued up on.
Looking Forwards
There is no denying the incredible feats that mechanical watches can perform. Although we won't be giving up our smartphones anytime soon, it is always good to be reminded of the power of cogs and springs. The next time you find yourself in a difficult situation, just wonder whether a watch might be able to help.
