50+ Types of Watches [Full list] – Expert View

Do you know how many types of watches are there? I saw many people asking this question on Quora. Now, I have the answer.

Watch types can be distinguished according to 8 different categories. The most common are watches classified according to the movement( Quartz, Mechanical, etc.), the user (men, women, kids, the elder), and function(piolet, diving, pocket, military, etc.). also are listed and separated by function, watch display, value and materials on this page, They are then followed by users, styles, artwork, and waterproof.

But you can not just define watches by their movement, usage, or style. There are actually many categories we can think about. We have such a list of views. Without making things longer, let’s start digging into their details of the 8 different varieties of types of watches.

Watch Types By Movement

Watches classified by movement are the most common classification

Movimento is the engine of the watch. Some call it caliber. Here are the common types of watches in terms of movement used.

• Quartz watch: Quartz watches are battery-powered watches. Generally, they are less expensive than other watch movements. They can last long by replacing the battery as part of your maintenance.

You can have GMT Dual time zone watches, digital watches, and analog-type watches for quartz watches.

• In the GMT Dual time zone, you can see two time zones at the same time based on the GMT system.
• Digital watches are watches wherein you see the time through real-time numbers instead of hands.
• The analog-type watches are regular wristwatches with hands, and it is the opposite of digital ones.

• Mechanical watch: Mechanical watches rely on wound springs instead.

They are also divided into two types – manual and automatic.

Manual movements are also called hand-wound movements. Unlike automatic movements, manual ones need regular winding.

• Electronic Watch: As the name suggests, electronic watches are electric-powered. Thus, some people also refer to these as electric watches. Like quartz, it does not require many moving parts. Like mechanical watches, however, they can come with lots of advanced features.

• Ecology-Drive/Kinetic Watch: Ecology-driven watches, also called eco-drive watches, are not the same as kinetic watches. However, their features may come together.

Ecology-driven watches get their power from any light we can encounter. Note that these watches still work even in dark places.

Meanwhile, kinetic watches are similar to mechanical watches.

The difference is that a self-charging battery powers it. Kinetic watches convert one’s movement into electrical energy, which supplies the watch’s power.

• Solar watches: Solar watches are pretty similar to ecology-driven watches. It converts sunlight into electricity, and such electricity is used in recharging the watch’s battery.

Watch Types By Function

Sometimes, a watch is used to tell or know the time. Many modern watches feature additional features, each powerful from one type to another. Thus, some watches may function in a more advanced manner. The following are watch types according to their available function.

• Simple Hour and Minute watch: This type of wristwatch does not have any kind of complications. This is also considered one of the classic watches in the world.

• Chronograph watch: Aside from telling the current time of the day, the chronograph allows you to measure duration. In layman’s terms, it is simply a stopwatch. Its modern version is quite distinguishable. It comes with a few dials within its face and three buttons on the face’s right side.

Often, dials include one for the hour, for the minute, and for the second. Meanwhile, the three buttons are for stop, restart, and reset. However, chronograph watches are not limited to being a stopwatch. Some also include other features like a tachymeter.

• Moon phase watch: This watch seems attractive because of the availability of the moon’s face on the watch’s dial and face. Aside from regular time, this type of watch adds a moon face complication, allowing a person to estimate the moon’s phase relative to what we can see in the sky.

• Pilot and racing watch: Pilots and racing watches are different from each other in a few ways. First, we can describe a pilot watch as a watch that helps a pilot navigate the sky and know the time.

Meanwhile, the racing watch is used for car and motor racers to measure racing times. It features a chronograph movement, tracking distances. It also comes with a tachymeter for measuring speed.

• Aviation watch: An aviation watch is also called a pilot watch. The most common features of this type of watch include a large, round case with a black dial and luminous markings, the triangle at 12 o’clock, and an outsize crown.

• Military watches: Military watches are one of the most advanced watches in terms of functions. They have an extensive list of core features to fit all military personnel’s needs. They must be durable, and they must also be resistant to shocks, water, and scratches, along with their thermal resistance feature.

Readability should also be a consideration because military personnel will need it, especially if they have a job that needs to be done in dark places. It is better if a watch has a long battery life for a long usage period.

• Tourbillon watch: This type of watch is common for those people who want the most accurate timekeeping results. The great difference between a tourbillon watch from other mechanical watches is its escapement. Instead of being in a fixed position, it is in a rotating cage.

• Diving Watch: A diving watch, as the term implies is a watch for professional divers. Watches under this type are also durable and have extreme resistance to water.

Aside from being water-resistant, they are also magnetic-resistant, shock-resistant, and chemical-resistant. Like military watches, diving watches also need to be easy to read and have the ability to measure durations or diving time. Divers must also avoid underwater glares, so these watches have anti-reflective features.

• Mountaineering and hiking watches: These types of watches are best for traveling on mountains or any hiking-related activities. Watch’s specification often varies and may also depend on one’s preference. However, the common features in hiking watches include GPS and heart rate monitoring systems.

• Pocket watch: As the name suggests, a pocket watch is a timepiece that can be put inside your pocket. It is common for pocket watches to be attached to the chain. Like wristwatches, they can also come in different designs.

• Alarming watch/clock: Alarming watches are mainly the analog style with hands, put on the desk or near the bed.

The oldest timepieces were only designed for knowing or tracking the time. However, when you are too busy or need to wake up earlier than usual, some watches are now capable of alerting you. That is where alarm clocks or watches came from.

Some watches can be set at any time you want. Others are designed to make a sound every 30 minutes or an hour.

• Nurse watch: The nurse watch, also known as the nursing watch or fob watch is a timepiece used by nurses. In most cases, like in the UK, nurses are not permitted to use a wristwatch. This is because wristwatches are prone to dangerous substances for patients. Therefore, they prefer watches that can be attached to their uniform.

• Stopwatch: The stopwatch with the same feature of the chronograph watch. The main difference is that a stopwatch often does not have other functions than being a stopwatch.

• GPS Watches: GPS watches are timepieces integrated with GPS or the Global Positioning System. Along with the use of a map, it can help you track locations. It is common for military personnel, runners, and rescuers.

• Atomic Radio Controlled: This type of watch or clock is called a Radio Controlled Clock. However, many call it a radio-controlled or simply an atomic clock. This type of quartz timepiece wherein a watch relies on the time code it gets from a radio transmitter. The radio transmitter synchronizes everything through a local atomic clock.

• Emergency watch: An emergency watch can be used by anybody. However, it is common for older and young people who need to travel to new or less known places. This type of watch is good for timekeeping and sending signal messages to other people in case of an emergency.

• Perpetual Calendar watch: A perpetual Calendar watch is a type of watch wherein you can both see the time and date. Most perpetual calendars take leap years into account. Many also feature moon phases.

Watch Types By Display

When buying a watch, we may also consider the display. That is how time appears on the watch. Here are the three possible watches you may choose.

• Digital Watch: In digital watches, time is presented through real numbers or digits. This enables a person to see the time more accurately without any extra estimation. Unlike analog watches, digital watches are only available in quartz movements.

• Analog watch: An Analog watch is a more classic type of watch. It is where you check the time through the watch’s hands. While most analog watches are quartz, some are also mechanical.

• Hybrid: As the term suggests, a hybrid watch is a watch that combines the power of digital and analog watches. Therefore, it comes with hands and an LCD at the same time.

Watch Types By material

Watches can be made from different materials. Each material comes with its advantages and disadvantages. Here are the typical choices of watches under this category.

• Stainless steel watch: Many love Stainless steel watches because of their durability. It is not easily affected by common substances such as moisture, acids, salts, and sweat. Also, it is rare for people to get allergies to this material.

• Alloy watch: Compared to stainless steel watches, alloy watches are a little less expensive. However, this type of watch is still durable and good for water-resistant watches. So, if you are looking for an affordable but light watch, choose the one made from alloy.

• Wood watch: If you think a wood watch is not durable, you may be missing something. Like stainless steel and alloy watches, a wood watch can still be durable.

The materials used for watches to function are of the same quality. The outer parts, however, it is composed of wood. The most significant advantage of having a wood watch is its heat resistance—people like its close feeling to nature.

• Plastic Watch: Even though plastic watches are pliable, they are still durable. It is also soft for any type of skin. Most of all, its pliability makes it more customizable. That is especially true for shape customization.

• Silicone watch: Watches made from silicone are also durable. However, its flexibility of usage makes it different from other materials. Aside from being less pricey, it is also environmentally friendly, easy to clean, and more elastic. It is also easier to customize when it comes to colors.

• Other watches: Aside from the watches mentioned above, there are more other watches available in the watch industry. For example, Some use gold, diamond, platinum, sapphire, silver, carbon, copper, and many more.

Watch Types By Users

When talking about watches, we cannot avoid talking about the user. Are you male, female, kid, or teen? Perhaps, you want to have one for older adults. These are ordinary specialized watches according to their users.

• Men’s watch: Common features of the men’s watch are their large size. This is not surprising as most men have larger wrists than women. The case is usually rectangular, circular, or square. As for complications, they may vary depending on one’s preference.

• Women watch: Surely, most women’s watches are smaller than men’s. They are often more stylish than others. More complex colors are often available in this watch category.

• Kids watch: Even a child can have a watch. They also need it in attending classes and other childhood-related activities. Kid’s watch always has additional features such as GPS or location tracker so that parents can track the traces of their kids.

• The elder watch: The elder watch is for persons aged 50 years and above. One most notable features of this watch are its readability. When people are getting older, their eyesight begins to deteriorate. Some other watches offer larger numbers on a watch’s face.

Watch Types By Styles

Styles are for everyone. However, not everyone does not have the same taste in style. Nevertheless, here are some general categories of watches anyone can consider.

• Business Watch: Businesspersons are always time-conscious and conscientious at work. For that reason, their watches usually come with a calendar. The designs also often look formal and professional.

• Dress watch: A dress watch is a kind of watch that can be paired with any type of elegant dress. Commonly, its appearance is thinner compared to sports watches. It may also come in different colors. However, one can always choose colors that are easy to pair.

• Casual watches: Casual watches are sometimes mistakenly called rugged watches. While the word rugged can describe this watch, it still appears good-looking. It comes with subtle colors, solid construction, and clean dials.

• Fashion watches: Fashion watches focus more on their elegancy design, with rhinestones, Chians, or some decoration elements. Nevertheless, fashion watches are great, especially if you pair them with fashionable costumes. Most of these types of wristwatches are sold in fashion stores along with other products such as fashion clothes and accessories.

• Luxury watches: Luxury watches are associated with rich people. There is no need to wonder because these watches are full of extraordinary features. All watches under this category are made from high-quality and expensive materials. Some are even made available in limited stocks.

• Jewelry watches: Have you wondered why watches are sometimes available in jewelry stores? Most probably, they are jewelry watches. These watches often feature excellent materials – the same materials used in high-quality jewelry pieces. Jewelry watches is the same as fashion watches,

Watch Types By Electroplating Artwork

Electroplating(15) is one way to plate colors on watches by chemical method. The Plated surface with metallic luster

Who doesn’t like a watch with good quality, wearable, and favorite appearance? The watch’s appearance will have many colors, so how is it done? It is sprayed on through different processing methods. As a watch manufacturer, we also separate the watches like below:

• Water plating watch: Different unique “water plating” solutions can be used for different products. The plated parts can be placed in the water plating solution at room temperature (15-40℃) and shaken slightly to finish in a short period (e.g., silver plating, only 30 seconds). So This method is easily oxidized and discolored, Mostly used for less than 5 dollars watches.

• Ip Plating watch: It is a PVD( Physical Vapor Deposition) technical,

Vacuum vapor deposition is a method of heating metals under high vacuum conditions, causing them to melt, evaporate, and then form a metal film on the surface of the steel after cooling.

It is commonly used in the watches industry. This plating has a good function of stable color quality of the watches. The IP Plating watch is much more expensive than a water-plating watch.

• No Plating watch: Of course, if one does not have any plating, you can always request no plating watch. We called no plate watches, Silver watches or Stainless steel color watches. It may also reduce the cost.

I Will need to add links of water plating and Ip Plating differences.

Watch Types By Waterproof

While there is no such thing as a waterproof watch, we only mean a water-resistant watch. Surely, this is important to everyone as splashes are sometimes unavoidable. Water resistance is measured and marked by an ATM. Here are their differences.

• 3ATM Watch: This watch can resist water from small accidental splashes. If it is new, it can tolerate shower splashes. However, it is not recommended to expose it.

• 5ATM Watch: This type of watch can withstand a larger volume of a splash. You can keep it in your hands while having a shower.

• 10ATM Watch: 10 atm watch has a higher level of resistance to water. It’s okay to bring it as you go swimming. However, it is not for heavy diving.

• 20ATM Watch: This watch is good for high-impact water sports. If you love scuba diving, this one’s for you.

• 30ATM Watch: Aside from splashes, swimming, other high-impact water sports, and scuba-diving, saturation diving is also permitted in this watch.

Lastly, do remember one thing: even if you have bought a waterproof watch, Pls remember that waterproof watches are not resistant to water in Vapour situations.

Here I will use links of other articles we writed.: about waterproof

Conclusion:

When it comes to watches, we can classify them into different categories. These categories can be the basis for choosing the best watch for your needs. Do you now know what type of wristwatch is best for you?

Sources:

• Movement: (Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_(clockwork))
• Quartz watch: (Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartz_clock)
• Mechanical watch: (Retrieved from https://inside.code41watches.com/what-is-a-mechanical-watch)
• Electronic Watch: (Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/technology/electronic-watch)
• Ecology-Drive/Kinetic Watch: (Retrieved from https://oureverydaylife.com/kinetic-watches-vs-eco-drive-watches-12226316.html)
• Solar watches: (Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar-powered_watch)
• 7. Chronograph watch: (Retrieved from https://www.primermagazine.com/2020/spend/what-is-a-chronograph-watch)
• Aviation watch: (Retrieved from https://www.wise-geek.com/what-is-an-aviator-watch.htm)
• Military watches: (Retrieved from https://www.thesoldiersproject.org/what-watches-do-the-military-use/)
• Tourbillon watch: (Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourbillon)
• Atomic Radio Controlled: (Retrieved from https://automaticwatchesformen.com/20-types-of-watches#18)
• Perpetual Calendar watch: (https://www.hautehorlogerie.org/en/watches-and-culture/encyclopaedia/watches/complication-watches/d/s/perpetual-calendar-watches/#:~:text=A%20%22perpetual%20calendar%22%20watch%20gives,masterpiece%20of%20architecture%20and%20miniaturization.)
• Digital Watch: (Retrieved from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/digital-watch)
• Electroniplating: (Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroplating)