A watch is a portable timepiece intended to be carried or worn by a person. It is designed to keep a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is designed to be worn around the wrist, attached by a watch strap or other type of bracelet, including metal bands, leather straps, or any other kind of bracelet. A pocket watch is designed for a person to carry in a pocket, often attached to a chain .
Watches were developed in the 17th century from spring-powered clocks, which appeared as early as the 14th century. During most of its history the watch was a mechanical device, driven by clockwork, powered by winding a mainspring, and keeping time with an oscillating balance wheel. These are called mechanical watches. In the 1960s the electronic quartz watch was invented, which was powered by a battery and kept time with a vibrating quartz crystal. By the 1980s the quartz watch had taken over most of the market from the mechanical watch. Historically, this is called the quartz revolution (also known as quartz crisis in Switzerland). Developments in the 2010s include smart watches, which are elaborate computer-like electronic devices designed to be worn on a wrist. They generally incorporate timekeeping functions, but these are only a small subset of the smartwatch's facilities.
In general, modern watches often display the day, date, month, and year. For mechanical watches, various extra features called "complications", such as moon-phase displays and the different types of tourbillon, are sometimes included. Most electronic quartz watches, on the other hand, include time-related features such as timers, chronographs and alarm functions. Furthermore, some modern watches (like smart watches) even incorporate calculators, GPS and Bluetooth technology or have heart-rate monitoring capabilities, and some of them use radio clock technology to regularly correct the time.
Most watches that are used mainly for timekeeping have quartz movements. However, expensive collectible watches, valued more for their elaborate craftsmanship, aesthetic appeal, and glamorous design than for simple timekeeping, often have traditional mechanical movements, despite being less accurate and more expensive than their electronic counterparts. As of 2018, the most expensive watch ever sold at auction was the Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication, the world's most complicated mechanical watch until 1989, fetching US$24 million (CHF 23,237,000) in Geneva on 11 November 2014. As of December 2019, the most expensive watch ever sold at auction (and wristwatch) was the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010, fetching US$31.19 million (CHF 31,000,000) in Geneva on 9 November 2019.
Hey, guess who's new?
I just thought I'd post a thread and say hi. I'm 17, male, and I live in the UK. I currently attend sixth-form college... I will soon be studying Physics, Mathematics and Computing at A2 level. As well as this, I'll be studying Further Mathematics and Critical Thinking...
when i was a kid, i stared at a digital watch, and imaigned that the numbers did not stop at the seconds, but went on , so that you had milli-seconds, billi-seconds trilli-seconds(probably not the right terms for them) and so on. i imaigne you could continue this series forever, just get smaller...
Does anyone watch the MASH series? It's really good. I was quite sad tonight because I have watched two episodes a night (even if they were repeats) and today I watched the series finale. Pretty moving stuff.
Anyway it is a quality series so if you have never seen it before, get watching...
What do you watch on your computer?
I mostly keep up with the latest Anime series...
Naruto (manga and anime)
Full Metal Alchemist (manga and anime - because toriyamaworld does slow scanslation)
Thats about it... Used to watch SEED and Peace Maker Kurogane until those series...
'Homeland Security' on I think CBS last night but after watching a few of the scenes depicting the tragedy. I felt sick and uneasy. I had to change channels. I'm wondering if anyone else who was in the area on 9/11 saw the program and if they watched the entire movie? :confused:
I bought a cool new watch with a Planisphere face.
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/imagedesign/planwat1.html
All along the outer ring of the watch face it has the 12 months broken down in five day increments.
There is a dial on the face with a solid shape (something like a crescent moon, but...
Watching Israel's Media: Freedom of speech in the dock_
Yisrael Medad and Eli Pollak
Nov. 23, 2003
What role does freedom of speech really play in Israel?
One week after the High Court of Justice allowed the broadcast of the
viciously anti-Israel pseudo-documentary Jenin, Jenin...
http://www.ens-lyon.fr/~dlouapre/
home page has a CV
also a link to some funky music
and a card for French "buzzword bingo"
I am finding as I go along that the newest work in
quantum gravity is being done by virtual children
from my (perhaps too old) perspective
edit: I see that...
Anyone watch "24"
Did anyone see the season finale of 24? WTF?
Did anyone see the first season? Did the end of the first season mix with the second season? Because now I'm freakin' confused. Why did they end it that way, unless the next season picks right up there?
Anyone at all? Tell me...