Watch Types 101 | Crown & Caliber
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Watch Types

Over the years, watches evolved from being machines to strictly tell time to so much more. Brands began creating different types of watches to meet different needs. These watch types include racing, dive, pilot, vintage, and of course – the classic dress watch.

Overview

As man has evolved, so have watches. What started as strictly a machine to help tell time, has turned into much more. Even the dress watch, which used to be time-only, can now feature elegant complications such as the moon phase or calendar. As new eras in history brought about change and innovation, it also brought in new and different types of watches.

There are several different watch types. Each of these watches were created for a specific purpose or to meet a specific need. The dress watch is the standard for beauty in time-telling. A racing watch exudes a cool and well, just looks fast. Dive watches, like their human wearers, are encased in protective layers to preserve the movement. Pilot watches come outfitted with all the tools you need to navigate the skies, and yachting watches, the sea. Then there are vintage watches that hold the past’s secrets and watches that are just great for every day.

No matter your style, there is a watch type that fits your wrist, and this watch types guide will give you some of the ins and outs of each.

DRESS WATCHES

Elegant, classic, simple. These three words oftentimes best describe the dress watch. Not meant to be dressed down, this watch is perfect for the boardroom or a night out.

DIVE WATCHES

Taking you to the greatest ocean depths, the dive watch is a sporty and water-resistant technical marvel that looks great both in and out of the water.

RACING WATCHES

Racing watches are as cool as they look. With their chronograph pushers and sleek subdials, the racing watch is perfect whether you are on the track, or just rushing to the next meeting.

PILOT WATCHES

Pilot watches were intended to help aviators as they take to the skies, but they are equally as impressive on the ground.

VINTAGE WATCHES

Vintage watches are gatekeepers to the past. They outwardly show their provenance and years of evolution and design, but still look great on the wrist.

YACHTING WATCHES

If you are feeling the ocean breeze and playing in the beautiful blue waters around the world, you will definitely want the watch that matches.

EVERYDAY WATCHES

There are watches for specific occasions, and then there are watches for every day. Some of these watches may fall into other categories, but they are perfect for the coffee shop or the corner office.

Now That You Know About Different Watch Types…

There are so many different types of watches, and maybe you are particularly drawn to one watch type or another, but don’t know how it would look on your wrist. To get a better idea, take a look at the Watch Sizing Guide. It will take you through how different types of watches and case sizes fit on different wrists.

Also, when looking at the watch types, you may have noticed some unique characteristics like a chronograph or helium escape valve. To learn more about the different parts of a watch, check out the Anatomy of a Watch.

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