How to tell good watch quality from bad?

　　With a growing number of people buying watches nowadays, not everyone knows how to choose a high-quality timepiece when making a purchase. So how should we judge the quality of a watch? Below, we share methods for assessing watch quality for your reference and learning.

　　Methods for assessing watch quality

　　1. Appearance inspection: The case, dial, and bracelet should integrate seamlessly with a coordinated and aesthetically pleasing match, and markings must be consistent. The case should be bright with outer edges free of sharp tactile points; the movement ought to be secure within the case without shaking; the dial and hands must have normal colouring with clear lettering; the crystal should be clean, clear, and transparent; case back gaps must be small and even, with clear and complete lettering and patterns. The bracelet should stand firm yet have flexible links that feel soft and conform to the wrist. Plating must be free of bubbles and peeling. All parts must remain free of severe scratches, and exterior decorations should not rub off.

　　2. Movement action inspection: For a mechanical watch with the mainspring unwound, winding the crown should start it up promptly. For a quartz watch equipped with a hacking mechanism, the seconds hand should stop moving when engaged; once the crown returns to its normal position, the watch should resume proper operation.

　　3. Hour and minute hand coordination difference inspection: When the minute hand aligns with the "12" hour marker, the minute hand and hour hand should overlap and point directly at the marker.

　　4. Hand-setting inspection: When turning the hands counter-clockwise on a mechanical watch, the seconds hand is permitted to stop or move backward, but upon ceasing to set the time, the seconds hand should restart its movement.

　　5. Three-hand friction inspection: Turn the hour, minute, and seconds hands to an overlapping position to check whether there is any friction between the seconds hand and the crystal, the hour hand and the dial, or among the three hands themselves, checking point by point at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock positions.

　　6. Date inspection: For watches equipped with date and day display functions, inspection should reveal no half-character jumps or skipped jumps, and the date transition should occur within roughly 15 minutes before or after "0" o'clock.

　　7. Reliability inspection: The watch must not stop under normal usage conditions, and components must not detach on their own. The hand-setting mechanism should operate reliably.

　　8. Movement quality inspection: According to analogue quartz watch standards, quartz watches are divided into three grades: premium products, first-class products, and qualified products. Standard mechanical watch standards categorise movements by diameter into Type I, Type II, and Type III, while timekeeping quality metrics for watches are divided into grade 1, 2, and 3.

　　Steps for purchasing a high-quality watch

　　1, Inspect the exterior parts of the watch

　　The exterior of a watch can be inspected across components such as the case, watch crystal, dial, and hour, minute, and seconds hands. The case should show no pinholes or obvious scratches, with symmetrical edges; the joint between the case back and middle case must be secure; the distance from each lug to the case should be equal, and the holes for installing spring bars ought to be centred without bias at the tail of the case legs, with appropriate hole depth so that strap ends do not easily detach; the crystal should be free of flaws and scratches, transparent and bright; the three hands must be installed correctly, maintaining proper safety clearances between hands and between the crystal and dial; the dial and hand plating should exhibit a fine finish free of blemishes, with complete dial scale lines or luminous dots; and there should be a clearance of approximately 0.1-0.3mm between the crown and the case.

　　2, Inspect the sensitivity of the watch

　　The sensitivity of a watch refers to the flexibility with which its balance wheel starts oscillating automatically. The inspection method is as follows:

　　1) Gently shake a watch that has not been wound and has stopped running, observing the movement of the seconds hand aided by the momentum: if the seconds hand stops running within a very short time, it indicates that the watch can run through completely after being fully wound (meaning the mainspring has no residual torque), denoting high sensitivity; if the seconds hand continues to run for a long time, it indicates that the watch cannot run through completely after being fully wound (meaning the mainspring still stores torque), denoting low sensitivity or a fault in the watch mechanism.

　　2) Slowly turn the crown of a stopped watch that has not been wound, and observe the starting of the seconds hand: the fewer turns of the winding stem required for the seconds hand to start earlier, the higher the sensitivity of the watch; conversely, the sensitivity is lower or there is another fault in the watch mechanism. However, note that due to the greater stiffness of the hairspring, high-beat watches require slightly more winding than watch mechanisms with traditional frequencies (18000 vibrations per hour) to start oscillating. A watch with high sensitivity has a longer continued running time after being fully wound once.

　　3, Check the clearance and position of the watch hands

　　There should be a certain clearance between the hands and the crystal, the dial, and between the three hands themselves; otherwise, they may rub against each other and affect the normal operation of the movement. This can be checked by adjusting the time. The method to check if the hour and minute hands are correctly aligned is: set the minute and hour hands to 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock to see if they form a right angle; set them to 6 o'clock to see if they form a straight line; set them to 12 o'clock to see if they overlap.

　　4, Check the watch winding mechanism

　　A normal watch should wind easily. When turning the crown to wind, it feels relatively loose at first, and gradually becomes tighter. When the crown can no longer be turned forward, it indicates that the mainspring is fully wound and the winding mechanism is working properly. If an abnormal rattling noise occurs when turning the crown to wind, or phenomena such as tooth slipping arise, it indicates a fault in the winding mechanism.

　　[MK Factory Perfect Edition] IWC Portofino Series Automatic Mechanical Watch IW356502

　　Moulded from the genuine watch with an original Citizen movement

　　Series:Portofino Collection

　　Movement: Mechanical watch, Citizen 9015

　　Strap: calfskin strap

　　Case: Stainless steel

　　Clasp: pin buckle

　　Bezel: Standard

　　Crystal: Sapphire crystal glass

　　Diameter: 40MM

　　Water resistance: 50 metres

　　Review:Minimalist and classic, this is the secret behind the enduring success of the Portofino automatic wristwatch. Three hands coupled with a neat date window—neither too much nor too little, just right—epitomises understated, elegant taste. The robust automatic mechanical movement counts the passage of time with precision and reliability. The well-proportioned, rounded profile of the 40 mm case makes the entire timepiece appear even slimmer. Red gold models are paired with silver-plated or slate-grey dials, and the case back is engraved with an exquisite pattern, bringing the scenic Portofino harbour back to life before your eyes.

　　Conclusion:The above are common methods for distinguishing the quality of watches. However, to purchase a good quality watch, it is best to buy from official stores. If you wish to purchase a replica watch, friends are welcome to scan the QR code to follow WeChat for purchase.

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