For many people, choosing a timepiece means finding the right mix of form and function. In terms of function, you will want quality construction and reliable performance built to suit your lifestyle. A watch built to meet the needs of an adventurer will be very different from a watch built for a businessperson.

Once you find a watch that suits your lifestyle, you'll want to find one that suits your tastes. Do you like the feel of metal or leather on your wrist? Do you prefer the look of gold or silver? Do you want a traditional round face, a modern square face or some futuristic new shape? To help you find the look you want, Zales carries a selection of quality watches from many watch designers and manufacturers, running the gamut from highly functional to high fashion.

We have assembled this information to help you understand the different descriptions used when talking about watches. You can use the glossary to find definitions or read the comparisons of different types of metals used in watches, from steel to gold plate to titanium. There also are sections that compare the different types of movements, crystals and water resistance.

Crystral

The crystal is the transparent protective covering fitted tightly over the face of the watch. Since it is exposed to all sorts of shocks and blows, the crystal should be as hard as possible. Softer materials will scratch and break easily, which will make the watch less attractive and possibly unreadable, or if shattered, can damage the watch beyond repair. The crystal is held in place by the bezel.

A crystal can be made from any clear material, from plastic to synthetic sapphire, which is the hardest and most expensive crystal available. The following chart lists popular crystal types and their relative hardness.

Movement The majority of the watches sold today have quartz movements. The best way to explain the differences between watch movements is to compare them to mechanical watches which were first introduced in 1910. Mechanical: Watches use a balance wheel for time measurement and a mainspring for power. They require manual winding.

Automatic: Watches are self-winding mechanical watches. They have a rotor which includes an oscillating weight that swings backwards and forwards with every movement of the wrist. The oscillations are converted by means of a gearing into a rotary motion that winds the mainspring.

Quartz: Watches use a quartz crystal for time measurement and a battery for power. They require no winding.

Kinetic Quartz: Kinetic quartz is exclusive technology to Seiko. It is a quartz watch without a battery. The Kinetic quartz generates electrical energy to power itself from the natural movement of the wearer's arm and wrist. It stores the energy in a capacitor. The reserve energy lasts 3 to 14 days in a motionless watch.

Solar Quartz: Watches use a quartz crystal for time measurement. Any light source is absorbed through the crystal and dial. A solar cell converts the light into energy to power the watch.

Water resistance

Water resistance is a measure of the degree to which a watch will resist the intrusion of moisture. The following chart describes the amount of water measured in feet or meters that each watch can resist.

Glossary

Ana-Dig: A watch with both an analog and digital display. The analog display has a traditional dial with hour, minute and, sometimes, second hands. The digital display shows the time numerically with a liquid-crystal display.

Bezel: The upper portion of the watch that encircles the face and holds the crystal. In some cases it contains an extra ring to beautify the case or a rotating ring with a special function.

Bracelet: Also known as the watchband, it is the part of the watch that goes around the wrist. Can be made of metal, leather or other material.

Cabochon: Used to indicate a smooth round or oval convex shaped polished gemstone. In watch terminology, describes a decorative stone set in the watch crown.

Case: The outside shell that houses the moving parts of the watch. It is always made of a durable material and often sealed to some degree to provide water protection.

Chronograph: A stopwatch function sometimes built into a wristwatch.

Crown: Small round serrated knob usually located at the 3 o'clock position. Some people refer to it as a winder, as it once was used to wind the spring in clockwork watches. Today it is normally used to set the time when pulled outward and rotated.

Crystal: The transparent protective covering fitted tightly over the face of the watch. It is held in place by the bezel. May be made from plastic, glass or synthetic sapphire.

Dial: The face of an analog watch, where the numbers are usually displayed.

Gasket: A rubber or plastic ring that seals the internal works of the watch against dust, moisture and water.

Gold Plating: An application of gold over the surface of an item. Gold plating is used to manufacture watches that have the look of gold at a fraction of the price.

Jewels: Small hard gemstones used in certain moving parts of some mechanical watches. They are used in sensitive parts of the machinery because they are smooth and very durable, helping the watch stay accurate and last longer.

Liquid-crystal Display (LCD): A digital display where the numbers are formed in a liquid layer sandwiched between a pair of clear crystals.

Movement: The means by which a watch keeps time, often including the power source. For example, a watch with mechanical movement uses a spinning balance wheel powered by a tightly wound spring, whereas a watch with quartz movement measures the vibrations in a piece of quartz and often is powered by a battery.

Stainless Steel: The metal of choice used to make high quality watchcases and bracelets because it is durable and can withstand more wear and tear than a similar watch in brass or gold. It is also hypoallergenic because it doesn't contain nickel.

Solar Tech: Solar powered quartz watch. This technology provides the accuracy of quartz, without the inconvenience and cost of regular battery changes.

Titanium: Titanium is one of the lightest and strongest metals on earth and is used to make top-end watchcases and bracelets. It is extremely durable and is hypoallergenic.