Rhythm of Time Watch Appraisal by renowned Gemologist, Jewelry Historian and Certified Appraiser, Jinagna Shah.

Watches are an essential accessory and have been so since the 1920s with the commercial production of mechanical watches.

Jinas Jewels, a renowned brand for fine jewelry, provides appraisal services for watches as well and here, Jinagna Shah talks of the intricacies of watch appraisal.

Watches are important in all walks of life, be it sports, medicine, financial markets, defense and more where precise measure of time is imperative.

Make of Watches
Here, we learn about the design and function of the parts in watches. The crystal protects the dial, the hands and the mechanism from dust and moisture. It can be made of acrylic, glass, tempered mineral glass or synthetic sapphire.

The bezel is the ring found surrounding the dial of a watch and is used to hold the crystal in place. The Pusher is a button to control additional components such as the chronograph counter.

The hands turn about the center of the dial to give the time. The crown is used for setting the watch, to wind the spring on mechanical watches and to set the time and date on some analog watches. The dial is the plate that indicates the time on both analog and digital watches. It also usually holds the indices, either engraved or printed, that are often fluorescent. The dial often holds the sub-dials. These give additional information such as time in other time-zones, month of the year etc.

The Case is the seal that maintains the water resistance of the watch. The Lugs or the caseband is the main part of the case to which are attached the caseback, the bezel, the crown, the selector buttons and the strap.

Appraisal of Watches

Appraisal of your watch could be for varying reasons. It could be to determine the replacement value, fair market value or for sale purposes. The appraiser will observe and note many facets of the watch during the appraisal.

The make and brand of the watch will determine its rarity. Also, the appraiser will determine the working condition of the watch, more so if it is an antique one. Aesthetic appearance of the watch plays a major factor in appraisal as scratches, tarnish and blemishes will lower the value of the watch. Jewel count is significant in determining value.

Watches are classified as high-grade (19 jewels or more), Fully jeweled (15-17 jewels), or low-grade (15 jewels or lower).

The material used for the watches engine, its exterior, its age, if it is digital or mechanical are all factors in appraisal.

A unique watch produced in a certain time period, with any specific technology and special serial numbers indicates rarity and will increase value substantially. The more complexities the watch has, the more it is appreciated.

The brand of the watch is a critical factor in appraisals. Some brands have a reputation for creating the finest timepieces and thus are highly valued. Proof of authenticity is a requirement and the interior of the watch will be inspected to ensure no parts have been replaced.

As is evident from the above description, appraisal of watches is a complex

but important process, connect with www.jinasjewels.com or visit office at Markham, Ontario. At Jinas Jewels, for anyappraisal and certification need.