Unbreakable watch, is it possible?

Beyond the design, the color of the dial, the automatic or quartz movement, or even the size of the case, when you buy a watch you want to keep it as long as possible. The question of the watch's sturdiness then arises. Don't worry, we will try to help you to see this subject a little more clearly. In order to keep your watch as long as possible, we recommend that you take the greatest care of it and avoid shocks as much as possible. Through this article we will see the following points:

Unbreakable watch or jewel watch?

At Charlie Paris, we consider that a watch, whether for men or women, is above all a real jewel. Whether you choose an automatic watch or a quartz watch, watches are delicate objects and require in all cases to take the greatest care. It is interesting to note that the sturdiness of a watch is not related to its price. In fact, if you look closely, the most expensive watches are not necessarily the most resistant. On the contrary! Watch brands, especially those of the high jewelry industry, are adept at watch complications. Precious and delicate, these watches are true masterpieces of technicality and creativity but require the utmost care. However, there are different technical characteristics for a watch that will allow you to know if it will resist well to time and life.

Which movement for an unbreakable watch?

We can then ask ourselves, which type of watch is the most suitable to resist to time? And what should you choose between an automatic watch and a quartz watch? We will help you to see a little more clearly.

An automatic watch has a more elaborate and complex movement compared to a quartz watch that uses a battery operated electronic system. Automatic watches can offer various functions called "horological complications" such as power reserve, tourbillon or date. If these words are foreign to you, don't worry, we've written a guide to watch complications. All the complications you can find on a watch require a meticulous work from the watchmaker and the more complications you have, the more your watch will have to be handled with the greatest care.

Quartz watches for men as well as quartz watches for women will be more resistant to shocks compared to an automatic watch. If you practice "violent" sports such as tennis, boxing or golf, with an automatic watch, you risk damaging it. Indeed, the rotor of your watch will be subjected to movements that are too intense and will damage the mechanism over time. So if you are looking for a watch that is shock resistant or for sports, we recommend you choose one of our Charlie Paris quartz watches, such as our GR or Concordia sports watches for men.

However, automatic watches can be kept for a long time, even a lifetime, if you take care of them. Indeed, even if we advise you not to play sports with an automatic watch, automatic watches are entirely mechanical, unlike quartz watches which are electronic, which gives them an incredibly longer life. Just like vintage cars without electronics, an automatic mechanical watch can easily go through the generations as long as you have it serviced regularly by your watchmaker.

So the choice of movement for an "unbreakable watch" really depends on what you mean by unbreakable: a watch that resists shocks or a watch that lasts over time? Obviously, even if you take care of your watch, it is quite normal to drop it during its life. Your watch may therefore encounter certain shocks that could damage it. If this happens to you, we recommend that you visit your watchmaker so that he can check whether the movement of your watch has been damaged.

Which glass for the strongest watch possible?

Glass is an important part of your watch that contributes to its strength. There are three categories of watch glass and it can be difficult to know what type of glass to choose for a watch.

• First, there is acrylic glass. This is a glass derived from plastic commonly known as Plexiglas. However, this glass is not very shock resistant and is easily broken and scratched.
• Secondly, you can find watches with mineral glass. This glass is much stronger than acrylic glass and it is also the most used glass in watchmaking. It is scratch resistant except in case of high friction and can break in case of big shocks.  
• Finally, sapphire glass is stronger than other glasses and is more expensive to manufacture than mineral or acrylic glass. It is obtained from aluminum oxide crystallized at 2050°C, and has the same chemical properties as natural sapphire. Thanks to that sapphire glass is a very resistant component, it is the second hardest material after diamond (it is for example 7 times harder than tempered steel).

Concerning the glass of our Charlie Paris watches, we decided to use sapphire glass, ultra-resistant and anti-reflective. You can find the sapphire glass on all our men's watches and on our automatic women's watches. Sapphire glass is a glass that is very difficult to break or scratch, it will go through time wonderfully. Our automatic watches are all protected by sapphire glass and we also play with the thickness of the glass to guarantee the best possible resistance.

What material should you choose for the case of your unbreakable watch?

The case of a watch can be made of different materials. There is a wide variety of resistant materials and each one has its advantages and disadvantages.

Rubber has the advantage of being highly resistant to water, heat and deformation. However, rubber can crack after drying or sunlight. Titanium is also a material that can be used for the case of a watch. Light and strong, titanium has the disadvantage of being easily scratched. Ceramic, on the other hand, is stainless and does not scratch, but it is more easily broken. Steel is very robust and more resistant to scratches than titanium, but requires a minimum of maintenance.

For all our men's watches and our women's watches Charlie Paris, we have chosen to work with steel 316L. This alloy is known for its durability and also its great resistance to corrosion, 2 elements that we consider essential for our cases. Moreover, from an aesthetic point of view, 316L steel is a stainless steel whose shine lasts over time and does not tarnish. It is naturally that we have turned to this type of steel for our French watches. 

Which strap to choose for an unbreakable watch?

There are different straps, just as there are different case materials. For example, leather straps are the most elegant, but they are not the most resistant over time or the ones that can be qualified as unbreakable. At Charlie Paris, we offer interchangeable watch straps so you can find the ones that suit you best. We offer leather straps, but also straps that are more resistant to life like our nylon, mesh and steel straps.

Like our cases, our steel straps are also made from 316L steel. This allows you to benefit from a strong and perfectly waterproof strap. Our nylon straps are perfectly adapted for sports use and are therefore perfectly resistant to water, shocks and time. Charlie Paris also offers Milanese mesh watch straps for women and men. These straps are very resistant and will go perfectly with your automatic watch, your quartz watch or your solar watch!

To sum up, you will have understood that there is no such thing as an unbreakable watch, but there are many criteria to look at in order to evaluate the solidity of a watch. Moreover, in case of problem, you should know that it is possible to repair your watch at any serious watch brand.