Greenwich Mean Time has put the Greenwich observatory on the South bank of the river Thames in London at the centre of timekeeping for over 150 years.   What began as a means for British sailors to determine their location escalated until it defined local time all across the world.   The quest to determine longitude was the key factor that gave Greenwich its position.  The importance of being able to navigate using an accurate time and location gave rise to diverse competitions and government schemes designed to fast track the discovery of a reliable means of determining longitude at sea.

It was possible to determine longitude when on land, using a fixed reference point and a clock that could keep accurate time.  On the sea the challenge was much greater, fluctuating position and inaccurate clocks were charged with many shipwrecks and unreliable shipping services.   Over time chronometers were developed that could withstand the rolling and tilting of a ship and provide an accurate time.  The time that the chronometers kept as their fixed reference point was that of Greenwich, hence it became the place from which all time was measured.  When the time zones were calculated times in other countries began to refer to their time in the form of GMT plus 1 or GMT minus 3.

The end of GMT?

Now this enduring record of the Victorian British Empire is likely to end, in favour of more accurate means of recording time.  The GMT system bases time on the slightly irregular rotation of the earth, this leads to the necessity for leap seconds.  Leap seconds cause problems for the wealth of technology that we now possess including mobile phones, GPS and digital networks.  Computers process data in a strictly linear form and the erroneous seconds cause problems for the technology every time that they are necessary.

The suggestion is to change to the current most accurate form of timekeeping, atomic clocks.  The continuous time provided by atomic clocks would mean that there would only be leap minutes once or twice a century.

At the moment the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is in conference in Geneva discussing the prospect of the move to Atomic time, it is looking probable that atomic time will win the day, and that Greenwich will lose its position as the place that time starts every day.

Radio controlled watches are already regulated by atomic clocks.  Giving them the position of the most accurate timepieces that are available for wear.

Lighter Later

The result of the debate will have minimal impact on most peoples’ lives.   The largest effect that we may see is that the Lighter Later campaign could achieve its’ aims with lighter evening hours during the winter in the UK.

 The fundamental design of the G-shock watch has remained the same since its inception. The now iconic rubber strap, reinforced case and digital display are the building blocks that have won the range fans across the world from all walks of life.

 To ensure that their success was lasting Casio had to create a range that delivered on the promises it made. Prototype watches were and still are subjected to various tortures in order to ensure that they will live up to the high quality standards demanded by the brand. The tests include being dropped, being beaten repeatedly by a piston, submerged to great depths, being encased in a block of ice, being hit with a giant hammer and being vibrated for hours at a time.

 The tests are designed to exceed even extreme usage meaning that you are unlikely to be able to shock your watch. The range has now developed to include the Master-G watches range. This newer collection has a greater range of functions, often including movements powered by solar power and radio controlled timekeeping. The designs have also matured with a more sophisticated use of materials and contemporary style.

 All in all Casio G-Shock watches deserve their cult status, their unconventional combination of utility and design works because the range live up to expectations.

 Tissot pioneered touch screen mobile technology with their T-Touch watches. They are now showing off the functionality of T-Touch Expert watches through their smart phone app. The app allows you to ‘use’ the functions of the watches on the screen of your phone. These watches are designed for those who take outdoor experiences seriously. The compass and altimeter functions are replicated using the GPS on your phone. Barometer and thermometer readings are simulated as phones cannot take these readings. The chronograph and alarm functions work just as they do on the watch. If you have not seen a T-Touch then this is the closest that you can get to the real thing.

Other apps that are freely available are the festive snow globe app, a snowy scene that clears when the phone is shaken to reveal two Tissot watches. Another popular app is an augmented reality that allows you to virtually try on a watch from anywhere. You have to print out a paper ‘watch’ and use a webcam to overlay the image of a watch onto your wrist. On the screen you will get an idea of what the watch will look like on your wrist. It will help you to see the proportions of the watch and whether or not you like the look of it – it is perfect for helping you to make a good decision when shopping online.

Put Tissot app into google and you will be able to download any of these apps free of charge.  Of course if you are ready to purchase give us a call or check out our collection of tissot watches by following the link.

Guarantees will not be valid if the company perceive that the watch has been damaged because of misuse or abuse. It is your responsibility to follow the care instructions set out in the instructions that are received in the watch and to use common sense to ensure that you do not put undue pressure on the watch, for example by diving into a swimming pool with a non water resistant watch.

The law dictates that it is your responsibility, as a consumer, to look after any documentation that your receive with your watch and to keep proof of purchase, normally in the form of an invoice or a receipt. If you buy on line from Find Watches then this information is stored on the site and will also be emailed to you when the purchase is initially made but when you buy on a high street you need to keep hold of your receipt particularly if you buy with cash. A customer came in to our high street premises recently and she had bought a watch from a well known chain store by cash. She could not locate the receipt and they had not filled in the guarantee. When the watch stopped and she returned to the store they refused to help her saying that she could not prove that she had bought the watch from them. This is not uncommon.

If you pay by card then you have an additional protection because a relevant entry on a debit or credit card statement counts as a proof of purchase. Most credit card companies also have additional consumer protection in place.

The moral to this tale is that it is very important to make sure that you retain all of your paperwork. In the vast majority of cases nothing goes wrong but when it does you will have everything you need to request a guarantee repair.

Vintage Seiko watch

Recently bought in by one of our customers who dated it at around 30 years old.  It has a 17 jewels mechanical movement that had been running smoothly since its purchase in the 1970’s.  As the watch had started to loose time we arranged to have the watch fully serviced by Seiko’s in house repair and service team who returned it to full working condition.

If you would like to see our range of future vintage watches, please follow this Seiko watches link.

The Precisionist range was developed after Bulova watches came up with new technology that addressed some of the issues affecting good timekeeping in a standard quartz watch. The traditional two pronged crystal was changed to a three prong crystal and was then vibrated at 8 times the frequency of a normal quartz watch. The electrical current that passes through the crystal creates a consistent vibration in any watch, the count of these vibrations is what enables a watch to keep good time. By increasing the frequency of the vibrations Bulova created a new style of quartz technology that remains accurate for a much longer period of time than the old designs.

They have placed Precisionist technology inside a range of watches from ladies diamond set dress watches to 300m divers watches. The range offers a great selection for people who want to know that their quartz watch is as accurate as possible.

Bulova watches have always been an innovative brand, placing emphasis on new developments and contemporary designs. Their long history of improvements and the significant number of watches that they have created over the last hundred years has led them to create a smart range of watches which deliver technically as well as aesthetically.

The All New Seiko Sportura Watch

Seiko provided the timing at the recent IAAF athletics world championships in Korea. Fierce competition saw world records broken and dreams realised for some of the best athletes in the world. The difference between winning and losing is frequently less than a second, the gaps between competitors can be almost imperceptible and that is why timing experts Seiko were called in to provide the timing for this prestigious event.

Accuracy is the only acceptable standard at this level. Seiko had a team of 50 highly trained timing engineers on site throughout the whole of the championship to ensure that every time, distance and height were measured flawlessly. Over the nine days of the championship the team measured over 15,000 individual times, heights and distances. Demanding work! But the special team from Seiko were well prepared and utilised the best technology available to ensure that there were no problems.

One of the highlights of the 2011 championship was the Jamaican 4 x 100m relay team smashing their own world record, set at the Beijing Olympics. The new record now stands at 37.04 seconds. As the well known Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt said afterwards, “it is all about running fast”.

Seiko are a company with a long history of innovation, formed in the Victorian times they have consistently managed to stay ahead of the game and wow the competition with technical excellence and impressive designs. A Seiko watch earns its place in the affordable luxury category of watches, with a mixture of different kinds of watches from simple watches suitable for everyday wear to significantly more complex watches such as chronographs and automatics that use the latest technology to full effect.

To see our current collection of Seiko watches please follow the link.

Tissot Seastar Automatic Watch

Diving to extreme depths is a high risk occupation. The high pressure can cause irreparable damage to a person. Having the right equipment is of the essence if a diver is to survive a deep dive in tact. One of the techniques that is used when doing long dives is to take breaks at certain intervals coming up and going down in order to allow your body and equipment to fully adjust to the pressure at that level.

Having timing equipment that can be relied upon to produce accurate results is essential if this process is to work. Most divers will have at least two different pieces of equipment that record time. Often a watch that they wear and other timekeeping devices connected to dive computers. Tissot Seastar watches are designed to facilitate low depth, high pressure dives. In order for the watch to be able to deal with the pressure that is exerted on it by the weight of the water it needs to have additional technology.

Tissot have developed a helium escape valve for their 300m water resistance watches. When professional divers are working at low depths they often spend many days in a diving bell. They breathe a mixture of gases that contain a lot of helium. The helium is used to remove toxic air that is produced by low depths. Helium molecules are very small, and they enter a watch through its seals meaning that the air pressure inside the watch equals that of the diving bell. When they have finished their work they are then raised to the surface and begin the process of decompression. A watch has to decompress at the same speed as the diving bell. This can cause problems in watches, if the helium leaves the watch too fast it can cause damage to the watch including having the crystal pop off.

Tissot have a clever invention has been created to stop this from happening; the helium escape valve. This one way valve provides an exit point for the helium that is trapped inside the watch which will occur when the watch reaches a critical pressure level. On Tissot Seastar watches this is automatically activated when the right conditions occur.

This is a significant addition to high water resistant watches showing that Tissot Seastar automatic watches are right at the cutting edge of dive technology.  Tissot watches are all developed with the same commitment to new technology.

Will Young will be taking questions from his fans giving a unique viewpoint on his career and life so far. He also will be providing a few unexpected surprises for the studio audience and the viewers at home.

Will has sold over 8 million records so far since he won the UK talent show Pop Idol ten years ago. His new album is sure to add to the total when it is released on August 22nd. It is the follow up to his platinum selling ‘Hits’ album and his 5th studio album so far.

Sekonda Party Time watches are a collection of brightly coloured rubber strapped watches, with sizes to fit both men and women. There are a range of different styles, from dazzling crystal set watches to one colour plastic watches.

If you would like to view our Sekonda Party Time watches please follow the link.

Competing in the 2011 Pop Star to Opera Star series are Midge Ure from Ultravox, Andy Bell from Erasure, Melody Thornton from the Pussycat Dolls, Joe Washbourn from Toploader, Joe McElderry, winner of the X Factor, Jocelyn Brown, Claire Richards from Steps and Cheryl Baker from Bucks Fizz. The show is presented by Myleene Klass.

The series is drawing close to it’s Grand Finale, a show down between Cheryl Baker and Joe McElderry who have both performed consistently well throughout the series, winning the praise of the audience and the judges alike. Last week’s double elimination set the scene for what is sure to be a dramatic ending to this popular series.

The final episode will be aired on Sunday night, ITV1 between 8 and 9pm, when you will have your opportunity to vote for your favourite act. Pop Star to Opera Star is each week giving a percentage of the money collected during the votes to musical therapy charity Nordoff Robbins. The charity uses music to inspire many people with serious difficulties such as autism and dementia. They see music as a lifeline that can help people emotionally and physically to overcome the challenges that face them and their families.

Sekonda Party Time watches are sponsoring Pop Star to Opera Star, with their range of bright colourful statement watches. The evolving range of watches has both men’s and women’s watches in a rainbow of colours, the perfect accessory for all seasons.