The Timepiece Journal

Your mechanical watch will lose 20–30 seconds a day. It will stop when not worn. It is sensitive to magnets. None of these are reasons not to buy one — they are the reasons mechanical watches are worth buying. Five honest facts, clearly explained.

Most skeleton watches under $200 have at least one construction flaw that becomes obvious within the first year of wear. Four questions — about case material, crystal grade, water resistance, and movement type — tell you everything you need to know before you buy.

Most skeleton watches under $200 fail at least one of these five engineering standards. Know what automatic movement, luminous hands, tonneau case, sapphire crystal, and 3ATM water resistance actually mean — before you spend your money.