Watches can be powered by a variety of mechanisms, also known as movements, which use different techniques to ensure the watch ticks accurately. Each created out of different necessities, the primary watch movement types are automatic, quartz and mechanical.

1. Quartz Watches
Invented in the mid-20th century, quartz watches are powered by a battery that typically lasts between one and two years. Many Swiss luxury watch brands use quartz movements for their accuracy and reliability.

2. Mechanical Watches
The second type of watch mechanism is the mechanical watch, which runs on kinetic energy. Originally used for each pocket watch and wristwatch in the 1800s, mechanical movements are often associated with luxury watches for their spectacular display of hundreds of tiny parts and gears laboriously assembled by expert watchmakers. Requiring a great amount of precision and detail, expert watchmakers use an intricate series of tiny components working together to power each mechanical movement. Mechanical watches also come in two forms: automatic, powered by movement, or manual, powered by winding the knob daily.

3. Automatic Watches
Lastly, there is an automatic movement, otherwise known as self-winding. Founded shortly after the development of mechanical watches, these watches harness energy through the wearer’s wrist, engaging a rotor mechanism in the automatic watch and allowing it to wind itself.

Aside from the watch movement types, what sets each wristwatch apart is in the details, specifically the types of watch bands and different dial features, such as chronographs. A luxurious alligator or sleek leather strap, like that of the Vacheron Constantin watch, makes for an elevated day-to-evening watch, while the signature metal bracelet band on a Piaget timepiece has a heavier feel, making it perfect for everyday wear.

Derived from the Greek words “chronos,” meaning “time,” and “graphos,” meaning “to write” or “to record,” a chronograph is a complication that functions as a stopwatch. A chronograph watch allows the wearer to measure intervals of time with incredible accuracy with the simple push of one, or sometimes two, buttons.

Melding classic silhouettes with innovative design, men’s accessories and fine watches have come a long way from the sports watch styles of the '80s to early aughts. Dedicated to haute horlogerie, Franck Muller uses its 30-plus years of watchmaking expertise to update men’s timepieces in sleek and highly functional designs. Featuring a self-winding automatic movement and nautical-inspired details, the house’s Vanguard Yachting watch is cleverly designed with the strap integrated inside the case for a uniquely curved shape.