FAEquently Asked Questions
What is a watch?
A watch is a clock that is meant to be carried on your person, either with a strap around the wrist, or a chain to a pocket or on a necklace.
What is a Wristwatch?
A wristwatch is a pocket watch adapted to be worn by a strap on the wrist. It was invented to assist pilots while flying, so they didn’t have to dig in a pocket to find the time. Therefore, the Pilot Watch was the original watch design.
What is a Mechanical Watch?
A mechanical watch is a watch that receives its power from an internally wound spring, which requires occasional manual winding to maintain function. It generally employs sapphire jewels as high-precision and high-hardness bearings for the wheels, or gears, along with other parts of the movement.
Winding your FAE Mechanical Watch is a Time for Mindfulness, and will become one of your favorite things to do. You might feel like you “get to wind your watch.” It isn’t a chore, it’s a privilege.
If you don’t prefer a manually wound watch, you might like a FAE Automatic Watch.
What is an Automatic Watch?
An automatic watch is a mechanical watch with an internally-wound spring which is wound by the rotation of a pendulum or other rotational device that turns the wearer’s motion into spring tension. This removes the requirement to manually wind a watch. Simply wearing the watch and moving normally should usually keep it fully “charged.” For this reason, it would be most complete to call it an “Automatic-Wind Mechanical Watch”.
Aside from the obvious benefit of automatic winding, automatic-wind mechanical movements tend to have higher quality components, more jewels, and more complications such as date, day of the week, moon phase, and other things to make use of all the spare energy available to the “endless spring”.
While the pendulum is a convenience, it will always block more than half of your view of the movement and its beautiful parts, heartbeats, and gear movements in the back of your watch. Not a big problem, to be sure. Yet this can frustrate a fairy who wants to inspect more closely.
What is a Quartz Watch?
A quartz watch is a watch that receives its power from an internal battery who powers a crystal oscillator that regulates the forward motion of the clock, most often through use of a stepper-motor.
The quartz watch crystal is highly accurate, usually to within 10-20 seconds per year. With a battery that can easily last 3 years or more, that means you can set your quartz watch, and maybe set the time again when the battery dies three years later. It may only be 30 seconds off when the battery dies! Its hard to argue with that level of accuracy.
For an ultra-durable quartz watch, check out the FAE Quartz Field Watch.
What is a Watch “Crystal“?
The crystal is the horology term for the clear window at the front of your watch which allows you to see the hands and thus read the time.
Watch crystals are usually made from one of three materials: plastic, glass, or sapphire.
What Makes a Watch “Scratch-Resistant”?
The only things that can scratch on a watch are the case, the band, and the crystal. When considering the scratch-resistance of a watch, it is usually the crystal in question.
What the crystal is made from makes all the difference in its scratch-resistance. A glass crystal is more scratch-resistant than a plastic crystal. A sapphire crystal is more scratch-resistant than glass. A diamond crystal would be the most scratch-resistant material.
What is a watch “Crown”?
A watch’s crown is the wheel that protrudes outside the case which allows the user to make adjustments or wind the spring. It is a watch’s primary entrance point for moisture.
Can a watch be “Water-Proof”?
A watch can never be water-proof, since it has to be able to open. It can’t both be openable and water-proof, in a legal sense.
Watches can only hope to be “water-resistant.”
Can a watch be “Water-Resistant”?
Yes, every watch should be very water-resistant. It should be able to fall into open water like a puddle for a short time, and suffer no permanent impact. It should not fill with water when worn in the rain or when sweating or even if it were to fall into a pool or lake.
This is why all FAE Watches utilize a screw-on case back with o-ring gasket!
Having said that, every wristwatch will require its crown to be closed to expect any water-resistance. If the crown is open when a watch enters a body of water, that watch will become moist.
FAE Watches are sealed with an Advanced Sealing Protocol which ensures your watch retains maximum water-resistance while its crown is closed.
All FAE watches are water-resistant to at least 30 meters of water.
Isn’t it better if I buy a SmartWatch?
It can be, if you require endless biometrics, digital alerts, warnings, notifications, and promptings from a remote network. You don’t want to be late for your “15 Minute of Hate”!
Unfortunately, a SmartWatch is usually of little use without its nearby SmartPhone. And neither of much use without a running network. A FAE Mechanical or even Quartz Watch operates independently of networks, power grids, or even planets.
Nevertheless, maybe your question should be “Will I still have my SmartWatch in 10 years?” Not only do you know you won’t have that same SmartWatch in 10 years, the SmartWatch manufacturers will insist you buy a few to several newer models before those 10 years are over. FAE make watches that will last the rest of your life.
Maybe another question you should ask is, “Will I pass on this SmartWatch to my kids or grandkids when I go?” This is a strong No. However, you will proudly pass down a FAE Mechanical Watch.
Do you offer a Lifetime Warranty for FAE Watches?
Yes, we want you to have your FAE Watch for the rest of your lifetime. We proudly warranty our watches for life when an owner follows the prescribed annual maintenance to be performed by FAE. Your first year’s maintenance is free!
What is involved in the Annual Maintenance?
Like an oil change for your car, your FAE Mechanical Watch will need its Annual Maintenance to remain functional for as long as possible. Missing your Annual Maintenance will void the Lifetime Warranty, but your FAE Mechanical Watch will still function for as long as it can.
The biggest risk factor is the evaporation of oil from your FAE Watch’s movement. This can happen in as little as one year and definitely happens after two years. This means after two or three years without annual maintenance, your watch will be running without any oil in its engine! Then it begins to slowly grind to a halt. It will probably seize up after 10 years. If this happens, a FAE Complete Movement Rebuild can save your watch!
Annual Maintenance Services Include:
* Cleaning of the case, band, and movement
* Intensive Drying Cycle for the movement
* Oiling of the movement, following factory recommendations
* Replacement of the Case Back O-Ring
* Advanced Case Sealing Protocol
Upgrades available for the Annual Maintenance:
* Watchband replacement
* FAEcelift: Dial/Hands Replacement
* Complete Movement Rebuild
* Ozone dry-cleaning treatment for watchbands
* Luminous Hand-Painting
* Case polishing
* High-End Siliconized O-Ring Gasket (recommended for Salt Water)
Can I swim with my FAE Watch?
Yes, all FAE Watches are water-resistant to 30 meters of depth. That means you can safely swim while wearing any FAE Watch. This may not apply, however, to pocket watches, which have a much lower level of water-resistance.
If your FAE Watch enters salt water, you must replace the Case Back O-Ring Gasket as soon as possible. This can be avoided with a High-End Siliconized Case Back O-Ring Gasket, which will still need to be replaced annually.
Can I wear my FAE Watch in Saltwater?
Yes, however a FAE Watch with standard, rubber o-ring gasket should have a gasket change anytime your watch enters saltwater. Saltwater is very corrosive, and over time your o-ring gasket, having been soaked in saltwater, might fail which will quietly allow moisture into your watch movement, which brings rust, rot, and decay and finally failure,
If you need your FAE Watch to enter salt water regularly, please upgrade to a Siliconized Case Back O-Ring Gasket. Siliconized Case Back O-Ring Gaskets still require annual changes as part of your FAE Watch’s Annual Maintenance.