1. Reduced Friction and Wear:
* Jewels are incredibly hard and smooth: This allows them to act as bearings in the watch's movement, minimizing friction between moving parts.
* Reduced friction means less wear: This extends the lifespan of the watch movement, ensuring it runs accurately for a longer period.
* Jewels are also resistant to corrosion: This further protects the movement from damage.
2. Enhanced Accuracy:
* Friction can cause the watch to run slow: This is because friction slows down the movement's speed.
* Jewels minimize this friction, leading to more accurate timekeeping: This is crucial for high-end watches that need to maintain precise timekeeping.
What types of jewels are used?
While the term "jewel" might suggest gemstones, it's actually synthetic rubies or sapphires that are used in watches. These materials offer the ideal combination of hardness, smoothness, and resistance to wear and corrosion.
Why not use other materials?
While other materials like steel might be cheaper, they can't match the performance of jewels in terms of friction reduction and wear resistance. This is why jewels are essential for ensuring the longevity and accuracy of high-quality mechanical watches.
Important note: The number of jewels in a watch isn't necessarily a direct indicator of its quality. While more jewels generally suggest a more complex and potentially higher-quality movement, other factors like the craftsmanship, design, and materials used also contribute significantly to the watch's overall quality.