Who needs a luxury watch when your phone can tell you the time? Right? Wrong.

A luxury watch does not just tell you just the time. It is a work of art, a perfectly crafted piece made of tiny wheels and the finest materials to create a timeless artifact that screams taste, class, personality and yes, the time.

There are as many different types of luxury watches as different brands. From as early as Omega in 1848 and Patek Philippe in 1851 to the most recent Hublot in 1980, these names have raised the standard for timekeeping across the world. So what makes these watches luxury watches and not just great watches?

Precious Materials: Luxury watches are luxurious primarily because of the materials they are made of. The most common metals used are the different golds, platinum and occasionally silver. In addition, they may have precious stones or diamonds inlaid to add an extra wow factor.

Own Movement: A watch tells time using movements. Most watchmakers buy movements from other various suppliers. However the best watches come from makers who also make their own movements which takes the level of decoration and complexity to the next level.

Seal of Geneva: This seal is only applied to those watches whose movements adhere to the stringent Swiss laws, certifying quality and origin. While the lack of a seal doesn’t take away from the quality of a watch, the existence of one does make it more impressive.

Assembly: The longer and more painstaking the assembly of a watch, the higher its value. High end watches should be a testament to the mastery behind them which makes them more detailed and of a higher quality.

Complexity: There is a difference between beautiful and complex watch movements and luxury watches should have the latter. Luxury watches should tell time in a unique way, the movement should be interesting to look at and often include additional bells as whistles such as calendars, chronographs and multiple time zones.

Limited editions: The more limited, the more exclusive which naturally makes it a luxury

Investment: Luxury watches are often investments and have a good resale value if and when needed. Check out our watches at http://www.truefacet.com/watches.html to see what sort of retail value the different pieces have.

To top it off, luxury watches should just be beautiful. All the crafting, design, decoration and finesses doesn’t mean a thing if it doesn’t appeal to the eye. A luxury watch is one that attracts your attention and stays with you even after you’ve looked through another hundred.

Check back with us for more on our Luxury Watches Series to learn about the individual brands and ease you into making your big buying decision.