Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Watch Review – Croton 1650 Feet Dive Watch CA301062SSGY (Croton Watches)

Croton watches

One of my very favorite things to do is swim. But its not just swimming I enjoy, its anything having to do with the water, whether it’s on the hot sands off the Atlantic coast, skiing on the ocean’s surface or feverishly pounding Olympic-sized pools with breast stroke after breast stroke.

No matter what kind of water sporting events you enjoy—snorkeling, deep-sea diving, scuba diving, sailing or ocean dwelling—your best swimming companion could very well be the Croton 1650 Feet Dive Watch, primarily due to its amazing water resistance capacity.

To say that 1650 feet is deep is to state the blatantly obvious. In light of this, perhaps the best way to illustrate such a depth is by offering a record-breaking feat. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the deepest dive with scuba gear is 437 feet off the coast of the Bahamas. If you don’t think this is deep, consider what Open Water Sport Diver Manual has to say about going deeper than 250 feet, saying “…the average diver is more or less useless and becomes a safety menace to himself and others.” In other words, the Croton 1650 can withstand what the human body cannot!

Some of the other impressive features of the Croton CA301062SSGY include the band, which is stainless steel with a diver’s clasp and safety lock. This truly is a strong lock that’s a bit difficult to latch into place and equally as difficult to take off. However, if you’re a swimmer, this is exactly what you want (as anyone who has lost his or her watch while swimming will tell you).

Outside of the Croton 1650 Feet Dive Watch’s water resistant capability that places it in the upper echelon of high-end watches (e.g. Tag Heuer), its sleek design is impressive as well. The luminous hands and number markings seem to harness light for a generous amount of time. What’s lacking in this model, I find, is the sweeping second hand that I always look for in watches. However, because this model has a quartz movement, which traditionally keeps better time than automatics, it offsets the drawback of not having a sweeping second hand (the “drawback”—if it can be called that—being that I find sweeping second hands more pleasing to look at).

Another nice thing about this watch is the weight it has. At the rock bottom price of $170, I was expecting it to be on the lighter side, but the weight is considerable (not as much as other Ceylon watches I’ve tried, but at 5.9 ounces, it’s enough weight to satisfy).

Some other features: a unidirectional rotating bezel with a luminous marker at the top of the bezel; the case material is stainless steel with a screw down case back (I like exhibition back’s more, but considering it’s the back of the watch, it’s really a non-issue) with dimensions of 42 mm in diameter and half an inch in thickness.

The dial of the watch has a nice textured look to it, with a zigzag, vertical design. It’s a nice embellishment of the dial because it gives it a dual color look when light reflects off it (i.e. the color of the face is black but if light hits it just right, it has a light grayish hue). The watch is also available with a white face.

Once again, this Croton watch is a great watch for the money and a watch that anyone would enjoy. However, its specs are geared for swimming enthusiasts, all of whom are sure to be impressed by its performance for many laps to come. One of my very favorite things to do is swim. But its not just swimming I enjoy, its anything having to do with the water, whether it’s on the hot sands off the Atlantic coast, skiing on the ocean’s surface or feverishly pounding Olympic-sized pools with breast stroke after breast stroke.

No matter what kind of water sporting events you enjoy—snorkeling, deep-sea diving, scuba diving, sailing or ocean dwelling—your best swimming companion could very well be the Croton 1650 Feet Dive Watch, primarily due to its amazing water resistance capacity.

To say that 1650 feet is deep is to state the blatantly obvious. In light of this, perhaps the best way to illustrate such a depth is by offering a record-breaking feat. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the deepest dive with scuba gear is 437 feet off the coast of the Bahamas. If you don’t think this is deep, consider what Open Water Sport Diver Manual has to say about going deeper than 250 feet, saying “…the average diver is more or less useless and becomes a safety menace to himself and others.” In other words, the Croton 1650 can withstand what the human body cannot!

Some of the other impressive features of the Croton CA301062SSGY include the band, which is stainless steel with a diver’s clasp and safety lock. This truly is a strong lock that’s a bit difficult to latch into place and equally as difficult to take off. However, if you’re a swimmer, this is exactly what you want (as anyone who has lost his or her watch while swimming will tell you).

Outside of the Croton 1650 Feet Dive Watch’s water resistant capability that places it in the upper echelon of high-end watches (e.g. Tag Heuer), its sleek design is impressive as well. The luminous hands and number markings seem to harness light for a generous amount of time. What’s lacking in this model, I find, is the sweeping second hand that I always look for in watches. However, because this model has a quartz movement, which traditionally keeps better time than automatics, it offsets the drawback of not having a sweeping second hand (the “drawback”—if it can be called that—being that I find sweeping second hands more pleasing to look at).

Another nice thing about this watch is the weight it has. At the rock bottom price of $170, I was expecting it to be on the lighter side, but the weight is considerable (not as much as other Ceylon watches I’ve tried, but at 5.9 ounces, it’s enough weight to satisfy).

Some other features: a unidirectional rotating bezel with a luminous marker at the top of the bezel; the case material is stainless steel with a screw down case back (I like exhibition back’s more, but considering it’s the back of the watch, it’s really a non-issue) with dimensions of 42 mm in diameter and half an inch in thickness.

The dial of the watch has a nice textured look to it, with a zigzag, vertical design. It’s a nice embellishment of the dial because it gives it a dual color look when light reflects off it (i.e. the color of the face is black but if light hits it just right, it has a light grayish hue). The watch is also available with a white face.

Once again, this Croton watch is a great watch for the money and a watch that anyone would enjoy. However, its specs are geared for swimming enthusiasts, all of whom are sure to be impressed by its performance for many laps to come.

Croton watches

Sunday, January 25, 2009

History of the Croton Watch and the Croton Men's Watches Collection (Croton watches)

Croton watches

For many years, Croton men's watches have been regarded as one of the best brand of watches a man can ever possess. From 18k gold diamond studded automatic timepieces to simple watches in today's most chic colours and styles, there is a Croton watch for you for just about any occasion. So, learning about their history can give you a peek into the world of Croton where great quality watches are made.

Croton History

Established in 1878, the Croton Watch Co., Inc. made each watchmaker work hard to master the art of making timepieces. Croton Watch was a humble manufacturer who believed that precision, quality, style and value need to be all present to create the horological wonders of the century.

The family-owned and operated trade concentrated on diamond-studded watches that sold well to jewellery stores in the United States. As Croton's popularity grew, the demand for their sophisticated quality watches also grew bigger. Croton opened its jewelled collection as the critical tastes of their customers changed.

At present, Croton Watch is still family-owned and operated by the Mermelstein family in an 18,000 square feet facility in Moonachie, New Jersey. This multi-million dollar venture, which sells a wide range of watches from basic quartz to complex chronographs in very reasonable prices, holds the same philosophy as their ancestors that precision, quality, style and value go together to create the best watches in the world.

The Mermelsteins have been watch suppliers for over four decades. They own Nationwide Time Inc., an enterprise that specializes in making watches for the premium and retail market. They have produced a sleek production and distribution facility while maintaining Croton's acclaim of absolute quality. Croton/NTI went on to work with a Hong Kong assembly plant with the ability to make 200,000 watches per month. Known as the "Manufacturers' manufacturer," Croton/NTI also creates private label watches for a number of famous companies, and produces premiums for thousands of corporations.

Croton stands behind its watches from production to after sales service. And this is actually the same regard for detail that has been winning the wrists of millions of Americans since 1878. You will see the same lofty criteria illustrated by each of their watches in sophisticated department stores and first-class jewellery shops. Each Croton watch holds an original lifetime warranty, and their Customer Service Department boasts of its turnaround time of ten days.

The Croton Men's Watches

Croton offers a variety of superior men's watches. The Croton Men's Watches collection combines exceptional straps and magnificent styles imaging the latest trends. All these timepieces come with Croton's unprecedented lifetime warranty. Croton Automatic, Aquamatic, and other men's watches are high-tech, modern watches that are practical, enchanting, and affordable.

The Croton Men's Watches collection includes some of the most cautiously designed, fashionable, and incomparable timepieces. They are practicable and glamorous so you will always be on time, as well as make a good impact on others.

Croton watches