What is a watch for you, a luxury masterpiece or a daily essential? Whatever the answer be, for most of us, it is just an instrument that tells us the time. But, have you ever thought about what all it can do? Not many of us are aware of the fact that you can measure the distance of thunder strike or the speed of the wind. A sudden curiosity must have popped up asking how can a simple watch tell us such complex things? Well, the answer has nothing to do with the movement of the watch’s hand, it is all about the outer periphery of the metal- “The Bezel.”
Some may move in one direction and some in other and you will even find some Bezel is not rotating at all. To understand how each Bezel works here is the quick guide to it.
- 0-60 scale Count-up Bezel: This is the most common bezel marker used for diving watches. They keep a track of the time you spent underwater, which gives you a rough idea of the oxygen remaining to breathe. The scales on the watch go from a zero to sixty count, where the first fifteen minutes are marked with one minute increment and the rest with five-minute increments. The reason for having a one-minute marker in the initial fifteen minutes is that it gives the diver an idea about the decompression stops with a high precision while ascending at the end of the dive.
- 60-0 Scale countdown Bezel: It is exactly the opposite of the count-up scale Bezel. Have you ever set a countdown for an upcoming event? Or you must have done the reverse counting for welcoming the Christmas. This is where a Countdown 60-0 Bezel will help you. All you need to do is rotate the Bezel. It will give you the time on the parking meter that is opposite to the minute hand of the watch.
- Pulsometer: These type of watches are also known as “Medical Watches” or the “Doctor’s Watches.” It keeps a count of the beats per minute for a human.The scale on the bezel will be measured to a specific number, such as 15 or 20 beats. Start the chronograph when you have detected a pulse of a human and keep counting till you reach to that calibrated number.
- Telemeter: A telemeter uses the sweep seconds hand of the chronograph to calculate the distance travelled. It was designed for the soldiers to calculate how far are they from the enemy’s post. Another use of a Telemeter is to know the time lapse between the thunder lighting and its sound. Just switch on the chronograph when you see the light flashing and stop when you hear the thunderstorm.
- Compass: Think about hiking in the forests of Arizona and realizing you lost your compass. What will be the first thought to cross your mind? Well, you need not worry, you are not lost, until you have a Compass Bezel. Standing in the Northern Hemisphere, rotate the Bezel till the South mark lies in the midway of the hour hand and 12 ‘o’clock. Now point the hour hand towards the sun and the Compass Bezel will indicate the directions. Reset and repeat the process every once in an hour and here you come. You’ll find your way back to home.
So now when you know there are Bezel watches that can meet your needs and matches with your profession, why not just buy one and flaunt it.
