Materials & Functions
Specialised in the manufacturing of high precision automatic and quartz watches, Continuum attaches particular importance to the selection of fine materials. Equally important is the use of the latest technical achievements of our time. In order to give you an insight into what exactly these Continuum production principles mean, on this page we provide you with detailed information on the essential materials used in the manufacturing process and the functions that make up a watch with great functionality.
Leather
Leather is a natural material which has been in use for thousands of years. Through a traditional production process, the tannery, a durable material with pleasing optics and high wearing comfort is obtained. Despite technological progress, to this day leather is still mostly made by hand. The elaborate processing may include up to 300 different production steps. After this process, the leather is cut to the desired size and thickness. To prepare it for its designated purpose it has to further undergo several treatments. By paying special attention to the wearing properties and resilience of the leather we use, Continuum watches guarantee for highest wearing comfort and durability.
Lumina
At the beginning of watchmaking history artisans had to be very creative in order to enable people to read their watches in the dark. One of the oddest solution watchmakers came up with was the production of watches without a dial. To determine the time in the dark you had to feel for the watch hands' position on the watch. Revolutionary change came during the First World War when fluorescent radium was discovered. Soon after tritium was found but both substances turned out to be radioactive which deemed them unsafe for the use in watches. Superluminova is the material that is used today in order to have watch and clock hands glow in the dark. It has identical properties as tritium, but it is not radioactive and therefore harmless.
MANUAL WINDING
In mechanical watches the mainspring of the automatic movement has to be wound up by hand so to enable the watch to keep on working. In the past a small key was used to perform that task. Nowadays the key has been replaced with a winding mechanism through the crown.
MOON PHASES
Moon phases indicate the appearance of the moon. Within a lunar month (29,5 days) the moon appears as a full moon, waning moon, half moon, new moon and waxing moon. These appearances are known under the term moon phases. On some of our watches you can find a small display which shows you the current moon phase.
POWER RESERVE
The power reserve is the energy potential in automatic watches which are equipped with a mechanical movement. The power reserve informs you about how long it will take until the watch stops running, in other words, when you need to wind up your watch again. Electronically operating watches, however, do not need to be wound up in order to keep on working.
PRECISION/ACCURACY
The precision or accuracy describes the most fundamental attribute of watches: Displaying the time as precisely as possible. In fact no watch or clock is able to measure the time with a 100% accuracy. Still there are specific standards regarding a movement's precision which need to be met in order for a watch to belong to a certain accuracy category. For quartz watches, the scope of acceptable inaccuracy is +/- 30 seconds per month. The accuracy can be affected by various factors such as temperature, air pressure and wearing behaviour. Compared to quartz watches, automatic watches are more likely to have a high accuracy level. Continuum automatic watches are equipped with a precision movement which promises a high time measuring accuracy.
STAINLESS STEEL
Stainless steel is a type of steel with special purity. All Continuum watches are manufactured with stainless steel. It is a non-rusting, largely acid-resistant steel with very low carbon content. These features make the stainless steel the perfect material for durable, high-quality watches such as the ones from Continuum.
WATER RESISTANCE
Water resistance is not a constant property because it is subject to a natural wear and tear process. The given information on your watch's water resistance (see case back) refers to the time of delivery. Therefore you should have your watch checked regularly by a watchmaker to redetermine the water resistance level. This should be done every year or every six months - especially when the watch is being used for diving. The water resistance of a watch is regulated in the DIN 8310 system. In the table below you can see which activities are allowed with a certain resistance level. Please note that the data is based on the exposure to static water pressure only. Meaning that with rapid movements in the water or when breaking through the water surface the dynamic water pressure caused may exceed the maximum pressure your watch can handle. When using your watch in the water, please pay attention to the fact that all the crowns/buttons are well screwed. Never operate the buttons underwater! Otherwise water will easily penetrate into the case and the movement will be damaged. For diving activities you should principally only wear watches with at least 20 ATM water resistance. Failure to follow the previous instructions will invalidate the warranty! Here's a tip from us: If any water gets inside your watch, bring it to a watchmaker immediately, so the movement can be taken apart, dried and cleaned. If not there will damage by rust which is very likely to negatively affect the movement's quality and durability.