Founded in 1976, this watchmaker has been wowing us with their exquisitely crafted designs. Raymond Weil has fast become a well known name in the watch world, and for good reason...their watches are precision Swiss quality and their creations are unique and ultra-stylish. The outer perspective of these watches is what will, certainly catch your eye, but the inner workings are what's truly amazing. Their mechanical models are tiny, super functioning machines. They are built with painstaking care, by masters in the field of watchmaking. Even though this company doesn't have 150 years of experience behind them, they are making history, with their distinctive and extremely well made creations. One of the factors that make Raymond Weil watches so accurate, as well as beautiful, is the use of rubies in their movements, but why do watchmakers choose rubies? What is their purpose? How do they improve the functioning of watches? Let's answer these questions, shall we?

How do Mechanical watches work, and how did rubies come to play a part? Mechanical watches have a lot of moving parts, which must work together in harmony, in order for the watch to perform accurately. In the early days of watchmaking, not enough attention was paid to the function of the watch, after creation. The design called for small holes to be drilled into the brass plate which held the pivots and turned them. These small holes were vessels for oil, which would lubricate the movement, but over time dust would find its way in and mix with the oil, resulting into an abrasive combination, that would wear at the holes. Eventually the, once round holes would change their cylindrical shape, causing the watch to run erratically. Sometimes, the movement would stop, altogether.

The fix was to locate a substance which was much harder than the brass, and could take the wear and tear...hence, the ruby. Other than diamonds, rubies are the hardest substance known, and soon they became an invaluable part of fine, high quality watches.

The first rubies used although genuine and quite costly, were generally jewelry maker rejects. Over time watchmakers began using synthetic rubies, which have been designed to be just as hard as the authentic versions, but more cost effective.

One of Raymond Weil's new collection is the Freelancer Black 8. This fine watch is an automatic mechanical, with 26 jewels. The dial of the watch offers a sneak peak into the inner workings, and allows you to appreciate the beauty of this jeweled machine.

Here is a list of materials used in watch manufacturing and there impact on the price you pay at the checkout:

Stainless Steel

This is the most common material used in watch production; it is hard wearing and doesn't erode like other metals. It can be manipulated into many shapes so is perfect for many watch designs. Stainless steel is cost effective too so can be used to produce both budget and high valued watches.

Plastic/ Silicon

This is an increasing popular option especially in the past 12 months with more and more fashion watches coming out in bright vibrant colors. These fashion watches are designed to be fun and funky and are very popular with young people. These styles vary in price depending on the type of material used, for instance silicon is more expensive than plastic due to the way it is manufactured, the best alternative is a plastic case with a silicon strap as this way the price can be kept down with a durability not being lost.

Titanium

This is being used more and more for watch manufacturing; titanium is a very durable and robust material and is used in a lot of adventure watches. Titanium is very strong but is more expensive to manufacture then steel thus adding to its retail price; however it will last along time. The material can be used for both the exterior and the movement.

Buying a watch isn't just about your style and budget it is also about the watch itself and what makes it, this can help you to identify which one suits you best and will withstand the life you lead wearing it.