Few things are more frustrating to the owner than a high-end watch sitting in a box rarely used. These watches, which we spend hundreds of dollars on, sit unused in boxes because we don't want them to wear down. We'd rather reserve them for an occasion that happens only once each year, and strap on that $10 Timex for the rest of the year.



Yet, when we really think about it, this all seems like nonsense.

When else would we make such a large purchase and rarely use the item out of fear that it would break or scratch? Would we do that with a brand new high-end car? A major appliance? Or what about a house?

Would we purchase a beautiful house by the ocean, but choose to squat in a condemned shack instead, so we could be sure that our real home, the one we spent all of our money to purchase, was unscathed the few times we did decide to use it? Of course we wouldn't. That would be ridiculous.

We shouldn't do this with our expensive watches, either, but until now, there was no clear alternative. No matter what watch you put on, regardless of the price, you are likely to hit it on walls and tables; and to dent or scratch the overlay.

In the past,you had two options: you could wear that cheap watch most of the time, let it bear the brunt of daily scratches and dents; and then put on your high-end watch for special events. But that's no longer the case.

Recently watch-makers have pioneered a number of new techniques to make high-end watches both better looking AND far more durable. This means that you no longer need three to four Timex watches and a high-end watch. Instead, you can get a beautiful high-end watch that you can wear no matter the occasion, no matter the reason. Isn't that what you wanted when you purchased that fabulous watch in the first place? Didn't you want to be able to use all of those extra features and show off the watch's intricate design every day, not just on rare occassions?

Some of these new techniques involve constructing watches out of materials that rank higher on the MOHS scale, which ranks minerals based on their relative hardness. Diamonds, for instance, hold the highest rank on the MOHS scale; whereas weak metals, such as gold and silver, hold low ranks on the MOHS scale, indicating that they will scratch, bend, or dent quite easily.

When purchasing a new high-end watch, you should always look for one that uses sapphire rather than glass, and stainless steel, rather than gold and silver. Additionally, you will want to look for a jeweler who uses the latest techniques and technology to create a robust, long-lasting, scratch-resistant chronograph, rather than settling for a typical high-end watch, which looks nice, but has to be kept in a box most of the year.