The watch face is a distinctive feature which plays an important role in watch design. It not only tells the time but it has to be appealing to the customer to entice them to buy it.

Most watches are either analogue or digital. An analogue watch face has fixed numbers 1-12 in a dial. Sometimes they are shown as roman numerals or no figures are used at all. A digital watch displays just the numbers and other features such as the date and can be used as a stopwatch or as an alarm. Clock and watch faces move clockwise as they originally imitated sundials and as the shadow of the sun moved in that direction that was adopted by watch makers.

Nowadays watch faces are available in numerous designs and styles. Watch companies place important emphasis on their watch face designs even making it possible to design watches to meet individual needs. In the past attempts have been made to add more technology into designs with Seiko Watches attempting to incorporate a TV screen into a watch face, Casio designed a watch that could translate Japanese and Citizen introduced a watch that would react to your voice. However these were all fads that never stood the test of time.

Seiko Watches have announced the unveiling of their new range of solar powered watches on May 14 2010. It is rumoured that they will be named Hybrid Solar Watches.

Solar powered watches aren’t new to Seiko Watches. However with this new design they have used transparent plates so the photovoltaic (PV) cells are visible. Seiko Watches hope this feature will appeal to the more eco-friendly market. They are targeting the younger generation who are environmentally aware and who find green gadgets appealing.

Seiko Watches hope to introduce a range of ten solar powered wristwatches retailing from £140-£180. Once fully charged these watches will last for 6 months.

At the turn of the last century women would wear watches on a chain around their neck, tucked into their bodices or in a small pocket sewn in their skirt. It was considered unseemly and improper for women to wear wrist watches.

Nowadays, ladies watches are big business with all the major watch companies, from Seiko Watches through to Rolex, investing in new styles and designs for women. Small watches seem to be all the fashion at the moment as watches are marketed more as jewellery in their own right. Recently at Baselworld in Switzerland it was highlighted that watches for women are becoming more discreet and decorative.

Whether you are after a durable sports watch, an elegant timepiece or just a simple uncomplicated watch to tell the time with, pick one that works for you. One that you find pleasing to look at because it is you that will be wearing it!

Referees in a match or any sporting event play a vital role in officiating over the proceedings. Not only do they have to be extremely fit to keep up with the demands for refereeing an event they also need to exhibit exceptional timekeeping.

It is paramount that a referee has an accurate watch in order that no mistakes are made. A good timepiece needs to be durable, reliable and waterproof in order to keep working whatever the weather.

A reliable watch favoured by many referees is Seiko Watches W772 Referee Watch. Its features consist of a countdown timer which is important for sports such as soccer, which is played using time increments. Another strong feature is its ability to be a stopwatch and it also has a secondary timer which allows for play stoppage due to injuries etc. It also boasts a clear face for easy reading, a vibration mode and is water resistant.

Watches come in all shapes, sizes and materials. All manufacturers, from Seiko Watches through to Breil , offer a wide variety of timepieces to match any taste and pocket.

Titanium watches and straps are very durable but light in weight and long lasting making them a good long term investment. Stainless steel watches are a fairly cheap option and are renowned for being very strong and don’t corrode easily.

The most extravagant watches with matching straps are made from gold. They are seldom used by their owners and are generally brought out for special occasions. They do hold their value though, especially if the price of gold rises and are seen as a good long term investment. Silver watches are similar to gold ones and hold their value but they do tarnish easily.

Straps are important as they need to be adjustable and comfortable. Webbing straps are the cheapest option and are fairly durable. Leather watches are quite common and can be dyed any colour. Rubber straps are strong and water resistant and often used for children’s watches.

Following the recent global economic crisis over the previous few years the watch industry, along with many other luxury item products, have all witnessed a fall in revenue due to the “credit crunch”.

In 2009 the Swiss watch makers were still reporting a significant loss in revenue, some as much as 22.3%. This was an all too familiar story from most of the watch companies around the globe, from Seiko Watches through to Tissot all experiencing the effects of the economic downturn.

However, with the market appearing to be starting to move in a more optimistic direction again, analysts are noticing a significant turnaround in the luxury goods market. Items such as, Champagne, jewellery and watches are beginning to report an increase in sale as the public are back out there shopping again!

We have all experienced the confusion of travelling to another country and finding we have to change time. Confusingly either moving time forward and losing precious moments or moving time back and repeating time we have already lived.

In order to measure time it was globally agreed to have a starting point. Noon was decided on, when the sun is highest in the sky. As this occurs at different times around the world, as the earth rotates, it was decided that a point of reference was required. This became known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).There are 24 time zones and each zone represents one hour.

The International Date Line (IDL) is an imaginary line on the opposite side of the world to Greenwich which is near London, England. If you cross the line heading west you add a day however if you are travelling east you go back a day and technically arrive before you left!

Modern day clocks and watch companies strive to improve technology in order to keep perfect time. From Seiko Watches through to Dolce and Gabbana, manufacturers constantly try to perfect innovative ideas in order to create the most accurate timepiece.

Seiko Watches introduced last week their new E-Ink watch called the Active-matrix E-ink watch or "FutureNow".

This newly designed timepiece was unveiled last week at Baselworld. It boasts 80,000 pixels with a dpi resolution of 300, showing four shades of grey producing a very clear and sharp data display unit. For those who also like their gadgets the watch also displays time in the world’s major cities and show a photo of the Earth on the watch face.

The FutureNow is aimed at the younger end of the market being described as having a "cool display" and would suit "any urban hipster". Whether you are a fan of traditional analogue watches or digital technology this innovative timepiece is definitely one to be admired.