If you think a piece of oil painting that fetch millions is nothing but a cloth with some paint spillling over it, then you might never be able to appreciate why collectors spend huge amount of money on mechanical watches. Collectors have likened them to be like art. It's meant for appreciation not for time keeping.

Short History: Most innovations in mechanical watch-making come from Switzerland. Peter Henlein (1479/1480 - August 1542) from Nuremberg is considered the inventor of the portable watch. Germany is generally credited with the invention of the spring-powered clock sometime around 1510. And those traditional mechanical watches were made with analogue dials (hands). There were almost about 130 parts or more used in those traditional watches. Any how all the parts are assembled in the three main sections like the source of energy, the regulating parts, and the display. Their manufacturing processes are perfected to the point where lemons are unlikely. However, most Swiss watch brands simply put their labels on movements and cases made by someone else.

Interestingly the number of parts varies depending on the function of the watch and that makes the mechanical timepiece special. Many buyers select to buy mechanical watch which can record the phases of the moon, keep a record of the date, as well as it can record the time regularly.

Even you would find there is balanced internal working movement, complete with hairsprings, a gear train, and a balance wheel if you were to pull a mechanical watch apart which is not recommended unless you know how to put it back together again. So these are the parts which facilitate the watch to record the time.

High Maintenance: If you are thinking of buying one, you should be aware that although all the springs and gears are charming and beautiful, they will require regular servicing. This can be quite costly, as you will normally have to take it to a specialist watch repair shop.

Buying Swiss: You should also be aware when buying any mechanical watches that some watches that claim to be Swiss Made only have a swiss movement. They are often built by other companies (e.g. Japanese companies). So check carefully that the watch is a true swiss mechanical watch before you buy it, if you intend on collecting these watches. A few Swiss watch movement making companies, including Valjoux and ETA (ETA was the movement manufacturing division of Eterna until 1932 when it split off and joined Ebauches S.A), make mechanisms that are found in many popular brands.