TODAY'S WATCHES HAVE MORE THAN TIME ON THEIR HANDS

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 16, 1992                   TAG: 9202140107
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: FRANCINE PARNES
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
TODAY'S WATCHES HAVE MORE THAN TIME ON THEIR HANDS
Time is money, and just about every major fashion house knows it. From Guess to Chanel, Gucci to Dior, they're into designer watches.
So is America, from pre-schoolers to retirees. In fact, according to the American Watch Association, the average American owns four watches.
Emilio Collado, executive director of the Washington trade group, says Americans bought 125 million watches last year. That's double a decade ago when "fun" watches were in their infancy.
"The watch business has exploded since the time when you waited till graduation and got a hand-me-down from Grandpa," says Michael Roman, executive director of Jewelers of America, a trade association in New York.
That's because inexpensive quartz movements and itty-bitty batteries encased in bright water-tight plastic made cheap chic. In fact, last year nearly 95 million of the watches sold were $75 or less each. So while Rolex might be de rigueur, Swatch is OK, too.
Owning several watches is made possible by the decline in prices; a reliable watch goes for as little as $12.
Timex, with about 30 percent of the sales, has the biggest share of the market, according to Collado. Average retail price for a Timex is $35, says Susie Watson, Timex trend analyst in Waterbury, Conn.
But the trendiest watch, Roman says, is special purpose. Casio, for example, has a watch at about $170 retail that charts your blood pressure as well as tells time. But most of the special purpose timepieces are geared to sailing, scuba diving, running or flying. They're high-tech and multidial, charting every detail from nanosecond to moon phase.
Then there are kicky fashion timepieces from Swatch, Guess and Fossil; mass-produced middle-range watches from Seiko, Citizen and Bulova; and utility types from Timex and Casio.
The big-time heavy hitter is Timex's Ironman Triathlon watch, with sales of 2.5 million since its introduction in 1986. At $39.95, it includes a stop watch, countdown timer, back light for night runs, plus day and date indicator. Swatch's Scuba 200 is a diver's watch that's good to 200 meters below. The turning bezel tells you when it's time to come up for air. At $50, it comes with a blue band with multicolor fish.
For the young and trendy, there are unisex watches that go way beyond practicality and make the most of every minute with novelty. Swiss-based Swatch, a leader in fashion watches, has sold more than 80 million since they were introduced in 1983. They range from $40 to $80 apiece.
"Swatch was created to be a fashion accessory as well as a functional timepiece," says Missy Farren, director of public relations in New York. "At $40 you can afford to accessorize your wardrobe in a variety of colors."
Some of the freshest faces come from Fossil, which offers maps of North and South America, retro bowling and details of the moon. Ranging from $45 to $58. Guess also makes a brasstone dial watch with an engraved map of North America and a padded brown leather strap, $55.
Pendant watches are swinging back into style. One just introduced by Timex has a heart-shaped case with goldtone link chain. Three round styles will be in stores by March, $35 each.
Another novelty is a watch charm from Monet. A square goldtone perfume flask with white dial hangs from a silver- and gold-tone bracelet with T-bar closure. It's $75.
Manfredi's line of Simbolini watches have whimsical signs and symbols as hands. With stainless steel case and calfskin band, they're $375. For the Earth minded, there's Ecco Swiss' watch made of 70 percent recycled tin and steel, about $100 complete with recycled storage tin for safekeeping.
To track time with the utmost precision, Harry Winston offers The Perpetual Calendar collection in yellow gold or platinum. The watches indicate hours, minutes, date, day of the week, month, phases of the moon, even years and leap years. Prices range from $27,000 for one with alligator strap, $90,000 for platinum and diamonds.
If status symbols are more precious than platinum or gold, $1,375 will fetch a gold-plated Chanel watch with signature chain and leather strap. About $45,000 will buy Chanel's top-of-the-line diamond and 18-karat gold watch.
But Piaget is hands-down winner for luxe. Its L'Unique is set in platinum and gold, with 58 diamonds totaling 59.6 carats. A mere $3 million.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB