Today, digital technology continues to evolve at a fast rate. It can be fleeting and confusing, and it tends to have an impersonal effect.

We buy things—mobile phones, for instance—but discard them when the newest models arrive.

But the tradition of making watches is altogether different. Watchmakers, as well as aficionados, engage in horology, the study of the measurement of time.

Horology is not just about the craftsmanship and discipline of creating watches and other time-keeping devices, but is also an art form.

Classic watch

Swiss watch Patek Philippe’s models for 2018 will remind and convince you that the tick of a classic watch resonates strongly amid the beeps of the digital age.

I’m particularly fascinated with the brand’s sole chronograph in its ladies collection, the 7150/250R-001. It’s the one you might want to have for a really worthy watch.

It has a mink-gray, hand-stitched alligator strap, and a rose gold buckle set with 27 diamonds.

The dial is a silvery opaline with gold-applied Brequet numerals. The watch face itself has a bezel adorned with 72 diamonds with rose gold hour and minute hands. It’s very pretty.

Guilloched pushers and fluted strap lugs complete its look, which is contemporary and classic at the same time.

And like a woman, the watch has interesting features that are not visible on its surface. The 7150/250R-001 has an innovative, manually wound chronograph with caliber CH 290-535 PS movement. This is a classic, manufacturer-made Patek Philippe chronograph movement, originally launched in 2009.

It has a pulsimeter scale, which means the watch follows the same tradition of the old chronographs.

This “allows the measurement of cadence of an active life… of the watch owner’s own pulse.”

It also has an instantaneous 30-minute counter created with six horological innovations. The watch’s finishing can be seen through a sapphire-crystal “box” back with a chamfered flank that is contoured perfectly to the case backing.

Functional art

Buying this kind of watch is like acquiring a piece of functional art. It’s made with great attention to detail, appearance, but also with guaranteed performance and viability to daily life. Plus, it’s made to last a lifetime.

A watch like this isn’t just for you—it’s part of a heritage you pass on, like the stories you tell your children.

I realize that a watch is more than an accessory. It’s one of the most personal tools you rely on. It keeps up with your activities and lifestyle. It’s built to create memories.

Every time you look at it, you don’t just see what time it is. You also see a lot of possibilities.