Watch Glossary
A
ALARM
A complication that signals with a sound at a set time
ALTIMETER
A watch function that measures changes in barometric pressure to determine altitude or height above sea level. It is great for Recording ascent and descent useful for mountain climbers and aviators.
ANALOG DISPLAY
Basic watch face which shows time with hours minutes and seconds hands.
ANNUAL CALENDAR
A complication that shows the date, day, and month. Some can even come with a Moonphase. This complication can adjust for short and long months apart from leap years
ANTI-MAGNETIC
A movement that is not affected by magnetic fields.
APERTURE
A cutout on the dial that shows the date, day, month, or moon phase.
AUTOMATIC WINDING
A watch that keeps winding through motion on the wearer’s wrist. These do not need to be manually wound. If an automatic watch is set aside for a while it needs to be wound again when the power reserve is depleted.
AUTO REPEAT COUNTDOWN TIMER
A complication is essentially a countdown timer that resets at the set time and restarts until deactivated with a pusher.
ASSEMBLING
Defines the watch manufacturing process that was done primarily by hand in the beginning.
B
BAND
This is referred to as a watch’s bracelet or strap
BALANCE
This is the heart of a mechanical watch where the mainspring generates energy to the balance and hairspring to divide time.
BALANCE SPRING
A part of the core movement that returns the balance wheel back to its neutral position.
BALANCE WHEEL
A part of a watch that oscillates to divide time equally.
BARREL
The cylindrical box inside the watch that holds the mainspring of a watch that drives the train.
BASEL
A watch show is held every April in Basel, Switzerland.
BEZEL
This is the ring around the crystal made from different types of metals used to hold the crystal in place.
BI-DIRECTIONAL ROTATING BEZEL
A bezel that can be rotated in either way is used in dive or racing watches to make calculations or track elapsed time.
BIENFACTURE
A Swiss word that defines the quality of a piece of work.
BRIDGE
A part that is fixed to the main plate of a watch to form the frame of a movement.
C
CALENDAR
A complication that shows the day of the month and the day of the week.
CALIBER
This defines the size or style type of watch movement.
CAMBERED
Refers to the curved or arched dial or bezel shape.
CASE
This is the outer shell that houses all parts of a watch. These come in different shapes like round, square, oval, tonneau, and rectangular.
CASEBACK
This is the cover down on the back of the watch to protect the movement from outside exposure.
CHIME
A sound made by a watch with an alarm complication when a clock strikes the hour.
CHRONOGRAPH
A complication that lets the wearer use the watch as a stopwatch to record time.
CHRONOMETER
This is a watch that needs to meet very high standards set by the C.O.S.C. to determine the precision of a watch.
COMPLICATION
A feature on a watch does everything but tell the time.
COSC
The official Swiss Chronometer Testing organization that tests watches for accuracy through rigorous 15-day testing.
COTES DE GENEVE
A design element of a watch which is like a wave brought to life by turning a watchmaking engine and polishing.
COUNTDOWN
Defines remaining time for a stopwatch function.
CROWN
The circular button is placed on the side of a watch to wind the mainspring in mechanical watches. It is also used to set time, improve waterproofing, and set a watch calendar.
CRYSTAL
The shell on top of a watch that protects the watch dial, is primarily made from glass, plastic, or sapphire.
CYCLOPS
A magnifying lens on the crystal that magnifies the data.
D
DAY/DATE WATCH
A watch feature that shows the date and day of the week.
DAY/NIGHT INDICATOR
A colored or shaded band on a world time indicates which time zones are in daylight and which are in darkness.
DEPLOYMENT BUCKLE
A buckle on the bracelet of a watch that expands so that the watch can pop open. It can have extenders and can be adjusted.
DEPTH ALARM
An alarm on a diver’s watch rings when passing the set depth
DESTRO
An Italian term used to indicate that a watch is made to be worn on the right hand.
DIAL
The face of a watch holds the numerals, indices, and watch face design.
DIGITAL WATCH
A battery-operated watch that tells time digitally without hands or markers.
DIRECT-DRIVE
A function that moves the second to in intervals rather than smooth sweeps for precision.
DUAL TIMER
A GMT watch that can tell local time along with another time zone through a twin dial, extra hand, subdials, and so on.
E
ESCAPEMENT
In a mechanical watch, this controls the motion of the hands by controlling wheel rotation.
ETA
The Swiss manufacturer of movements used in many many different brands.
ELAPSED TIME ROTATING BEZEL
A rotating bezel is used to keep track of periods. By rotating the bezel you can align the zero on the bezel with the watch’s seconds or minutes hand to read the elapsed time needing to manually calculate it.
ENGINE TURNING
An old watch-making practice that engraves a watch face through a specific device.
F
FACE
The face of the watch shows the dial, Arabic or Roman numerals, and the hands.
FLYBACK HAND
A second hand on the chronograph used to timelapse in races. This hand can be stopped independently and then made to catch up or “fly back” with the other moving second hand.
G
GRAY MARKET
The unofficial market where pre-owned watches are sold.
GASKET
A crucial part of a water-resistant watch to seal the case back, crystal, and crown from water infiltration. This needs to be checked every two years to maintain a watch’s water resistance.
GEAR TRAIN
The system of gears that transfers power from the mainspring to the escapement.
GENEVA STRIPES
A famous decorative wave pattern created on the bridges and oscillating weights of watches particularly, some Patek Phillips. This is done by hand and crafted from boxwood, coated in paste, and then pressed manually to emboss the design.
GERMAN SILVER
A special German alloy made from copper, zinc, & 10% nickel that does not need to be electroplated.
GREENWICH MEAN TIME (GMT)
A standard time for 23 time zones.
GOLD PLATING
A decorative element used in mid-range to luxury watches. It is a gold layer deposited on a that has been through an electric field onto a metal. It is usually 1000th of a millimeter in depth.
GRANDE SONNERIE
A complication that is similar to a repeater that sounds the hours and quarter hours through the push of a button.
GUILLOCHE
A type of engraving technique common on watch dials. These are very thin lines interwoven to create a texture.
H
HAND
These are the indicators that move to tell time. They come in hours, minute,s and seconds. Basic watches have these three and come in very different shapes like pear, Breguet arrow, and so on.
HELIUM ESCAPE VALVE
This is a valve that lets trapped helium out of the watch case after diving. As helium is lighter it can easily enter the case so this needs to be let out after dives.
HOROLOGY
This is the term used to define the science of measuring time.
HOUR MARKERS
These are Arabic numerals, Roman numerals, or indices placed on the dial to tell time.
HUNTER POCKET WATCH
This is a classic pocket watch with a cover that you can identify by checking a winding stem.
HARD METAL
This is a scratch-resistant metal that is made from titanium and tungsten carbide..
HACKING SECONDS
This is also called stop seconds and is a mechanism that stops the seconds hand when the crown is pulled out.
HAND-WOUND
This is a mechanical watch that needs to be wound manually when the power reserve is depleted.
HAUTE HORLOGERIE
This is a term used to describe premium watchmaking. It pays respect to outstanding technical innovation and the finishing of a watchpiece.
HYBRID SMARTWATCH
This is a watch that looks like a basic analog watch but has a digital process inside to track metrics like heartbeat and other digital smart functions.
I
INDEX
The hour indicators on an analog watch can be used in place of numerals.
INTEGRATED BRACELET
A type of watch bracelet that integrates into the design of the watch.
J
JEWELS
Sapphire or Rubies are placed inside the watch movement to reduce friction in the gears of a mechanism.
JUMP HOUR INDICATOR
A jump hour indicator has a similar function to an hour hand and shows the hours by a number through a window.
L
LEPINE WATCH
This is a pocket watch without a cover. It is distinguishable by the winding stem at 12 o’clock.
LUGS
They act as the base where the bracelet or strap attaches to the watch.
LUMINESCENCE
Also allied lume, these are deposits of material placed in the hour and minute hands for low light visibility.
LAP MEMORY
In quartz sports watches you can save previous lap times in its memory.
LAP TIMER
This is a chronograph function that can time segments of a race. At the end of a lap, the time can be stopped and the watch returns back to zero to begin timing a second lap.
LIMITED EDITIONS
This watch is made in very small quantities thus being a rare piece to have.
LIQUID-CRYSTAL DISPLAY
This is a watch display common in digital watches that tells the time. It is made from liquid held in a thin layer between two transparent plates.
M
MAINSPRING
This is the driving spring of a watch that supplies it with power.
MANUFACTURE
This is a watch company that uses in-house movement in their watches.
MILITARY TIME
This is a standard time measure in 24-hour format.
MINERAL CRYSTALS
These are cheaper, stronger crystals ten times harder than plastic.
MECHANICAL MOVEMENT
A mechanical movement is powered by a main spring and works with the balance wheel.
MAIN PLATE
This is the plate on which all the other parts of a watch movement are set.
MARINE CHRONOMETER
This is an accurate mechanical watch used to determine the longitude when sailing.
MEASUREMENT CONVERSION
This is a mechanical feature that has a scale on the watch’s bezel which can be used to convert measurements.
MICRON
This is a measure used to calculate the thickness of the gold coatings
MOON-PHASE
This is a complication that shows the position of the moon.
MOTHER-OF-PEARL
This is the interior shell of a mollusk that is extracted to use on watch dials.
P
PERLAGE
This is circular graining used plates and bridges of the watch.
PERPETUAL CALENDAR
Essentially the ultimate calendar complication that adjusts the watch’s calendar until the year 2100 and even accounts for leap years.
PLASTIC CRYSTALS
These are inexpensive crystals that are soft and flexible used on watches
POWER RESERVE INDICATOR
This is a complication that tells you how much power is left in the movement.
PVD
This is a thin coating placed on the bracelet and a watch case in place of gold.
PEDOMETER
This counts the number of steps in a watch.
PULSIMETER
This is a scale on a chronograph that measures pulse rate.
Q
QUARTZ MOVEMENT
This is a movement that uses a quartz crystal to power the movement through a battery.
QUICK-SET
This is a mechanism used to set the date automatically without needing to turn the hands over 24 hours.
QUARTZ CRYSTAL
This is a piece of synthetic quartz that oscillates at the rate of 32.768 times a second.
R
REGULATOR
A part of the movement that makes time more accurate by regulating beats by speeding them up or slowing them down.
REPEATER
A watch complication that chimes when a pusher is pressed.
RIDER TABS
These are four markers placed around the bezel used to mark a departure time.
ROTOR
This is a piece in an automatic watch used to wind the mainspring with motion.
RATTRAPANTE CHRONOGRAPH
This is a complication that is also known as a double chronograph or split-second chronograph. It adds an additional seconds hand and pusher to the standard chronograph.
REHAUT
This is an extended piece of metal between the watch’s dial and crystal.
RETROGRADE
This is an indicator that forms a segment of a circle, rather than a full circle used to indicate hours, minutes or dates.
12-HOUR RECORDER (OR REGISTER)
This is a sub-dial that times 12-hour periods.
ROTATING BEZEL
The ring surrounding the watch face that can be used to time events.
S
SAPPHIRE CRYSTALS
Strongest crystal used on premium watches. It is 3 times harder than mineral glass and scratch-proof.
SCREW BACK
This is the back case that can be screwed down onto the case.
SCREW-DOWN CROWN
A crown that can be screwed in to improve waterproofing.
SHOCK ABSORBER
A bearing in a watch used to withstand shocks
SKELETON WATCH
A case where you can see the inner workings of the movement.
SLIDE RULE
This is a bezel that can multiply or divide two numbers in aviation.
SMALL SECONDS DIAL
A small sundial that displays the seconds
SONNERIE
A variation of a minute repeater that sounds the time every hour.
SPRING BAR
A bar with a spring that holds straps in place.
STEM
The shaft which connects to the movement’s winding mechanism with the crown fitted on the opposite side.
STRAP
Nonsteel version of material that holds the watch to the wrist.
SUB-DIAL
A small dial placed inside the main dial on a watch’s dial.
SWEEPING SECONDS HAND
A second hand mounted in the center of the dial that sweeps instead of ticking.
shatter-resistant, scratch-resistant substance.
SOLAR COMPASS
A compass set into the watch to understand geographical poles.
SOLAR POWERED BATTERIES
Batteries in a quartz watch that are charged through light sources like the sun.
STEPPING MOTOR
A part of a quartz watch that moves the gear train
STERLING SILVER
Reflective metal used to create watch bracelets and cases. . Sterling silver refers to silver that is 92.5 percent pure.
SWISS A.O.S.C. (CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN)
A certification of watches made in Switzerland.
T
TACHOMETER
Also called a tachymeter is a chronograph feature that lets you calculate average speed or hourly production based on an observation period of under sixty seconds.
TANG BUCKLE
A standard feed-through buckle like a belt buckle.
TONGUE
A movable piece in a buckle which penetrates the holes in a leather strap
TONNEAU WATCH
A watch shaped like a barrel with two convex sides.
TOURBILLON
A complication that corrects errors in timekeeping by balancing the horizontal and vertical positions of the balance wheel.
TRITIUM
A substance that collects light and illuminates the hands or hour markers to glow in the dark.
TELEMETER
A complication that measures the distance of an object by measuring how long it takes sound to travel that distance.
30-MINUTE RECORDER
A sub-dial that can record periods of up to 30 minutes on a chronograph.
TIMER
Used to register intervals of time.
TITANIUM
A metal used in watches for durability and its resistance to salt water corrosion.
TOTALIZER
A complication that keeps track of elapsed time.
TWO TONE
A watch that combines two types of metals like yellow gold and stainless steel.
U
UNIDIRECTIONAL ROTATING BEZEL
A bezel on a diver watch that can be rotated in one way only. It shows elapsed time and moves counter-clockwise only.
W
WATER RESISTANCE
The capability of a watch to be able to withstand splashes of water. It indicates the depth the watch is capable of going underwater.
WHEEL
This is a pinion which is a circular part that revolves around an axis to transmit power.
WINDING
When you twist the crown to wind the mainspring, the action is called winding.
WINDING STEM
The button on the right side of the watch is used to wind the mainspring.
WORLD TIME DIAL
A watch dial on the outer edge of the watch face used to tell the time across 24 time zones.
Y
Yacht Timer
This is a complication that sound signals before a boat race.