Analog
Watch: A watch with a dial, hands, and numbers or
markers that present a total display of 12-hour time spans. Analog
digital refers to the watch that has both a digital display and
hands of a conventional watch.
Automatic Movement:
A mechanical movement that requires no winding because the rotor,
part of the automatic mechanism, winds the mainspring every time
you move your hand.
Bezel: The surface
ring on the watch that surrounds and holds the crystal in place.
A rotating ratchet bezel can be moved in some sport watches as part
of the timing device. If rotating bezels are bi-directional, able
to move clockwise or counter clockwise, they can assist in calculations
of elapsed time.
Bracelet: A
type of watchband made of elements that resemble links. Caliber:
A term often used by Swiss watchmakers to denote a particular model
type, such as Caliber 48 meaning model 48. More commonly, the term
is used to indicate the movement's shape, layout, or size.
Cambered: Often
used in referring to a curved or arched dial or bezel. Case: The
metal housing of a watch's parts.
Caseback: The
reverse side of a watchcase that lies against the skin. May be solid
or perhaps transparent to allow viewing of the inner workings of
the watch. Most manufacturers engrave casebacks with their name,
water and shock resistance, case metal content and other details.
Chronograph:
A multifunctional watch with two independent time-keeping systems,
which allows one to be stopped to measure discrete intervals, most
commonly used as a stopwatch function.
Complication:
A watch with other functions besides basic timekeeping, which include
chronographs, minute repeater, tourbillion, perpetual calendar,
or split second chronograph.
COSC: The official
Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute that puts every chronometer
watch through a rigorous, 15-day testing procedure to verify the
watch's precision.
Crown: The knob
extending from the case that is used to set the time, date, and
functions. Most pull out to set the time. In water resistant styles,
the crowns should screw down to seal the opening.
Crystal: This
refers to the clear cover over the watchcase.
Deployment Buckle: A type of buckle that pops open and fastens using
hinged extenders. A deployment buckle is easier to put on and remove
and is more comfortable on the wrist.
Dial: The watch's
face.
Direct-Drive:
A function that allows the second-hand to advance in intervals rather
than a smooth sweep for more accurate precision, the French term
is a trotteuse.
Dual Timer:
A watch that measures current local time as well as at least one
other time zone.
ETA: One of
the leading manufactures of watch movements based in Switzerland.
ETA movements are used by many major Swiss watch brands.
Face: The visible
side of a watch where the dial is contained.
Fly-Back Hand:
An additional hand on a chronograph which moves with the second
hand but, can be stopped independently to measure an interval which
can then "fly back" to catch up with the other hand.
Gasket: Most
water resistant watches are equipped with gaskets to seal the caseback,
crystal, and crown to protect against water infiltration during
everyday wear.
Guilloche: A
style of intricate engraving that is popular on watch dials.
Horology: The
science of time measurement, including the art of designing and
constructing timepieces.
Index (indices, pl):
Hour indicator on analog watch is used instead of numerals.
Jewels: The
synthetic sapphires or rubies that act as bearings for gears of
a mechanical watch. These jewels tend to retain the watch's lubrication
better and with far less friction than metal. A quality hand-wound
or automatic mechanical watch contains at least 17 jewels.
Jump Hour: An
indicator on the dial that takes place of the hour hand. It usually
shows the hours by means of a numeral in a window.
Lugs: Extensions
on either side of the bezel where the bracelet or strap is attached.
Mystery Watch:
This is the patented invention of watchmaker Vincent Calabrese and
produced by Jean Marcel. The Mystery automatic mechanical watch
uses no hands to indicated hours, minutes, or seconds. A jumping
hour window moves clockwise around a minute scale while a second
indicator, an arrow, also ticks around. Gently breathing on the
crystal causes the word "mystery" to appear.
Perpetual Calendar:
A calendar complication that adjusts automatically to account for
different lengths of the month and leap years.
Pulsimeter:
The scale sometimes found on a chronograph that measures pulse rate.
Quartz Movement:
A movement that allows a watch to keep time without being wound.
Skeleton Case:
If shock resistance is specified on a watchcase, a watch can withstand
normal wear and tear, even during strenuous sports activities.
Sweep Second Hand:
A second hand mounted in the center of the dials instead of a sub-dial.
Tachymeter (Tachometer):
A watch complication that measures the distance traveled by means
of a numerical scale on the watch bezel of a chronograph. Most commonly
used to determine the speed of a car over a measured distance.
Tank Watch:
A rectangular watch with the heavier bars on either side of the
dial, inspired by the tank tracks of World War 1 and created by
Louis Cartier.
Telemeter: Another
watch function that finds the distance of an object from the wearer
by measuring how long it takes sound to travel a distance. Like
a tachymeter, a telemeter consists of a stopwatch function and special
scale on the dial of a chronograph.
Tonneau Watch:
A watch with a barrel-shaped case with two convex sides.
Tourbillion:
A complicated mechanical movement designed to be more accurate by
eliminating errors of motion due to gravity's effect on the movement.
Tritium: An
isotope of hydrogen that is used to activate the luminous dots or
indices on a watch dial. The radioactivity released in this process
is too slight to pose a health risk.
Two-Tone: A
watch that combines two metals, usually yellow gold and stainless
steel in the case of fine watches.
Waterproof:
An illegal and misused term: no watch is fully 100% waterproof.
Water Resistant:
A watch's resistance to water measure in atmospheres, which are
translated into ATMs.
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