If you’re the type of person who loves a watch like Rolex Datejust but has no idea what parts make up a piece like this, we’re here to help. The world of watchmaking is quite charming, but we must confess, it’s also full of technical terms that might not make much sense at first glance. To help you, we created a complete glossary with the main terms we use and also crucial in watchmaking; see below:
- Bracelet – As the name implies, it is the metal, leather, or fabric strap that holds your wristwatch on your wrist.
- Bezel – Ring around the dial or dial of the watch. It can be called a frame, bezel, or ratchet. Its essential function is to hold the crystal. But it can also be swivel to aid in timing or indicate the exact time in a second-time zone, or even with a scale to aid in measuring some data, such as distance or speed.
- Case – Material that surrounds the mechanical structure of a watch.
- Dial or dial – The watch’s face delivers vital hour, minute, and second indications and other functions such as date, moon phase, counters, and other complications.
- Inserts – Part of the watch that connects the case to the bracelet. They can be called hooks or even wings.
- Crystal – Glass that covers the dial. For fine watchmaking or even more expensive pieces, it is usually made of sapphire crystal. But it can be made of acrylic, mineral glass, and other materials.
- Crown – Button on the side of the watch serves to adjust the time indications and wind it when the watch is mechanical.
- Complication – Indication of a clock in addition to the presentation of hours, minutes, and seconds, such as day, day of the week, month, moon phase, among others.
- Movement or Caliber – It is the watch’s internal mechanism, which allows the presentation of all the functions of a watch.
Now that you know the basics of a watch see below for six other terms that help you better understand this universe:
- Quartz movement – This is the traditional battery clock. Its energy is sent to a quartz crystal, which regulates the timekeeping. The models have an accuracy of up to 10 seconds per month. These pieces are analog, digital, a mixture of both.
- Automatic winding – Mechanical watch that has a system that winds the movement with the natural movement of the user’s wrist, without the need for a battery.
- Chronograph – The most common complication of watches, which allows recording a specific elapsed time, is popularly known as a chronometer. In traditional watchmaking, the term chronometer means a part certified to meet certain levels of precision.
- Power reserve – How long a mechanical movement can run without needing a new rope. He also called power reserve.
- Tourbillon – Device added to mechanical watches to nullify or reduce the effect of gravity and improve accuracy.
- Dive Watch – Part that has been tested and works at a certain depth underwater.