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Watch terms glossary
The vocabulary you will meet on listings and in conversation, in plain English. Search a term, or browse the list.
A
- Annual calendar
- A calendar complication that tracks the date correctly across months of different lengths, needing a single adjustment once a year (at the end of February).
- Applied indices
- Hour markers that are made separately and attached to the dial, rather than printed on. A sign of finish and cost.
- Automatic
- A mechanical movement wound by the motion of your wrist through a rotor. Also called self-winding.
B
- Balance wheel
- The oscillating wheel at the heart of a mechanical movement; its steady back-and-forth is what keeps time.
- Bezel
- The ring surrounding the crystal. It may be fixed, or rotate to track dive time or a second time zone.
- Box and papers
- The original packaging and documentation, such as the warranty card. A watch with everything as issued is a full set.
- Bracelet
- A metal band, such as an Oyster or Jubilee, as opposed to a leather or rubber strap.
C
- Caliber
- The specific movement inside a watch, usually identified by its own reference number.
- Caseback
- The back of the watch case. An exhibition caseback is transparent, showing the movement.
- Chronograph
- A stopwatch complication, operated by pushers, that times an event independently of the running time.
- Chronometer
- A movement certified for accuracy to an official standard, most commonly by COSC.
- Complication
- Any function beyond telling the time, such as a date, chronograph, moonphase, or GMT.
- COSC
- The Swiss body that certifies a movement's accuracy. A passing watch may be called a chronometer.
- Crown
- The knob on the side of the case used to wind the watch and set the time and date.
- Crystal
- The transparent cover over the dial. Most modern watches use scratch-resistant sapphire.
D
- Deployant clasp
- A folding clasp that opens and closes to secure a strap or bracelet without fully removing it.
- Dial
- The face of the watch, carrying the hands, markers, and any complications.
E
- Escapement
- The mechanism that releases the movement's energy in controlled steps, driving the timekeeping.
- Exhibition caseback
- A transparent caseback, usually sapphire, that lets you see the movement at work.
F
- Full set
- A watch offered with its original box, papers, and accessories as it was sold.
G
- GMT
- A complication showing a second time zone, typically via an extra hand and a 24-hour scale.
- Guilloché
- Fine, repeating decorative engraving on a dial or case, traditionally engine-turned.
H
- Hairspring
- The delicate spring that governs the balance wheel's rhythm. Also called the balance spring.
J
- Jewels
- Synthetic rubies set into the movement as hard, low-friction bearings at points of wear.
L
- Lug
- The projections of the case that the bracelet or strap attaches to.
- Lug width
- The distance between the lugs, which determines the strap size a watch takes.
- Lume
- Luminescent material on the hands and markers, such as Super-LumiNova, that glows in the dark.
M
- Manual
- A mechanical movement wound by hand, by turning the crown. Also called hand-wound.
- Moonphase
- A complication that displays the current phase of the moon.
- Movement
- The engine of the watch. Mechanical movements are automatic or manual; quartz movements run on a battery, and solar movements charge that battery from light.
P
- Patina
- The natural aging of a dial, hands, or lume over time. On vintage pieces it is often prized.
- Perpetual calendar
- A calendar that tracks the date correctly for years, including leap years, without adjustment.
- Power reserve
- How long a fully wound movement will keep running before it stops.
- Pusher
- A button, usually beside the crown, that operates a chronograph's start, stop, and reset.
R
- Reference number
- The model number that identifies a watch's exact configuration of case, dial, and bracelet.
- Rotor
- The weighted, swinging part of an automatic movement that winds the mainspring as you move.
S
- Sapphire crystal
- A synthetic sapphire crystal, extremely hard and highly resistant to scratches.
- Screw-down crown
- A crown that screws into the case to seal it, improving water resistance.
- Serial number
- A unique number identifying an individual watch, distinct from the reference number.
- Service history
- The record of a watch's past maintenance and servicing.
T
- Tourbillon
- A rotating cage that carries the escapement to average out the effect of gravity. A hallmark of haute horlogerie.
W
- Water resistance
- The depth a watch is rated to withstand, such as 100m. It is a rating, not a guarantee for diving.
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