GLOSSARY

OF WATCHMAKING TERMS

Anchor: A component in the escapement that transmits energy to the balance wheel and regulates its motion.
Anti-magnetic: A watch designed to resist magnetic fields to maintain accuracy.
Automatic: A watch with a mechanism that winds itself through the movement of the wearer's wrist.
Aperture: A small window on the dial showing additional information, such as the date.
Amplitude: The angle through which the balance wheel oscillates; a measure of the movement's performance.

Balance Wheel: The oscillating component regulating the movement’s precision.
Barrel: A cylindrical container housing the mainspring, storing and releasing energy.
Bezel: The ring surrounding the watch crystal, often rotatable on dive watches to measure elapsed time.
Bracelet: The metal or leather strap that holds the watch on the wrist.
Broad Arrow Hands: Iconic watch hands with a bold, arrow-shaped design for enhanced legibility and style.
Buckle: The clasp used to secure the watch strap around the wrist.

Caliber: The specific model or design of a watch movement.
Chronograph: A complication enabling the measurement of elapsed time using a stopwatch function.
Chronometer: A watch certified for high precision by an official testing body, such as COSC.
Complication: Any function beyond basic timekeeping, such as a moon phase or chronograph.
Crown: A small knob on a watch used for winding, setting time, or adjusting functions.
Crystal: The transparent cover that protects the dial, made from sapphire, mineral, or acrylic.

Dial: The face of the watch displaying the time and other functions.
Diving Watch: A timepiece designed for underwater use, often with a unidirectional rotating bezel and high water resistance.
Double Clasp: A type of folding buckle that provides extra security.
Dual Time: A function displaying two time zones simultaneously, useful for travelers.

Ebauche: A partially assembled movement provided to watchmakers for customization.
Escapement: The mechanism that regulates energy transfer from the mainspring to the balance wheel.
Exhibition Caseback: A transparent back cover revealing the movement inside the watch.

Frequency: The number of oscillations of the balance wheel per second, measured in Hertz (Hz).
Flyback Chronograph: A type of chronograph that resets and restarts with a single button press.

GMT Function: A complication displaying a second time zone using an additional hour hand.
Guilloché: An intricate engraving technique used to decorate dials or other parts of a watch.

Hand: The pointer that indicates the time, seconds, or other functions on the dial.
Haute Horlogerie: Refers to high-end watchmaking characterized by exceptional craftsmanship and technical mastery.
Helium Valve: A mechanism on dive watches that releases built-up helium gas during deep dives to prevent crystal detachment.

Index: Markers on the dial used to indicate hours or minutes.
Incabloc: A shock-absorbing system to protect the balance wheel pivots from impact.

Lug: The part of the watch case that holds the strap or bracelet.
Lume (Luminous Material): A substance applied to hands or indices to make them glow in the dark.

Mainspring: The coiled spring inside the barrel that stores the energy for the watch's movement.
Manual Winding: A watch that requires the user to wind the crown to store energy in the mainspring.
Minute Repeater: A complication that chimes the time on demand using tiny hammers and gongs.
Moonphase: A complication displaying the current phase of the moon.
Movement: The mechanism inside the watch that powers and regulates its functions.

Oscillator: The component, including the balance wheel and hairspring, that regulates timekeeping.
Overcoil: A type of hairspring with a curved outer end for improved isochronism.

Perpetual Calendar: A complication that displays the correct date, accounting for leap years.
Power Reserve: The amount of time a fully wound watch can run before stopping.
Pusher: A button on the case used to control functions such as the chronograph.

Quartz: A type of movement powered by a battery and regulated by a quartz crystal.

Rotor: A semicircular weight in an automatic watch that winds the mainspring through wrist movement.
Retrograde: A display where hands move in an arc instead of a full circle and then jump back to the starting position.
Rubies: Synthetic jewels used in movements to reduce friction and increase durability.

Sapphire Crystal: A highly scratch-resistant transparent material used to cover the dial.
Skeleton Watch: A watch with visible internal mechanisms, often through a transparent dial or caseback.
Spring Bar: A small, spring-loaded pin used to attach the strap or bracelet to the case.
Super-LumiNova: A modern, long-lasting luminescent material applied to watch hands and indices.
Super-Luminova Grade X2: High-performance luminescent material offering exceptional brightness and prolonged glow for optimal low-light readability.

Tachymeter: A scale, typically on the bezel, used to measure speed based on time and distance.
Titanium Grade 5: High-strength, lightweight alloy with excellent corrosion resistance, used in premium watch cases.
Tourbillon: A rotating cage that counters the effects of gravity to improve timekeeping accuracy.
Tonneau Case: A case shape resembling a barrel, with a rounded rectangle design.

Vibration: The movement of the balance wheel, often expressed as beats per hour (bph).
Vintage: Refers to older or classic watches, often with significant historical or aesthetic value.

Water Resistance: The ability of a watch to resist water infiltration, measured in meters or ATM (atmospheres).
World Time: A complication displaying the time in multiple time zones simultaneously.

Zero-Reset: A feature in some watches where the seconds hand resets to zero when the crown is pulled.