If you’re new to watch collecting, there may be lots of terms that you’re not familiar with. So I have gathered some of the basic watch terms that you should know about.
You might want to check out the details of each term with the link provided. There will be lots of images and videos to help you understand better.
Ok, so here is what we are going to cover in this article. If there is something you would like to find out now, use the TOC below to navigate quickly.
- Case
- Crystal / Glass
- Dial
- Hour Markers
- Hand
- Bezel
- Crown
- Pusher
- Lugs
- Band
- Clasp
- Movement / Calibre
- Complication
Without any delay, let’s dive in.
Case
The case holds all parts of a watch in place and gives the watch its shape. Not only will it protect the mechanism inside, but also give the watch an overall look, which is probably why anyone would pay for the timepiece.
The first timepiece to be worn are made of brass, in a drum shaped cylindrical. [1]
Today, round shape is the most popular type of case. Many brands use precious metal like gold, platinum, or even synthetic fiber in their design.
There are also some cases where you can instantly recognize the name, somehow it has become the trademark of a brand or lineup.
For example when Frank Muller introduced a tonneau curved watch in 1992, it quickly became a great success and a way to express its unique identity.
Crystal / Glass
The crystal which is also known as glass, is the screen on the watch to protect the dial from damage and allow you to read time. In modern watchmaking, there are three types of crystal.
Acrylic Crystal
Acrylic is a form of plastic, normally we can find it on sports or budget watches. It’s not scratch resistant but well protected against impact and has a low cost.
Mineral Crystal
Mineral crystal is also known as hardlex. They have a better stretch resistance than acrylic and a low price point, making it a popular choice for entry level watch brands.
Sapphire Crystal
Finally the sapphire crystal, which are often found on high end watches. It has an unparalleled scratch resistance, offering the best clarity among other crystals.
MatchesWatch 101
In 1953, founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf’s wife had difficulty in reading the date of her watch (Rolex Datejust). He then added a magnifying lens right on top of the date sub-dial, to make it easier to read. This feature has an interesting name, the “Cyclops lens”, it does look like the eye of cyclops, doesn’t it?
Dial
The Dial is also known as the face of a watch, which is the foundation for Hour Marker or other indices to sit on. There are a few classic combinations of material and style which delivers an iconic model or brand.
For example the brass tappisserie dial is most likely equal to Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.
Or
The signature ocean wave dial found on the Omega Seamaster series. Especially the Omega Seamaster 300 M Quartz Ref. 2541.80.00, which is the first Omega watch to appear in the James Bond movie.
You can never imagine the number of watches that appear in the James Bond franchises. Check out the complete List of 007 Movies and James Bond’s Watch.
Sub-Dial
It is a small dial on the main dial that shows additional information. Most of them are to display day or date, power reserve and many other complications.
Hour Markers
The hour markers are indices on the dial which work with the Hand to tell time. It might be small in size, but it has a huge impact on shaping the look of a watch.
During the early history of watch, they were mostly hand craved and now we have precision machines to manage the job. For some wristwatches, the craftsman make hour makers separately and sets them on the dial, to give the watch a more high end look.
Some brands are well known for using a type of hour markers.
For example the Breguet numerals. It was named after Abraham Louis Breguet, founder of Breguet, which is one of the most luxurious brands in the world. [2]
Watchmakers often use diamonds as the hour markers on ladies’ wristwatches. This is one of the best ways to leverage the exclusiveness and value of a timepiece.
Hand
The hand usually comes with a set, the hour hand, minute hand and second hand. They point to the hour markers to show the current time. Usually digital watches don’t have a hand but smartwatches like the Apple Watch allow you to pick a custom analog dial with hand.
Some brands or some models stick to a certain type of hand to form an identity. For example the famous Rolex Submariner has been using the Mercedes hand since 1954.
Bezel
The bezel is part of a watch, usually around the Crystal of a watch. It serves as a mounting point for watch mechanics to attach the crystal onto the case. Also to touch up on the case to give the watch a better look.
There are different types of bezel, some are purely decorative, which you can find on fashion or simple dress watches. Where others are functional, to control certain features of a watch. Like the Breitling Avener II GMT, it allows you to read a third timezone.
Crown
The crown is a knob on the side of the watch. In 1820, John Arnold (English watchmaker) invented the crown for winding and setting the watch. Antoine-Louis Breguet, founder of Breguet, reinvented the crown for wristwatches in 1832.
12 years later, in 1844, Adrien Philippe, founder of Patek Philippe invented the sliding pinion mechanism which every watchmaker would follow.
But the replacement for losing keys was still annoying until 1847, Charles-Antoine LeCoultre, co-founder of Jaeger-LeCoultre, invented the keyless winding system which every watchmaker would use today.
Pusher
A pusher is similar to the crown, typically extending out of the case at 2:00 and 4:00. Instead of winding and setting the watch, it controls the feature of a watch. The pusher is widely used on chronograph watches, to start, stop and reset the timing function.
Lugs
The lugs are parts of a watch sticking out from the top and bottom case. They connect the case of a watch to the strap or bracelet and play an important part in shaping the look of a watch.
For example the speedy lugs or bombe lugs are one of the evergreen designs which watchmakers still use today. Omega delivered their Speedmaster with speedy lugs in the 1960s, it was a huge success and they added to their Seamaster line.
MatchesWatch 101
We often use Lug to Lug for the distance between lugs along the 3-9 o’clock line (horizontal).
Band
The band can be either in strap or bracelet. It doesn’t only fit the watch onto your wrist, but also a way of showing your taste.
For example, nato straps are commonly paired with dive or pilot watches. But don’t limit your imagination, you never know one of your dive watches could fit well with leather straps.
Clasp
A clasp is a buckle on the band of your watch. The main purpose is to connect the band and secure your watch on your wrist.
Check out the video below for a list of clasp in action.
Movement / Calibre
Movement is also known as calibre, the heart of a watch. History of watch calibre started in 16th century Europe, where watches evolved from portable clocks.
Manual winding movements were the only choice until a Swiss horologist, Abraham-Louis Perrelet invented the first automatic watch movements in the 1770s. [3]
Then in 1969, Seiko introduced the first quartz wristwatch which caused a huge disruption in the watchmaking industry, also known as the quartz crisis. [4]
Today, automatic and quartz movements are still the most popular type of movement in watchmaking. But don’t get me wrong, manual movement is not dead, they can be found on luxury watch brands like Cartier.
You might want to check out our in-depth article, covering all types of watch movements.
Complication
A complication refers to any feature on a mechanical timepiece beyond the display of hours, minutes and seconds. This is also the most challenging part of watchmaking, some watches like the Patek Philippe Grandcomplications are packed with 20 over complications, which is also one of the most expensive watches in the world.
There are more than 30 different complications in total, check out the complete list here.
Want to Find Out More?
So now is your turn to tell me which part of a watch you want to find out more, let me know in the comment section below.
