Watch Glossary

Often highly technical and mechanical pieces, watches can have lots of complications - an additional feature of a watch that isn't timekeeping. This watch glossary explains watch functions, terms and parts.

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O
P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Alarm +

Altimeter +

Analogue +

Annual Calendar +

Antimagnetic +

Anti-reflective coating +

Aperture +

Arabic numerals +

Atomic calendar +

Automatic movement +

B

Balance spring +

Balance wheel +

Barrel +

Baton hour markers +

Battery +

Bezel +

Bidirectional rotating bezel +

Bracelet +

Bridge +

Buckle +

C

Cabochon +

Calendar +

Calibre +

Cambered crystal +

Case +

Case back +

Chronograph +

Chronometer +

Complication +

C.O.S.C +

Countdown timer +

Crown +

Crystal +

Cyclops +

D

Day/date +

Deployment buckle/clasp +

Dial +

Digital dial +

Dual time +

Domed crystal +

E

Escapement +

Exhibition case back +

F

Face +

Function +

G

Gear train +

GMT time zone +

Guilloche +

H

Hands +

Hand-winding movement +

Hairspring +

Haute Horlogerie +

Helium escape valve +

Horology +

I

Indices +

J

Jewels +

K

L

Lap timer +

Lever escapement +

Lugs +

Luminous/ Luminescence +

M

Mainplate +

Mainspring +

Manual movement +

Manufacture d'horologie +

Mechanical movement or watch +

Moonphase +

Movement +

N

O

P

Perpetual calendar +

Power reserve +

Power reserve indicator +

Pusher / push piece +

PVD physical vapour deposition +

Q

Quartz +

R

Rattrapante chronograph +

Reserve de Marche +

Rotating bezel +

Rotor +

S

Sapphire crystal glass +

Screw down crown +

Second time zone indicator +

Self-winding movement +

Skeleton dial +

Slide rule +

Solar powered +

Split seconds chronograph +

Spring bar +

Stopwatch +

Strap +

Subdial +

Superluminova +

Swiss Made +

T

Tachymeter scale +

Tourbillon +

U

Uni-directional rotating bezel +

V

W

Water resistant +

Worldtimer +

X

Y

Z

If you still have an unanswered question about your watch, visit us in-store or give us a call on 0800 169 2329 to speak to our friendly, expert advisors.

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