Glossary
Essential Guide to Navigating the World of Watch Collecting
A
- Automatic – a type of winding of a mechanical watch; the mainspring is wound automatically by a weighted rotor that turns when the watch is moved
B
- Balance Wheel – oscillates back and forth together with the fork; is moved by the escape wheel
- Beat – a way of measuring the oscillations of a watch movement
- Beats per Hour (BpH) – the number of beats performed in one hour
- Bezel – a ring that holds the crystal in place; can sometimes have markings or be rotated
C
- Caliber – the mechanism of a watch
- Case – the container in which the movement and all other parts of a watch are contained
- Caseback – refers to the back of the case; usually a screw-down lid; sometimes see-through
- Chronograph – refers to the complication that can record elapsed time once activated
- Clock – a device for measuring and showing time, usually found in or on a building and not worn by a person
- Clockmaker – a person or company that makes or repairs clocks
- Crystal – refers to the hard, transparent material that protects the face of the watch
D
E
- Enamel – a decorative glass-like substance that is melted onto clay, metal, or glass objects, and then left to cool and become hard
- Escape Wheel – the wheel that transmits energy to the balance wheel; first piece of the system called the escapement
- Escapement – the system that regulates the energy in a mechanical movement; essentially what keeps time in a watch
F
G
H
- High-Beat – refers to the smoothness of a mechanical movement; can be associated with a high BpH rating
- Horology – the science or study of the measurement of time
I
- In-House – fully designed, produced and manufactured by the company that sells it
J
- Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) – the leading engineering society from Japan
- Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE) – scientific body doing research in Antarctica since 1956
- Jewel – a small precious stone or a piece of specially cut glass, used in the mechanism of a watch
K
L
- Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) – a screen for showing text or pictures that uses a liquid that becomes dark when an electric current flows across it
M
- Magic Lever – a self-winding mechanism developed by Seiko
- Mainspring – a spiral made of metal that when wound provides power to a mechanical movement
- Manual – a type of winding of a mechanical watch; the mainspring is wound manually by turning the crown
- Movement – the part of a clock or watch that turns the hands that point to the time
N
O
P
- Pallet Fork – the piece that transmits energy from the escape wheel to the balance wheel
- Pocket Watch – a small clock that is worn connected to a piece of clothing by a chain
- Power Reserve – an indication of how much energy a watch has left; measured in hours or days
Q
- Quartz – hard, transparent mineral used in making electronic equipment and accurate watches and clocks
R
- Reference – a way of identifying the specification of a watch; usually includes the code of the movement as well
S
- Sapphire – hard, transparent material that covers the face of the watch; can be recognised by its blue hue
- Screw-Down / Screw-In Crown – a crown that screws down into the case; provides water and dust resistance
- Self-Winding – also known as automatic; the mainspring is wound automatically by a weighted rotor that turns when the watch is moved
T
U
V
W
- Watch – a small clock that is worn on a strap around the wrist
- Watchmaker – a person or company that makes or repairs watches
- Watchmaking – the job, business, or skill of making and repairing watches
- Winding – usually manual or automatic; refers to how the main spring that provides power to a mechanical movement is wound
- Wristwatch – a watch that is worn on the wrist