Watch Terms Dictionary

There are a host of terms you must be familiar with when buying a watch. What kind of movement do you want? Is a screw-in crown a good thing? What is a rotor? With our easy to use watch terms dictionary you can learn basic watch jargon and never be in the dark again.

Watch Terms Dictionary

Analog: The traditional watch display with moving hour and minute hands.

Annual Calendar: A watch that runs for a full year without having to be reset.

Arabic Numerals: The familiar style of numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) used on watch faces.

Automatic Self-Winding: Watches that have an internal rotating weight that winds the watch as you move your wrist. Also called kinetic movement.

Bezel: The front of a watch case including the rim. Some watches have a bezel that can be rotated to mark elapsed time.

Calendar: Some watches show the current day, date and even year, usually displayed in a small window on the face.

Case: The protective covering enclosing a watch movement, usually made from metal, stainless steel or gold. The watch case includes the bezel, back and movement crystal.

Chronograph: A built-in timer or stop watch function.

Chronometer: A term signifying watches that conform to a standard set by the Swiss Official Chronometer Control. The board tests watches under various conditions and temperatures to ensure their accuracy.

Clasp: Connects the open ends of a watch bracelet to secure it to the wrist.

Crown: The tiny nub that protrudes from the side of a watch case that allows for winding and time adjustments. Some watches feature a crown that can be screwed down to improve efficiency.

Crystal: The covering of a watch dial.

Deployment Buckle: A clasp that can be opened to increase the size of a closed bracelet.

Dial: The face of a watch.

Digital: Watches where the time is displayed numerically like a calculator.

Fold-Over Buckle: A clasp that keeps the watch band secure but allows it to be loosened to slip the timepiece off the wrist.

Hands: The moving dials on a watch face that points to the hours, minutes and seconds.

Kinetic: Watches that have an internal rotating weight that winds the watch as you move your wrist. Also called automatic winding.

Jewel: Small sapphires and rubies that act as bearings for the gears in a watch.

Lugs: The projections on the top and bottom of a watch face where the bands are attached.

Mechanical Movement: A traditional watch movement powered by a spring and regulated by a pendulum.

Movement: The term used for all watch movement devices.

Mother of Pearl: The interior of an oyster's shell that has been polished to shine. Used often on watch dials.

Quartz Movement: A watch movement powered by a quartz crystal.

Roman Numerals: The traditional clock face numerals (I, II, III, IV, etc.) used in old-style watches.

Rotating Bezel: A bezel around the watch face that can be turned to perform different functions.

Rotor: The component of a kinetic watch that winds the mainspring as the wearer moves.

Sapphire Crystal: A crystal made of sapphire that is used to cover the face of the watch. Stronger and more scratch-resistant than glass.

Shock Resistant: According to the Federal Trade Commission, a watch should not suffer time loss more than 60 seconds if it is dropped from three feet onto a hard surface. Watches that meet this criterion are deemed Shock Resistant.

Solar Powered: A watch that harnesses the power of the sun to run the movement.

Titanium: A metal used in the construction of many watches due to its sturdy, lightweight construction.

Water Resistance: The ability of a watch to withstand water. Measured in feet or meters.

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