The components of a timepiece

Knowing the parts of a watch can make owning a watch that much more enjoyable.  
​Below, we break down the basics for you to fully understand the anatomy of your timepiece.

CASE:
The watch case is the part of the watch that holds the movement, protecting it from the elements and normal wear and tear. This can be made of different metals, and comes in different shapes.  There is more about watch cases below!

CROWN:
The crown is the mechanism allowing for the winding of the movement, as well as functions like setting the date and time. To improve water resistance, crowns can screw into the case to form a seal or just push in and out.

EXHIBITION CASE-BACK:
Exhibition case-backs are fitted with mineral or sapphire clear crystal to show the movement finishing.  This is located on the reverse of the watch and basically acts as a window to the inside of the watch.

HOUR MARKER:
Hour markers are indicators applied or painted on the dial to help tell time. They can be gemstones, diamonds, luminescent paint, enamel, etc.

LUGS:
Lugs generally stick out from the case, allowing for a strap or bracelet to be attached.

MOVEMENT:
The main engine of the watch.  This is the mechanism of the watch that makes it work.

PUSHER:
Pushers are on the outside of the case case and can control functions such as the chronograph or adjusting the date.

ROTOR:
Rotors act as oscillating weights that wind an automatic watch when it is worn.

STRAP:
Straps, or bands as some refer to it, are commonly made of leather or rubber, securing the watch to your wrist.  Some watches use metal attachments (steel or precious metals), and are referred to as bracelets. 

SUBDIAL:
Subdial's are small dials within within the main dial. They are used to display additional complications such as chronograph readouts, seconds, and, but not limited to, the date.

WATCH DIALS:
The dial of the watch is the area where the hand sweeps around to indicate the time, also known as the face of the watch.  There are many different markings for time indication. Below are some of the most popular types:
​
Stick | Arabic | Arabic & Stick | Roman | Roman & Stick | California

WATCH CASE DETAILS:
A watch case protects the internals of a watch.  Watch cases can come in different shapes and are made in a variety of different materials. The most common shapes are round and rectangular, however many other shapes are used and below is a small list of the most common shapes.

Square | Square Cut | Rectangle | Rectangle Cut | Baguette | Tank | Round | Oval | Cushion | Barrel | Tonneau | Maxine

CASE MATERIALS:
Watch cases can be made from a variety of  differentmaterials, some of the most popular include:

14K Gold | 18K Gold | Ceramic | Diamond-like Carbon | Gold Plate | Platinum | PVD | Stainless Steel | Sterling Silver | Tantalum | Titanium | Tungsten Carbide

WATCH CRYSTAL:
A watch crystal refers to the glass covering the face of the watch, protecting it from the outer element. There are three types of crystals generally used in watchmaking:

• SYNTHETIC SAPPHIRE:  Sapphire is very hard, making it scratch resistant and useful for watch crystals often used in higher end timpieces
• MINERAL:  Mineral (glass) crystals are also very commonly used. These are easier to scratch than a synthetic sapphire but significantly less expensive , and cannot be buffed out, but are rather inexpensive compared to sapphire.
• ACRYLIC:  The most affordable type but also the most prone to scratching (small ones can be buffedw out) and can crack if impacted. Acrylic can be molded into elaborate shapes.

WATCH HANDS:  
The hands of a watch are the indicators of the actual time generally speaking.  They sweep the dial or face of the watch. They can be made from a variety of materials including, but not limited to, gold, platinum, and stainless steel.  Often times the hands will be coated with a material making them luminescent.
 ​

WATCH LUMINOSITY:
Many watches have a glow-in-the-dark aspect to the hands and hour markers.   Here are the most notable luminescent paints used in watchmaking over the years:

• RADIUM: Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898 discovered Radium,  it was once used as a radioactive source for radioluminescent devices. Today, these applications are no longer used because radium’s toxicity has become known.  This is generally found in older swiss made timepieces and can be dangerous.  If you have an older, Rolex, for example you may want to consider contacting us about replacing your older model with a newer one, or about other options.  Contact us here!
• TRITIUM: Tritium is a safer radioactive isotope of hydrogen. The emitted electrons from the radioactive decay of small amounts of tritium cause phosphors to glow.  This helps create self-powered lighting devices called betalights.  Betalights are often used in firearm night sights, timepieces, even exit signs, map lights, and knives.
• SUPER-LUMINOVA®: This is a Strontium aluminate–based non-radioactive and nontoxic photoluminescent with afterglow pigments. This technology offers nearly ten times the brightness than previous zinc sulfide–based materials. ​​

WATCH BUCKLES:
A buckle is refered to the part that connects two pieces of the strap to keep the watch around your wrist.  There are two main types of buckles used in watchmaking today.

1. ARDILLON BUCKLE:  An ardillon buckle is a traditional buckle where one end of the watch strap is pulled through a buckle and a pin is used to lock it in place by fitting between the center of the strap.
2. DEPLOYMENT BUCKLE:  The deployment buckle is attached to a leather strap or  even a metal bracelet as a folding metal buckle. This type is pulled apart but still stays as a continuous circle from the watch case all the way around to the other side of the watch case.​

WATCH BEZELS:
The watch bezel is located around the outer area of the dial. Bezels can enhance the look of an already attractive watch. Bezels can be more than just for show though. Often times with practical purposes, bezels display an array of numerical patterns commonly seen surrounding a wrist watch face. 

• GMT:  Watch bezels with (GMT) Greenwich Mean Time markings are meant to allow the wearer to keep track of time in two time zones.
• PILOT:  With a pilots bezel, and a little math, you’re able to calculate fuel economy, speed, and rate of descent.
• DIVE:  Diving bezels are key at keeping track of available air and timing ascents to avoid the bends (scuba diving term).
• MEDICAL: Also known as a pulsometer, this bezel help healthcare professionals determine heart rate.
• GOLF:  A golf bezel allows you to move the marker to your tee time and the bezel helps to keep the player on target for a four hour game.
• TACHYMETER: Tachymeter bezels are used to clock distance. The tachymeter bezel can also be used to calculate the speed of a moving object.
• COMPASS:  Pointing the outer dial in the proper direction one can use the 24-hour hand in the direction of the sun to get an idea of where the cardinal points are.

Inside a Watch

A movement is what makes a watch keep time or run!

MOVEMENT TYPES
Manual and automatic movements are mechanical; they are both made of only mechanical parts like gears and springs.
The quartz and auto-quartz movements have an electrical circuit and require a battery to run but may also have some mechanical parts.
Generally speaking mechanical watches are more expensive than battery-powered because they more labor intensive to build. Even though battery watches are more accurate, almost all prefer manual or automatic to quartz watches due to the science in creating some of the most intricate hand made objects on earth.

​MANUAL MOVEMENTS
A manual movement, called a hand-wound movement, is the oldest type of watch movement. It requires daily winding in
order to work. Manual movements are the most traditional movements and are usually found in very conservative, expensive, and collectible watches.  Generally, daily winding is required.  It should be wound until there ​is a feeling of tension or tightness on the crown.
If it is wound past this point, damage to the movement may occur.

COMPONENTS OF THE MANUAL MOVEMENT:
​
- CROWN:  The wheel or knob on the outside of the watch that is used to set time. It
can also be turned to wind the watch or
set the time, date, etc.
- MAINSPRING:  This is known as the power source of the movement.  Kinetic energy from winding the crown is transferred to the
​coil-shaped mainspring, which stores
energy by getting tighter like a spring.
- GEAR TRAIN:  This transmits stored energy from the mainspring to the escapement
through small gears.
- ESCAPEMENT:  Acts as a break, taking energy transmitted from the mainspring through the gear train and pushing it out into regular parts.
- BALANCE WHEEL:  Often known as the heart.  It receives energy from the escapement. The
balance wheel beats, or oscillates, in a circular motion between five and ten times per second.
- DIAL TRAIN:  A series of gears that transmit regulated, equally metered, energy from the balance wheel to the hands,
making them move around the dial.
- JEWELS:  Synthetic rubies are set at points of high friction and used as bearings to reduce friction and wear.  Rubies are used because they absorb heat and do not transfer much heat to other parts of the watch as well as their
​characteristic of being extremely hard.​

AUTOMATIC MOVEMENTS
An automatic movement is a mechanical movement that winds itself while being worn on the wrist.  This helps eliminate the need for daily hand winding.  If however, you do not wear an automatic movement you will still need to wind the watch to get it to continue to keep time.

COMPONENTS OF THE AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT:
​
- CROWN: The wheel or knob on the outside of the watch that is used to set time. It
can also be turned to wind the watch or
​set the time, date, etc.
- MAINSPRING: This is known as the power source of the movement.  Kinetic energy from winding the crown is transferred to the
coil-shaped mainspring, which stores
energy by getting tighter like a spring.
- GEAR TRAIN: This transmits stored energy from the mainspring to the escapement through small gears.
- ESCAPEMENT: Acts as a break, taking energy transmitted from the mainspring through the gear train and pushing it out into regular parts.
- BALANCE WHEEL:  Often known as the heart.  It receives energy from the escapement. The
balance wheel beats, or oscillates, in a circular motion between five and ten times per second.
- DIAL TRAIN: A series of gears that transmit regulated, equally metered, energy from the balance wheel to the hands ,
making them move around the dial.
- JEWELS: Synthetic rubies are set at points of high friction and used as bearings to reduce friction and wear.  Rubies are used because they absorb heat and do not transfer much heat to other parts of the watch as well as their
characteristic of being extremely hard.
- ROTOR: Is a half circle shaped, metal weight, that is attached to the movement so it can swing freely 360 degrees as the watch moves. The rotor is connected to the mainspring
​by gears and as it is moved it winds the mainspring.
​

QUARTZ MOVEMENTS
A quartz watch movement uses battery energy as its power source.

COMPONENTS OF A QUARTZ MOVEMENT:
- BATTERY:  This is the power source of the watch. Typically, a battery on a quartz watch will last 12 to 24 months before the you will need a new watch battery. It is important to replace a watch battery quickly because often times older watch batteries can leak inside a watch damaging the rest of the watch.
- INTEGRATED CIRCUIT:  Transfers the electrical charge between parts of a quartz movement.
- QUARTZ CRYSTAL:  This integrated circuit supplies electricity from the battery to the quartz crystal in a constant stream.  Which makes the quartz vibrate.
- STEPPING MOTOR:  Transforms electrical impulses into mechanical power used to 'run' the watch.
- DIAL TRAIN:  Functions just like the dial train found on a mechanical movement allowing the hands to move about the face

Watch Complications

Complications in a watch refer to a function on a watch other than the display of the time. They can range from the very simple (such as date) to extremely rare that combine numerous functions and can take years to create keeping time for 101 years for example.  ​

DATE COMPLICATIONS:
The most simple complication.  There are different types of date complications.

1. DATE WINDOW: A window on a watch is referred to as an aperture. 
2. BIG DATE:  This is a larger view of the date. This variation sometimes has two windows, for ease of sight.
3. POINTER DATE: A hand pointing to the date along the outside periphery of the dial. Often known as a 'bankers date'.
4. SUBSIDIARY DIAL:  Shows the date on a subdial of the watch face.
5. DAY-DATE: This adds the day to the date function.

As we review date complications there are some others that are a bit more complicated such as: 

• TRIPLE CALENDAR: Known as a “complete calendar,” this calendar is an elaboration of date display, adding not only the day of the week but also the month of the year.
• PERPETUAL CALENDAR: The Perpetual Calendar is the most complex type of calendar feature that exists on a watch. It displays the date, day, month, and year, and takes into account the leap year!  Perpetual calendar watches will need a correction in 2100 when the leap year will not be used.
• ANNUAL CALENDAR: An annual calendar is intermediary complications between a perpetual calendar and a triple calendar. It will not take leap years into account and will continue to run to the 31st in February so it needs to be adjusted more frequently.
• EQUATION OF TIME: Equation of Time (EOT) perpetual calendar incorporates all the features of a standard perpetual calendar with one additional feature: the measurement, in minutes, of the difference between our “calendar time” and the actual “solar time.”​

CHRONOGRAPH COMPLICATIONS
The chronograph is a timepiece with a stopwatch built into the movement. There are also several types of chronographs.
​
Types of Chronographs:

• MONOPOUSSOIR:  Is a one button chronograph.
• RETOUR-EN-VOL: Or Flyback chronograph, is engineered that when a second button is pushed while the chronograph is running, all the counters reset and start again (upon pressing the button) from zero. T
• RATTRAPANTE: Also known as a split second chronograph, will have three pushers on the case. It also has two second hands on the chronograph, one generally right on top of the other.
• TACHYMETERA: Tachymeter is measuring speed. Typically, a measuring scale is placed on the outer or inner bezel of a timepiece.  Typically found in use with a chronograph for more exacting timing measurements.  Tachymeters measure units per hour, generally miles or kilometers.

CHRONOMETER
A chronometer is a watch that is known to be exceptionally precise and exact.

TRAVEL COMPLICATIONS:
Travel complications or dual time zone complications determine the time in another time zone.
Below are a few different travel complications:

• DUAL MOVEMENT: A dual movement is a watch that contains two separate movements, each running from their own power source and each set independently.  This is not technically a complication.
• DUAL TIME:  Displays two times powered by the same movement.
• GMT: (GREENWICH MEAN TIME)Watches display two or more time zones.
• GMT WITH INDEPENDENT HOUR HAND: Is a variety of a GMT where the regular hour hand is set independently of the 24 hour hand, which changes the functionality of the watch.
• GMT WITH FIXED HOUR HAND:  Considered for use in a pilot’s watch generally. An additional hour hand makes one revolution around the dial per day.  When the hand points to twelve it indicates midnight and when it points to six it indicates noon.
• WORLD TIME ZONE: Features a rotating inner bezel with 24-hour display as part of the watch movement, and an outer bezel, listing the major cities in each of the 24 time zones. The outer bezel can be set by the person who is tracking the time. The inner bezel, marked to 24, makes one complete revolution per day.

OTHER IMPORTANT COMPLICATIONS

MOONPHASE: A traditional feature, the Moonphase complication shows if it is a full, half, quarter, or new moon.
This can be useful for sailors to gauge tides and is found in many high sought after timepieces.

POWER RESERVE INDICATOR: The Power Reserve Indicator measures the amount of power remaining in the watch which tells
how long a watch will continue to keep time until it needs more power.

MINUTE REPEATER: A Minute Repeater is a movement that chimes time as a lever on the side of the case is activated. 

ALARM (REVEIL): An alarm can be set independently of the main time to remind the wearer of an event.

JUMP HOUR:  A complication in which the hour is displayed in an aperture that changes every 60 minutes.
​
THE TOURBILLON: A Tourbillon improves the balance of the watch, eliminating how gravity effects a watch and its
changing positions on a wrist.  The tourbillion is considered one of the rarest and highest forms of a complication in a watch.

Water Resistance

No watch is waterproof. There is always a limit to the amount of pressure a watch can handle under the water. “Waterproof” would imply that the watch could never leak under any circumstances, no moisture could permeate the case, getting into the movement. Under the right circumstances, any watch can leak. 

Watches with a “water resistant” designation mean that it is humidity-protected. Water resistances never means you should swim or shower with your watch.  If you do ever go swimming or you play any sports with your watch, you should have it checked for water resistance.  

ATM and bar are the measurements used by the watch industry to explain just how much pressure a watch can withstand. ATM is the abbreviation for atmosphere. 1 atmosphere is roughly equal to 10 meters.  Diving watches are built to withstand heavy water usage, able to withstand depths of at least 200 meters. With minimal openings for water, sturdy cases, heavy gaskets, and screw-down crowns, these watches are engineered for protection from water and pressure.

If you plan to expose any of your watch to water we strongly recommend having us evaluate your timepiece for proper protection.  Our technicians are capable of handling this as well as many other timepiece repairs and services.  Contact us today

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