As one of the leading luxury custom watch factories in Shenzhen, China, we know that the terminology behind watches can be difficult to understand, whether it is deciding what to look for when buying a luxury watch or what to look for when ordering a custom luxury watch. In addition, understanding the specifications discussed by watchmakers or watch experts can be overwhelming. Therefore, we have compiled a watch glossary here with some of the most common terms used by watch collectors to help reduce any confusion when buying a luxury watch.
Automatic Winding
This is a feature of the watch that automatically winds the watch by an action on the wrist. This means you don’t need to wind the watch manually.
Bezel
The bezel is the ring around the crystal that sits at the top of the watch. Usually made of metal, such as gold-plated, yellow gold, stainless steel or platinum, it holds the glass or crystal in place.
Caliber
The caliber refers to the size or style of the watch movement.
Dial
It is a disc with a metal base that can be seen through the crystal. It comes with indications in the watch, such as hours, minutes and sometimes even seconds.
Escapement
It is a device in a mechanical watch that controls the movement of the hands by controlling the rotation of the wheels.
Frequency
Refers to the rate at which a watch ticks (or beats), measured in vibrations per hour or hertz.
GMT
Although GMT is known as Greenwich Mean Time, GMT watches can track two time zones at the same time.
Hacking Seconds
This is a function that will stop the second hand when the crown is pulled out. It is also known as “stop second” and makes it easier to synchronize the watch with other timepieces.
Indices
The index is a marker representing the hour on the watch dial, instead of the number. In luxury, high-end or custom watches, indices are usually applied or attached to the dial rather than printed on it.
Jewels
These are usually sapphires or rubies and are used as bearings for the gears in mechanical watches to reduce friction.
Luminescence
Luminescence, also known as “lume”, is the light emitted by numbers, scales and hands coated with a photoluminescent material (“lumed”).
Movement
This is the internal mechanism of the watch that keeps the time running and powers the functions of the watch.
Winder
A winder is a box or case that gently rotates automatic watches and keeps them running when they are not being worn. Winders come in a variety of sizes, from single to multi-watch winders, depending on the size of your collection.
Power Reserve Indicator
It is a function of a mechanical watch that shows the remaining power of the watch movement. In addition, it shows the length of time until the watch needs to be re-wound.
Quartz Movement
A specific movement powered by a quartz crystal. Normally, the crystal oscillates to provide power to the watch.
Rehaut
Metal flange between the dial and the crystal.
Shock Resistance
This demonstrates the ability of the watch to withstand an impact or shock equivalent to dropping it from a height of 3 feet onto a wooden floor.
Tourbillon
A device that eliminates the timing errors of a watch by balancing the horizontal and vertical positions of the balance.
Uni-Directional Rotating Bezel
This is a type of bezel that indicates elapsed time. They are often found on divers’ watches and move only in a counterclockwise direction.
