The Cuttings Watch Glossary

If you are the proud owner of a stunning luxury watch, it may be worth getting clued up on common watch terms. In even the most humble mechanical watch, you can find in excess of around 100 working parts, all of which have been fitted with skill, precision and expertise.

While most buyers focus mainly on the appearance of a watch, it’s helpful to understand what makes a watch work prior to making a purchase. We’ve put together a glossary of the top watch terms that will hopefully allow you to develop a better understanding of your timepiece.

Altimeter

The altimeter is a watch function that measures the altitude (or height) above sea level (usually for digital watches).

Bezel

The bezel is a revolving rim on a watch that serves to hold the watch crystal in its setting or to measure time increases and different time zones.

Chronograph

Watches that feature stopwatch functions instead of simply displaying the current time are known as chronographs.

Dial

The dial of a watch is the face that has hour indicators to show the time. Some watches feature multiple functions on the dial (such as the chronograph).

Escapement

The escapement maintains the oscillation of the balance wheel and therefore controls the motion of the hands within a mechanical timepiece.

Function

A watch term used regularly to describe the different tasks and movements a watch can perform.

Gear Train

The gear train is the system that diffuses power from its source at the mainspring of the watch. In turn, this controls the movement of the watches hands.

Horology

Horology is the science of time measurement. It includes studying time, timepieces and the art of watch design.

Lugs

The pieces of a watch case that hold the strap of bracelet are known as lugs.

Mainspring

The mainspring of a mechanical watch is the coiled spring that provides the watches power.

Perpetual Calendar

Some advanced timepieces feature a perpetual calendar, which at the minimum shows the date, day, month and leap year cycle.

Quartz Movement

A quartz movement allows the watch to be electronically operated due to a rotating quartz crystal emitting electricity.

Rotating Bezel

Some bezels around the watch face can rotate in either one direction or both directions.

Subsidiary Dial (Sub Dial)

The sub dial is used to indicate the date, power reserve or elapsed time via a small dial on the watch face.

Tourbillon

The tourbillon is located within a mechanical watch and is used to mount the escapement and balance on a rotating platform cage in order to avoid timekeeping errors. These tend to be the pinnacle of watch-making and are thus very expensive.

Winding

The term winding is used when the mainspring of the watch is tightened.

These are just a few of the many different watch terms used for timepieces. Here at Cuttings, we’re more than happy to help with any other timepiece questions you have, simply pop into one of our Kentstores or get in touch with a member of the team by visiting our contact page.