The Cuttings Blog

Are you looking to invest in a luxury watch, but you’re not sure where to start? If you're finding
watch descriptions a little confusing, this glossary of terms will help you to know what you are looking at next time you browse the local jeweller.

Bezel: Usually made of gold or steel, the bezel is a ring that surrounds the watch face.

Case: This is the metal exterior of the watch's parts. Budget watches are made of brass and plated with gold or silver, whereas more expensive watches will be titanium, platinum, silver or gold.

Complication: Any function besides timekeeping, such as an annual or lunar calendar, or a stopwatch.

Chronograph: Another word for a stop watch - a timer that can be manually started and stopped. A watch that features the chronograph function is itself called a "chronograph".

Chronometer: A watch that has been tested in a range of temperatures and positions to meet Swiss accuracy standards. A chronometer watch will always come with a certificate of approval.

COSC: The official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute, responsible for putting every chronometer through a rigorous, 15-day testing procedure.

Crown: This is the button on the outside of the watch case, for setting the time and the calendar, and to wind the mainspring if it’s a mechanical watch.

Crystal: Made of glass crystal, plastic or synthetic sapphire, this is the glass that covers the watch face.

Manual Wind: This type of watch must be wound every day to ensure that the movement continues to work properly. Although manual wind watches are still on sale today, they are much less common than automatic movements.

Mechanical Movement: This movement is based on a mainspring which is wound by hand, and then slowly unwinds in an even motion.

Movement: Everything inside the watch face that keeps time and moves the watch's hand. The movement can be either quartz or mechanical.

Perpetual Calendar: A type of calendar that automatically adjusts for the months' varying length and for the leap year. Perpetual calendars are programmed until the year 2100.

Quartz Movement: A quartz movement is powered by a battery, and works by the oscillations of a quartz crystal. This is the most accurate type of watch, but not necessarily everyone's first choice.

Self-Winding: Also known as an automatic winder, this type of mechanical movement winds itself whenever the wearer’s wrist moves.

Water-Resistant: If a watch has this specification, it doesn't guarantee that its water proof. Still take caution with a water-resistant watch, unless it’s water resistant up to one hundred metres.

We at Cuttings offer a wide selection of luxury watches in our shops in Ramsgate and Margate. For more information about our current stock, please just get in touch.