(See some of our favorite modern chronographs here.)Ĭhronometer: A watch that has been independently tested by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) in Switzerland (or any other official governing body in other countries). A chronograph can be either quartz or mechanical (or a hybrid of the two) and is activated via a set of pushers protruding from the side of the case. (Learn more about different kinds of bezels here.)īridge: A plate or bar that is mounted to the mainplate, forming a frame that houses the inner workings of a mechanical watch.Ĭaliber: A synonym for movement, most often used when a manufacturer is denoting a specific model name for a movement.Ĭase Back: The reverse side of a watch case that can be removed to access the inside of the watch.Ĭhronograph: A type of watch that features an additional stopwatch function in addition to the main time. Often bezels rotate on watches (usually on dive watches) and contain a scale for time or other measurements some remain stationary or do not have a scale. A watch’s power reserve can be expanded by adding additional barrels.īezel: A metal (though occasionally other material) ring that surrounds the watch crystal. The balance spring is also often referred to as a hairspring.īarrel: The cylindrical, enclosed apparatus with geared teeth that contains the mainspring, thus houses the watch’s power reserve.
The motion of the wrist moves a counterweight (called a rotor) that then powers the mainspring, which turns the watch’s gears.īalance Wheel: A weighted wheel that oscillates at a constant rate (usually one oscillation per fraction of a second), moving the watch’s gears and allowing the hands to move forwardīalance Spring: A delicate spring (often made from metal but sometimes silicon) attached to the balance wheel that regulates the rate at which a balance wheel oscillates. For the timekeeping newbie, a simple glossary will help cut the confusion - consider this your reference point.Īutomatic: A mechanical watch that is wound by the motion of the wearer’s wrist, rather than by twisting the crown. Diehard watch nerds throw around familiar terms like “caliber,” “frequency” and “complication” with little regard for an outsider’s knowledge of what they mean in a watch context they also spout slang and simple jargon that means a lot (“in-house”) and intimidating terms that are actually simple. Like cars and computers, the terminology behind watches is almost as complicated as the mechanics that drive them. How does one break into the confusing, esoteric world of watch nerdery? Our new column, “How to Be a Watch Guy,” aims to answer all your new watch guy questions, and help you navigate the always exciting - but sometimes intimidating, complicated, and pricey - world of watches.
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