Watch Terms to Know
What Watch Key Terms Should You Know?
Designer timepieces are regarded as products of true artisanship that artfully combine luxury and functionality. Owning a top-tier watch symbolizes success, expressing to any passerby that you appreciate the finer things in life. With this in mind, you must understand your timepiece inside and out to maintain your treasured accessory. Our team at Deutsch & Deutsch have put together a helpful guide to common watch terms you should know.
Watch Body
Dial: The dial displays the time using the numerals and hands. They also feature distinguishing marks from certain luxury watch brands.
Case: The metal body that contains and protects the watch movement. This determines the watch’s appearance and is often adorned to steal the show. Cases can come in many shapes, the most popular being round, square, oval, tonneau, and rectangular.
Caseback: The back of the case provides access to the inside of the watch for repairs. It also typically displays an engraving that notes the watches’ model, water resistance, and other important information.
Crown: For mechanical watches that are not automatic, the crown is a small knob on the watch's side that winds up the watch to keep it running. Automatic watches have a crown to adjust the date and time.
Crystal: A transparent, protective cover over the watch face. These are usually made from synthetic sapphire, acrylic, or class.
Bezel: A ring of precious metal or ceramic that encases the watch crystal to secure it properly. Many watches – specifically dive watches – feature rotating bezels with a scale for time, while others’ bezels remain stationary.
Gasket: A rubber ring that creates a protective, water-tight seal around the case back, crystal, and crown during normal wear. These should be inspected by a professional watchmaker every few years.
Watch Movements
Movement: The inner mechanics of the watch that powers the watch’s functions, including keeping time. Movement is either mechanical (automatic or manual) or quartz.
Caliber: An interchangeable term for movement, often used to specify a movement’s model name.
Manual Winding: A mechanical watch that needs to be wound with the crown regularly to keep time. Most manual wind watches can properly hold time for one or two days between each rewind.
Automatic: The most popular type of mechanical watch movement, preferred for its ease of use. This movement is wound by the natural motion of the wearer’s wrist, self-winding using kinetic energy.
Quartz: This modern movement is powered by a battery. The battery sends a low-frequency electrical signal through a tiny piece of quartz crystal and causes it to vibrate. This vibration keeps the watch’s timekeeping extremely accurate.
Deutsch & Deutsch: Your Guide to Luxury Timepieces
As a family-owned business in Texas for over 80 years now, Deutsch & Deutsch is dedicated to becoming part of your special life moments, whether you are shopping for the perfect gift for a relative or indulging in a rare treat. Visit one of our five jewelry stores across Texas or schedule an appointment to begin your shopping experience with us.
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