It’s a new year and that means there are a whole host of wonderful watch trade shows and events to attend where you can see new releases, rare timepieces and numerous classic watches and pocket watches for men ready to be snapped up and worn proudly.
Events such as the 27th SIHH in Geneva or Hong Kong’s Watches & Wonders Fair are a real draw for watch lovers across the world, yet watch trade shows and events can sometimes end up rather embarrassing affairs when you get into a deep conversation surrounding watches and you don’t know the terms that are being thrown about.
To save you from possible humiliation among your peers we thought we’d provide you with a glossary or watch terms to save you from possible embarrassment in 2017.
Antimagnetic – Magnets in watches can disturb the accuracy of your timepieces. This has led to leading watch makers creating antimagnetic watches that are not affected by magnetic fields in any way.
Bezel – A bezel is screwed onto or snapped into the case and holds the dial-side crystal firmly in place. Some allow rotation to record the elapsed time.
Bracelet/Strap – A simple one, but often confused for something more complicated, this is the the strap that keeps the watch attached to you and comes in a variety of materials such as leather, silver, gold and steel.
Calendar – A watch may have various different types of calendars that depend on the style and make of the watch. An annual calendar displays the date, month, day and hour that automatically adjusts following months of 30 or 31 days.
A perpetual calendar not only takes heed of the short months, but also leap years, all without manual adjustment! Pretty amazing right? This means you can pass the timepiece down for generations without ever having to adjust the date… technically.
Calibre – This is the movement of the timepiece; a calibre is encased in the middle of the timepiece and this is the element of the watch that makes it unique.
Chronograph – A chronograph refers to a watch that boasts a stopwatch function that measures conventional time as well as elapsed.
Crown – The crown is the small knob on the outside of the watch case and is used to set the hands on the watch face and some can even set the day and date as well. In a mechanical watch the crown is also used for winding up the main spring.
Day and night indication – The day and night indication, sometimes known as an AM/PM indicator, does exactly what it says on the tin! This feature is often used in conjunction with dual time or world time displays, so users can see whether it’s day or night in another time zone… great for travelling businessmen!
Equation of time – The equation of time display connects the watch to the cycle of the sun and is considered the most mysterious and intriguing complications amongst watch makers and watch aficionados.
Grand complication – Watches that boast several complications are known as a grand complication and are one of the hardest time pieces to craft and must contain at least three complications; a timing complication, an astrological complication and a striking complication.
Lugs – Lugs are sometimes referred to as “horns” and are the parts that connect your watch strap to the watch case.
Minute repeater – This is the mechanical device that chimes out the hours and minutes through gongs made out of tuned wire inside the watches case. These include decimal repeaters that signal the hours, tens of minutes and minutes. There are also cathedral repeaters, and as the name suggests, have a richer sound due to larger gongs found inside.
Moon phase – As the name suggests this shows the moon’s current lunar phase position, it may not be that useful but adds an extra complication to the watch and an added visual element to the watch dial.
Power reserve indicator – This allows the watch wearer to see how much power resides in the watches mainspring and the amount of time the movement has left before you must rewind it. This is only applicable in mechanical watches.
Tourbillon – When showing off one of our exquisite watches for men, impress your peers by talking shop about the tourbillon. Invented by the legendary A. L. Breguet this intricate complication eliminates errors in pocket watches that were often held in vertical positions. Much heralded by watch lovers everywhere for the sheer genius required to create it, a flying tourbillon is connected from one angle only, making it appear to be flying in thin air… truly astounding craftsmanship.
