We put together this visual guide to help you better understand and care for your timepiece.
Whether you have a Rolex, Seiko, or other brand, you can trust our jewelry store in to take excellent care of your watch. Call Paul Medawar Fine Jewelry to learn how our jeweler is able to repair and maintain fine watches.
The part of the watch that makes the watch “move” or function. The movement of a watch can be compared to a car engine; without the engine, a car will not run. There are 4 types of movements: manual, automatic, quartz, and auto-quartz. Manual and automatic movements are mechanical, which means they are both made up of only mechanical parts like gears and springs. Quartz and auto-quartz have an electrical circuit and require a battery to run, but they may also have some mechanical parts.
Mechanical watches are far more expensive than battery-powered watches because they are much more labor intensive to build. Even though battery watches are inherently more accurate, almost all collectors and connoisseurs prefer manual or automatic as these movements represent the accumulation of almost 600 years of refinement, expertise, and craftsmanship.
The crystal is the “glass” that protects the watch face from the elements; it acts as the cover on the front of the watch. When it comes to watches, there are three types of crystals that are being used. Below is a description of each type:
A small opening (also called a “window”) in the dial that displays certain information, such as the date, day, month, or moon phase.
Small sapphires or rubies located on the movement that reduce friction by acting as bearings for gears in a mechanical watch.
Usually made of metal, the bezel is a ring around the crystal on the top portion of a watch that holds the glass or crystal in place.
Sometimes referred to as horns, lugs are projections on the watch case that are used to secure the strap or bracelet to the watch case.
The container that protects the watch movement. Cases are available in many shapes, such as round, square, oval, tonneau, and rectangular.
Acting like an engine, a movement is the inner mechanism of a watch that keeps time and powers the watch’s functions.
A button on the outside of the watch case used to set the time and calendar. On mechanical watches, it is also used to wind the mainspring.
Button(s) located outside of the case that control specific functions of the watch. Pushers are most commonly found on watches with a chronograph.
Made of glass, plastic, or synthetic sapphire, the crystal is a transparent cover that protects the watch dial and reduces glare.
Attached to the watch movement, the rotor rotates freely to wind the mainspring and store power in automatic timepieces.
A plate, with a metal base and visible through a crystal, that carries certain indication, such as the hours, minutes, and sometimes seconds.
A strip or band of leather or rubber that holds the watch to the wrist. It must be non-metal to be considered a strap–a metal version is a bracelet.
Indicators that move over the dial to point at the hour, minute, or second. Watches generally have three hands to show the hours, minutes, and seconds.
A small dial placed inside the main dial on a watch’s dial that gives information not provided by the main watch dial, such as a chronograph.
