Watch ABC
All about the watch
Watch encyclopedia
exclusively at hangl`s watches & jewelry
Get to know the most important terms and technical terms relating to watches here. As Swiss watch experts, we at Hangl Jewelers in Samnaun stock renowned luxury brands in the watch industry and are happy to give you tips on how to care for your watch. If you have any further questions about a particular term, please feel free to contact us at any time.
Anchor
This is where the ticking of the watch comes from. This component, which together with the escapement wheel transmits the energy of the mainspring barrel to the balance wheel, actually looks like a ship's anchor. When the teeth of the escapement wheel and those of the anchor collide, the sound that everyone knows is produced.
Automatic movement
Movement optimally utilized. When the wearer moves their wrist, the resulting energy is used to automatically wind the mechanical movement.
Gunsmith
Wheel clocks became widespread in Central Europe from the 14th century. Initially, they were mainly made by locksmiths and gunsmiths.
Chronograph
This refers to any watch with a stop function. Translated from the Greek, the word means "time recorder".
CHRONOMETER
A chronometer is a precision watch that has been regulated in different positions and temperatures. An official and neutral test center measures the movement over 15 days and issues a certificate after a successful test. 7 criteria are examined in detail: In addition to the mean value of the daily rate, the absolute rate deviation and the largest rate deviation are also checked. In addition, the difference between horizontal and vertical positions as well as the largest variation in rate, the temperature dependence and the resumption of the rate are checked.
COSC
The Contrôle officiel suisse des chronomètres, or COSC for short, is the official Swiss control authority for Swiss chronometers.
Digital display
Both numbers and letters can be displayed digitally. The digital display therefore does not require a pointer.
Double chronograph
is also known as a double-hand chronograph or split-seconds chronograph. The rattrapante hand is a second stop hand that can be stopped independently of the chrono center hand. After it has been (temporarily) stopped, it can be made to immediately catch up with the chrono center hand again at the touch of a button and continue to run together with it.
Pusher
Additional functions can be activated using the push-buttons positioned on the edge of the case. For example, you can activate the stopwatch at the touch of a finger.
Perpetual calendar
This complex mechanism takes into account months of different lengths and also correctly displays leap years up to 2100.
FOLDING CLOSURE
Folding clasps are a type of clasp that is used on metal link bracelets and also on leather bracelets.
FEDERHAUS
This is a particularly important part of a watch, as it is where the energy is located. It is a housing that holds a mainspring. Visually, it resembles a drum in which the mainspring is wound.
FREQUENCY
describes the number of oscillations per second. This is measured in Hertz. Watches with four or five hertz are common. In mechanical watches, the number of half oscillations per hour is often used instead of the oscillation frequency.
GANG WEIGHTING
The rate deviation indicates how much the watch runs forward or backward each day.
GANGRESERVE
is the time a watch runs after being wound until it has to be wound again.
Haute Horlogerie
The term haute horlogerie is used to describe the tradition of high-quality mechanical watches that has been revived since the quartz crisis at the end of the 1970s and beginning of the 1980s. In particular, this includes the expertise to produce sophisticated complications. Examples include Rattrapante or split-seconds chronograph, flyback chronograph, moon phase, tourbillon, perpetual calendar, minute repeater, wristwatch alarm, world time watch, astronomical watch and equation. In the upper luxury segment, there are also models that combine several of these complications in one watch.
HEMMUNG
A distinction is made between three types of inhibition: feedback inhibition, dormant inhibition and free inhibition. All three are linked by four tasks.
INDEX
The indices are located on the outer edge of the dial and symbolize hours, minutes and seconds. In addition to Arabic and Roman numerals, shapes, colors and symbols are also used.
Annual calendar
A clock with an annual calendar displays the date and automatically takes into account the different lengths of the individual months. However, it must be corrected once by hand. Unlike the perpetual calendar, the annual calendar does not take into account the different length of February or leap years.
Caliber
Wristwatch movements are also Caliber called. With the exception of the "big players" in the industry (such as Montblanc, A. Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Breguet, Ebel, Glashütte Original, IWC, Omega SA, Patek Philippe, Rolex, Seiko, Zenith) and some small manufacturers (such as D. Dornblüth & Sohn, Lang & Heyne, Nomos Glassworks), most watch manufacturers today use more or less machined third-party base calibers. These are produced in millions by, for example ETA (Swatch Group) (ETA2824, ETA2894, Valjoux7750) or Ronda manufactured and installed (e.g. in Baume & Mercier, Breitling SA, LonginesPanerai, Sense). Many inexpensive mechanical watches also contain basic calibers from the manufacturers Miyota (Citizen) and Seiko.
COMPLIANCE
Just displaying the time is not enough? Then a watch with a complication is the right choice. This refers to additional functions that go beyond simply displaying the time, making the watch multifunctional.
Small second
In contrast to the central second, the small second is located off-center on the dial.
Crown
The winding crown is used to set the hands and the date display. It is also used to wind mechanical watches.
Luminescence
If the hands, indices and other elements of the dial are coated with a special luminous material, the luminescence provides information about their luminosity.
Bezel
The bezel is the top part of the case that holds the watch glass in place. It is available in different versions, for example it can display a second time zone.
Percussion
Today, this complication is extremely rare, but is particularly popular with collectors. Triggered with the aid of a slide or, in rare cases, by means of a slide, a hammer mechanism causes the gongs embedded in the case to sound. This allows the hours, minutes or even the date to be displayed acoustically.
Moon phase display
A complication that shows the change in the phases of the moon as observed from the earth. It is usually displayed in a window, but can also be displayed using a pointer.
Circuit board
The components of the movement are attached to the plate. These thin, flat parts are made of brass or nickel silver. Their upper side faces the case back and holds the components of the movement. The underside is called the dial side.
Mechanical movements
Mechanical movements are multi-stage gears whose wheels rotate at a constant angular speed. They receive their drive energy from a mechanical energy store. The stored potential energy is released in a controlled manner and converted into a rotary movement of the display device (usually pointer axes).
Quartz watch
In quartz watches, a quartz oscillator sets the beat. These watches are available with both a digital display and analog hands.
Gear train
It transfers the energy from the mainspring barrel to the escapement wheel. This is often used to refer to all the gear train stages contained in a mechanical movement.
Retrostraight display
With this type of display, the hand runs counterclockwise. Retrograde displays are also used as retrograde pointers, which jump back to zero after counting through a time interval.
Rotor
In automatic watches, the rotor (also known as the oscillating weight) is set in motion by movement. This generates energy that winds the mainspring of the watch.
Service
To ensure that watches function optimally and look good for as long as possible, they should be professionally serviced every two years or so. We are happy to carry this out for you in the watch workshop at Juwelier Hangl.
Stones (Jewels)
To protect against friction and wear, the moving parts of the movement are mounted on synthetic rubies. Although the use of these expensive elements is a cost factor, it is regarded as a sign of quality and is often noted on the movements. Depending on the complication, 15 to 50 such jewels are used in mechanical watches.
Tourbillon
The tourbillon is considered the pinnacle of haute horlogerie and was patented by the ingenious watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet. This mechanism compensates for rate inaccuracies caused by the influence of gravity.
Balance wheel
The balance wheel is a central component of mechanical watches. It is usually a closed ring that is anchored by a balance spring. The oscillating system ensures that the watch runs constantly. The balance is set in motion by the escapement.
Full calendar
Full calendar - Watches with a full calendar display the date, day of the week and month. Sometimes they also have a lunar calendar. The different month lengths must be adjusted manually.
Watertightness/
Watertightness
Watertightness
ATM or BAR (bar) provide information about the water resistance of watches and indicate the pressure resistance to a certain atmospheric external pressure that the seals of the watch case can withstand. A water resistance of 1 bar corresponds to a depth of 10 meters. But beware: If a watch is specified with a water resistance of 3 bar, it is only splash-proof and manufacturers do not guarantee that the watch is sufficiently protected when diving or swimming.
Yachttimer
Thanks to its various complications, a yacht timer is a great companion for sailing enthusiasts. In addition to water resistance and yacht countdown, various lead times can be set to suit the regatta.
Counter
The counter plays a particularly important role in chronographs. The hours, minutes and seconds are measured and displayed on separate dials on this sub-dial.
Work holding ring
The movement retaining ring encloses the movement and secures it to the case.
Central second
Watches with central seconds indicate the second increments via a hand attached to the center of the dial. Today's movements are usually designed for a central second hand, whereas in older designs the power has to be diverted via an indirect central second hand.
Second time zone/GMT/UTC
In addition to the local time, a second time zone can also be read on the watch. This is either displayed decentrally via a second sub-dial or with the help of a rotating ring on the dial or a bezel with a corresponding scale.
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