Never be caught out again confusing your chronometer with your crown
Horological terminology can be mindboggling, but you don’t want to sound like you don’t know what you’re talking about if you want to buy a good one. Those in the know here at Country Life have compiled a basic list of the watch jargon that you need to know if you’re interested in making a purchase, so gen up and then get out there.
Watches come in all shapes and sizes, and all different kinds of materials, but most of the essential components are the same. Some have more bells and whistles than others -every watch has a bezel for instance, but not every piece will come with a Tourbillon, as you obviously know..
WATCH JARGON BUSTED
Annual calendar
Tells the day, month and year; only needs to be adjusted each leap year
Automatic
A watch that only very rarely needs to be wound manually
Bezel
The ring around the dial of a watch
Calibre
Describes the size and configuration of a watch’s movement
Chronograph
A watch that is also a stopwatch
Chronometer
A specific type of timepiece tested and certified to meet certain precision standards
Complication
An additional feature on a watch, such as a calendar
Crown
A button on the side of a watch that sets the time and date and is wound up to power manual watches
Dial
The watch face
Index
Marks on the dial that indicate hours and sometimes minutes
Manual
A watch that relies on a hand-wound mechanism to keep it powered up
Mechanical
Driven by a spring. Must be wound periodically
Minute repeater
Chimes the time in hours, quarters or minutes depending on the press of a button on the side
Movement
The watch’s engine—either quartz or mechanical
Perpetual calendar
Tells the day, month and year; doesn’t need to be adjusted each leap year
Quartz
A watch powered by an oscillating crystal, which runs on a battery
Tourbillon
An additional, complex component that works against forces such as gravity that can affect the accuracy of a watch
** Read more on the best luxury watches to buy, watches for different times in your life and all the latest news and best luxury watches launched to the market
