Glossary of watch terms used in this web-site
Automatic
winding
Aperture
Balance
Caliber
Chronograph
(Chronographe)
Chronometer
(Chronometre)
Crown
Ekegren
Escapement
Gaskets
Glucydur
Hair
spring
Hardness
Definitions (Moh, Vicker, Knoop)
Incabloc
Shock absorbtion
Jewels
Main
spring
Manual
wind
Moon
phase
Movement
Perlage
Pulsometer
Sapphire
Crystal (more about sapphire crystals here)
Tachymetre
or Tachymeter
Telemeter
Vibrations
per hour (vph)
Automatic winding: A rotating
weight (rotor) which is set into motion by the arm of the wearer. The motion
causes this weight to wind the main-spring barrel in a mechanical watch, thereby
keeping the watch wound when worn on the wrist. Automatic winding can occur
uni-directionally (meaning the weight only winds the watch in one direction)
or bi-directional winding (meaning the rotor will wind the watch regardless
of which direction it spins).
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Aperture: A small opening
on the dial of a watch. Usually for the indication of the day, date,
month, or moon-phase.
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Balance (or balance wheel): The
heart of a mechanical watch movement. Using the energy in the main-spring,
this small wheel oscillates back and forth allowing a mechanical watch
to run. The balance contains a spiral shaped balance spring (hair-spring)
which sets the rythm of oscillation due to its vibrating frequency.
Today balances are usually made of one piece of anti-magnetic glucydur,
which expands very little when it is exposed to heat.
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Caliber: A term, similar
to type or model, which refers to different watch movements.
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Chronograph (Chronographe): From
the Greek word chronos ("time") and graphein ("to write").
Originally a chronograph literally wrote the elapsed time on a piece
of paper with the aid of a pencil attached to a hand. Today, this term
is used for watches that show not only the time of day, but also certain
time intervals via the independent hand that may be started and stopped
at will. A stop watch is different than a chronograph because it only shows
elapsed time and does not display the time of day. Chronograph should
not be confused with Chronometer.
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Chronometer (Chronometre): Literally, "measure
of time". As used today, chronometer denotes an especially accurate
watch (one with a deviation of no more than 6 seconds per day for a
mechanical watch). Chronometers are usually supplied with an official
certificate from an independent office such as the C.O.S.C.
Click
here to see the C.O.S.C. Chronometre Certificate.
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Crown: The winding button.
Usually with coin ridge edge for grip. Also generally located at 3
o'clock on the side of the case.
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Ekegren: Waldan International's
watch line as marketed and sold in Europe. The name Ekegren comes from
Henri Robert Ekegren (1823-1896) who was one of the most skilled watchmakers
of the second half of the 19th century.
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Escapement: The combined
mechanism of balance, lever, and escape wheel, which divides the impulses
coming from the going barrel into small, accurately portioned doses.
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Gaskets: Rubber O-rings
located on the case back of watches, in the pushers and crown and are
there to provide a seal to keep water out of the watch.
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Glucydur: An anti-magnetic
alloy that expands very little when exposed to heat. This quality makes
glucydur useful in making balances.
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Hair spring: Also known
as balance spring, this is the small spiral spring that is attached
to the balance wheel. The quality of this spring can affect the regularity
and accuracy of a movement.
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Incabloc: A patented
shock absorbing device which permits the end stone of the balance to
give when the watch is subjected to an impact or jolt.
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Jewels: A synthetic ruby
which is used to minimize friction and hold in oil.
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Mainspring: A flat
spring coiled or wound to supply power to the watch. The non-magnetic
mainspring was introduced in 1947.
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Manual wind: A manual wind
watch has no means of getting wound other than by the user through
the winding crown.
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Moon-phase: A complication
that represents the waxing and waning of the moon as it circles the
earth. It is intended to represent the phase of the moon.
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Movement: The fully functioning
assembly of all the main timekeeping organs of a watch.
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Perlage: Also known as
circular graining, perlage is a surface decoration comprising of an
even pattern of partially overlapping dots applied with a quickly rotating
plastic or wooden peg.
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Pulsometer: Scale on
the dial or bezel of a watch which - in conjunction with the second
hand of the chronograph - may be used to measure the pulse rate. A
pulsometer is always marked with a reference number. For example, if
it is marked "gradué pour 15 pulsations" then an operator counts
15 beats of a pulse. At the last beat of the pulse, the seconds hand
shows on the pulsometer scale what the pulse rate is in beats per minute.
See uses of a chronograph in the Instructions section of this web-site
for an example.
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Sapphire Crystal: Scratch
resistant glass with a hardness of 9 on the moh's scale of hardness.
The only thing harder is diamond. Sapphire crystals are usually synthetic
(made in a lab).
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Tachymetre or Tachometer: A
scale on the dial or bezel of a chronograph that - in conjunction with
the second hand of the chronograph - may be used to measure the speed
of a moving object. A tachymetre takes a value determined in less than
a minute and converts it into miles per hour. See uses of a chronograph
in the Instructions section of this web-site for an example.
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Telemeter: A scale on
the dial or bezel of a chronograph that - in conjunction with the second
hand of the chronograph - may be used to measure the distance of an
object from its observer by measuring how long it takes sound to travel
that distance. One application of a telemeter would be determining
the distance of a storm from its observer. See uses of a chronograph
in the Instructions section of this web-site for an example.
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Vibrations per hour (vph) Vibration Frequency: The
ring shaped balance swings around its own axis and acts as the ruling
organ of the movement's escapement. The amplitude is restricted by
the very thin balance spring, which also provides for the reversing
of the direction of rotation. The frequency of the alternating vibrations
is measured in Hertz (HZ) or in the more usual vibrations per hour
(vph), which is also sometimes written as A/h, the A standing for the
French alternance ("change"). Most of today's wristwatches tick
at frequencies of 28,800vph (4Hz) or 21,600vph (3Hz). Less usual, but
still used in certain models, are vibration frequencies of 18,000 vph
(2.5Hz) and 36,000 vph (5Hz).
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