A

Accuracy
How closely a watch keeps time compared to the official standard. Mechanical watches vary slightly day to day; chronometers follow strict tolerances.

Acrylic crystal
A plastic crystal used mainly on vintage watches. Most modern watches use sapphire instead.

Applied indices
Hour markers fixed physically to the dial (rather than printed). They add depth, reflect light and give a premium feel.

Arabics
Numerals on the dial (1–12). Often found on field, aviation or retro‑inspired designs.

Automatic movement
A mechanical movement powered by the motion of your wrist through a rotating rotor.

B

Balance wheel
The oscillating wheel that controls the heartbeat of the watch. Free‑sprung balances offer better long-term stability.

Barrel
A housing containing the mainspring.

Beats per hour (BPH)
How many vibrations the movement makes per hour. Most watches use 28,800 bph (4Hz).

Bevel / chamfer
A polished angled edge on metal surfaces. Adds sparkle and refinement. Found on cases, bridges and dial components.

Bezel
The outer ring that surrounds the dial. On divers it is usually unidirectional and used for timing.

Bracelet taper
How much the bracelet narrows towards the clasp. Affects comfort and visual balance.

Bronze
A metal that develops natural patina over time.

C

Calibre
Another term for movement.

Caseback
The back of the watch. Can be solid or sapphire to show the movement.

Ceramic bezel
A scratch-resistant material used for modern dive bezels. Has a glossy, durable finish.

Chronograph
A stopwatch built into a watch, often operated with start/stop and reset pushers.

Chronometer
A movement certified for timekeeping accuracy by COSC.

CNC machining
Precision milling used to create sharp lines and facets.

COSC: COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres) is the Swiss institute that tests movements for precision, certifying only those that meet strict daily accuracy standards as official chronometers.

Crown
The small knob used to set the time and wind the movement.

Crystal
The transparent cover over the dial.

Cushion case
A square‑rounded case style.

D

Dial
The face of the watch displaying hands, markers and complications.

Display back
A transparent caseback (usually sapphire) allowing you to view the movement.

Diver
A watch with a rotating bezel, strong lume and significant water resistance for underwater timing.

Double barrel
Two mainsprings running together for smoother power delivery and extended reserve.

E

End links
The end piece of a bracelet that connects to the watch case. Integrated designs have fixed end-link geometry.

Escapement
The mechanism that releases energy from the mainspring in regulated pulses.

F

Finishing
Decorative and functional polishing or texturing on cases, dials and movements (brushed, polished, grained, chamfered).

Free‑sprung balance
A more stable, premium method of regulating a movement.

G

Geneva stripes
Decorative stripes applied to movement bridges.

GMT
A complication that tracks a second time zone using a 24‑hour hand.

GPHG
Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève — the “Oscars” of watchmaking.

H

Hand‑wound
A movement wound manually by turning the crown.

Hacking seconds
Seconds hand stops when you pull out the crown to set the time. Helps with precise setting.

Hour marker
Indices or numerals marking each hour on the dial.

I

Integrated bracelet
A bracelet designed as part of the case itself.

Indices
The hour markers on the dial.

ISO dive standard
An optional formal certification for dive watches; not required for real-world capability.

J

Jewels
Small synthetic ruby bearings that reduce friction inside the movement.

Jumping hour
A complication where the hour is displayed digitally and “jumps” forward at the top of each hour.

L

L2L (lug‑to‑lug)
Measurement from the top of the top lug to the bottom of the bottom lug. More important than diameter for fit.

Lume
Photoluminescent paint allowing hands and markers to glow in the dark.

M

Manual wind
A movement requiring hand winding. Offers a tactile connection with the watch.

Micro‑adjust
Bracelet feature allowing small, tool‑free sizing changes.

Movement holder
A ring that stabilises the movement in the case.

N

NATO strap
A durable one‑piece nylon strap that threads under the case.

O

Open‑heart
A dial cut‑out that shows the balance wheel.

Open‑worked / skeletonised
Parts of the movement or dial removed to expose the mechanics.

P

Patina
The natural ageing and colour change in metals like bronze.

Perlage
Circular‑pattern finishing often applied to movement plates.

Power reserve
How long a fully wound movement will run.

Q

Quartz
Battery‑powered movement. Very accurate with minimal maintenance.

Quick-release spring bars
Allow straps to be changed easily without tools.

R

Regulator
Part of the movement used to adjust timing. Free‑sprung balances use fixed regulators.

Rehaut
The inner wall between dial and crystal.

Rotor
The weighted component that winds an automatic movement.

S

Sapphire (crystal or dial)
Extremely scratch-resistant synthetic sapphire. Used for fronts, backs and sometimes dials.

Service interval
Recommended frequency for full maintenance — usually every 4–6 years for mechanical watches.

Shock protection
Mechanisms like Incabloc that help protect the movement from impact.

SH21
Christopher Ward’s in-house 5‑day movement: twin barrels, chronometer grade, modular design.

Single‑pusher chronograph
Chronograph operated entirely by one pusher inside the crown.

Skeletonisation
The deliberate removal of material to show movement architecture.

Strap taper
How a strap narrows toward the buckle.

T

Tapered bracelet
Bracelet that narrows towards the clasp for comfort.

Titanium (Grade 2 / 5)
Light, strong metal.

Tritium
A radioactive lume once used in vintage watches.

Twin‑barrel
Two mainsprings working together for longer, more stable power delivery.

U

Unidirectional bezel
A bezel that only rotates counter‑clockwise, preventing accidental time extension underwater.

Under‑crystal tension
How tightly a crystal is fitted; sapphire requires precise machining.

V

VPH (vibrations per hour)
Measure of movement beat rate. Higher values can indicate smoother seconds motion.

Vintage lume
Lume tinted to resemble the warm tone of aged tritium.

W

Water resistance
Indicates how deeply a watch can be submerged.

Winding
Turning the crown to power the mainspring.

Worldtimer
Complication showing time across multiple world cities using a 24‑hour disc and city ring.

X

X‑ray dial
A transparent or semi‑transparent dial revealing the movement.

Y

Yellow lume
A lume pigmentation used to create a vintage tone.

Z

Zero‑reset seconds
A feature where the seconds hand snaps to zero when setting time.