Understanding the Parts of a Watch

Understanding the Parts of a Watch

An ideal combination of functionality and luxury, designer timepieces are a true investment. Crafted to perfection, master horologists ensure every watchmaking technique is implemented with precision. To own a luxury watch, you don’t need to be a watch expert, but you should have general knowledge of what to look for. Let Corinne Jewelers help you understand the parts of a watch.

Understanding the Watch Body

Bezel: Bezels are the metal or ceramic ring surrounding the watch crystal and are primarily decorative. Some bezels are designed to rotate to scale time or other measurements.

Case: To protect the watches movement, the case can also be utilized to create an attractive appearance with the use of round, oval, square, rectangular, and tonneau shaped cases.

Caseback: Referred to as the caseback, the back of the watch case provides access to the watch’s inside, while some feature a clear backing to view the insides. Usually found on the caseback are engravings noting the watch name, water resistance, and more.

Crown: Located on the side of the watch, this small knob is used to adjust the date and time, or wound to keep power in non-automatic watches.

Crystal: The crystal is a clear protective cover surrounding the watch face, and can be made from acrylic, glass, or synthetic sapphire. While more costly, synthetic sapphire provides the most protection due to its higher scratch resistance.

Dial: The dial, commonly known as the face, features a dial to display the time. This includes the hands, numerals, and marking.

Gasket: To protect the watch from water, they feature an air-tight seal around the caseback, crystal, and crown, known as the gasket. To ensure a watch maintains its water resistance, it’s important to have it examined every few years.

Understanding Watch Movements

Movement: The inner mechanism that allows the watch to keep time and powers its functions. Watch movements can be powered by quartz or mechanical, which includes automatic or hand-wound.

Caliber: Manufacturers denote a movements model name with calibers. Used to identify movements from their architecture, origin, reference, and maker, watch movements are often created in-house.

Automatic: An automatic watch is self-would via the kinetic energy from the motion of the wearer’s wrist.

Manual Winding: Mechanical hand-wound watches require regular winding of the crown to keep time. Manual winding tightens the spring and lasts about 36-48 hours before needing to be rewound.

Quartz: Battery powered watches utilize quartz crystals to power the watch. Quartz powered watches are more accurate and can be found as analog watches with hands or with a digital display.

Corinne Jewelers: Your Personal Guide to Watches

Located in Toms River, NJ, Corinne Jewelers welcomes nearby residents of Manchester, Jackson and Manasquan to explore our amazing collection of luxury timepieces. With over 50 years in the business, our dedicated and knowledgeable staff are happy to assist you in finding the ideal timepiece. Give a call to our showroom at (732) 244-4664 to learn more about products and services.