At LBJ Watches, we frequently post blogs, whether that's luxury watch reviews, brand breakdowns or informative advice, which is why we've created a watch glossary page on our own website to help further educate our clients and supporters.
A
Amplitude – Amplitude is the measure of how far the balance wheel swings. This indicates movement health.
Annual Calendar – An annual calendar movement displays the day, date, and month, requiring adjustment only once per year in February due to the short month.
Automatic Movement – An automatic watch movement is a self-winding mechanical movement powered by wrist motion; automatic movements are the most common movements for luxury watches and can also be manually wound via a key or, more commonly, a winding crown.
B
Balance Wheel – A balance wheel is an internal component of a watch movement that regulates timekeeping by oscillating back and forth.
Barrel – A barrel is an internal component of a watch movement that houses the mainspring and controls power release in a movement.
Bezel – A bezel is an external component of a watch it is a ring surrounding the dial, sometimes functional (e.g., rotating).
Bridge – A bridge is an internal component of a watch movement that supports parts of the movement over the main plate.
C
Calibre – A calibre is a specific model or design of a watch movement.
Chronograph – A chronograph is a type of watch movement which functions as a stopwatch; it features start, stop, and reset functions.
Chronometer – A chronometer is a high-precision watch certification for accuracy, often by COSC or the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute.
Complication – A watch complication is any function beyond basic timekeeping, for example, a calendar or chronograph.
D
Date Window – A date window on a watch is a small opening on the dial that shows the current date.
Dial – The dial on a watch is the face of the watch , displaying the time and other functions.
Dual Time – A dual time is a watch feature which displays two time zones simultaneously.
E
Escapement – A watch escapement is an internal component related to the mainspring, which helps to transfer energy to the oscillator and regulates movement ticks.
F
Flyback Chronograph – A flyback chronograph is a type of watch movement that resets and restarts a chronograph with one press.
Frequency – Frequency in terms of watches is the rate at which a movement beats, measured in Hz or vph.
G
Geneva Seal – A Geneva seal is a certification for high-quality Swiss watch finishing.
GMT – A GMT is a type of watch movement which displays a second time zone, typically with a 24-hour hand.
Grand Complication – A grand complication combines multiple high-end complications in one watch.
H
Hairspring – A hairspring is an internal component of a watch which controls the oscillation of the balance wheel.
Helium Escape Valve – A helium escape valve on a watch helps to release gas during decompression in dive watches.
Hour Marker – Hour markers are indices or numerals indicating hours on the dial.
I
Indice – Indices are markers or numerals that indicate the time on the dial.
J
Jewels – Jewels, in terms of watches, are internal synthetic rubies that are used as bearings to reduce friction inside a watch movement.
L
Lugs – Watch lugs are projections that connect the strap or bracelet to the watch case, and lugs often affect comfort, wearability, and design.
Luminescence – Luminescence is a glow-in-the-dark material applied to hands or markers to make them more legible, which is standard for most luxury watches.
M
Main plate – The main plate is a base layer onto which movement components are mounted; it is the foundation.
Mainspring – The mainspring is an internal component of a watch movement which stores energy to power the watch movement.
Minute Repeater – A minute repeater is a type of watch complication which chimes the current time using mechanical gongs.
Moonphase – A moonphase is a type of watch complication which displays the current phase of the moon.
Movement – A watch movement is the internal mechanism driving the watch functions.
N
Numerals – Numerals on a watch are markers (indices) on the dial in the form of numbers.
O
Oscillator – An oscillator is an internal component of a watch movement that regulates the timing of the watch, typically the balance wheel. In simpler terms, the oscillator sets and maintains a steady and precise pace.
Overcoil – An overcoil is a curved hairspring end, which is better for keeping and precision.
Off-Catalogue – Refers to Rolex watches not listed on the brand’s official site or catalogue. These models are reserved for top-tier clients and often feature unique materials, gem-setting, or dial variations.
P
Perpetual Calendar – A perpetual calendar is a type of watch movement which automatically adjusts for months and leap years.
Power Reserve – A power reserve is how long the watch will run when fully wound. Some luxury watches may feature a power reserve indicator, which is an external display of the power reserve.
Q
Quartz Movement – A quartz movement is a battery-powered movement regulated by a quartz crystal.
R
Regulator – A regulator is a type of watch which displays the hour, minute, and second hands individually.
Rotor – A rotor is an internal component of a watch's movement; it is a weight that winds the mainspring in automatic watches.
S
Shock Absorber – A shock absorber is an internal component of a watch movement which protects the balance staff from impact damage.
Skeletonization – Skeletonization is Openworking to reveal internal components through the dial, for example, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Openwork 15305ST
Small Seconds – Small seconds is a subdial for seconds separate from central hands.
Split-Seconds Chronograph – A split-second chronograph is a watch movement which times two separate events with dual second hands.
T
Tachymeter – A Tachymeter is a scale for measuring speed over a known distance. You can find Tachymeters on chronograph watches, such as the Rolex Daytona.
Tourbillon – A tourbillon is a rotating cage to minimise positional timekeeping errors, a Tourbillon is typically a feature that you find on high-end luxury watches like Richard Mille's
Train Wheel Bridge – Supports the gears in the gear train.
TBR (Tessellate Brillants) – A Rolex term used to describe a bezel set with baguette-cut diamonds arranged in a uniform, tessellated pattern. Explore TBR bezels in our leaked Daytona blog.
U
Ultra-Thin Movement – Extremely slim mechanical movement, a slim movement allows for a thin case design, for example, the Audemars Piguet 15202ST.
V
Vibrations Per Hour (VPH) – Measures the frequency of a movement.
W
Water Resistance – Protects against water intrusion to a specified depth; most, if not all luxury watches are water resistant so that they can be worn at all times.
Winding Crown – A winding crown is used to wind the watch and set the time/date, typically all modern watches feature a winding crown.
World Time – A world time is a complication which displays the time in all 24 time zones simultaneously for example the Patek Philipe 5231G-001
With the world of watches and horology ever expanding we may have missed some terms so if you've notice something is missing please don't hesitate to email us!
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