Watch Glossary
1356 horological terms explained
Specific model designation of a watch movement, identifying its design and specifications.
Patek Philippe ultra-thin automatic movement, one of the thinnest in horology at 3.30mm thickness.
Rolex's iconic perpetual rotor automatic movement with 48-hour power reserve, used in Submariner and GMT-Master II.
Rolex in-house chronograph movement featuring column wheel and vertical clutch, introduced in Daytona 2000.
Seiko's pioneering automatic chronograph movement from 1969, precursor to modern integrated chronograph designs.
Zenith's workhorse automatic chronograph movement with modular design, widely used across luxury brands.
Omega Co-Axial automatic movement with 50-hour power reserve, revolutionizing escapement technology in 2007.
JLC ultra-thin movement with only 1.64mm height, representing extreme miniaturization in mechanical watchmaking.
Patek Philippe in-house automatic movement with 48-hour reserve, featuring Gyromax balance and Spiromax hairspring.
Seiko's ultra-high frequency automatic movement with 36,000 bph, representing Japanese precision engineering.
Jaeger-LeCoultre legendary chronograph movement with column wheel and flyback function, used in Master Chronograph.
Zenith's integrated chronograph movement with 36,000 bph beat rate and automatic winding system.
Integrated anti-shock system in Swiss movements, protecting balance staff pivots from impact damage.
Hollow pinion on center wheel shaft that drives minute wheel and hour wheel gearing
Movement condition where center wheel cannon pinion loosens; causes chronograph hand drift.
Main wheel rotating once per hour, drives minute wheel and hour wheel via cannon pinion
Rolex's escapement system improving efficiency and precision in watches
Rolex innovation, improved efficiency over standard escapement, reduces friction and wear
Integrated or modular addition to base movement for stopwatch function, 7750, 8900 examples
Mechanical movement with integrated stopwatch function including start, stop, and reset buttons.
High-precision movement certified to meet strict accuracy standards, typically -4/+6 seconds.
Official certification verifying movement accuracy within specific daily rate tolerances.
Precision escapement design using detent mechanism for improved accuracy and lower friction.
Spring-loaded component that engages the ratchet wheel to prevent backward mainspring rotation.
Wheel that couples or decouples train wheels during winding versus timekeeping modes
Modern escapement with concentric design reducing friction and improving chronometer performance.
Co-axial mechanism reducing friction between escapement components for improved accuracy
Spiral-shaped component in the mainspring barrel
Single-sided metal bridge that supports one end of a pivot; commonly used for balance wheel.
Specialized screws securing the balance cock to the movement plate
Small metal tube fixing hairspring to balance wheel staff or collet holder
Chronograph component controlling start/stop, found in 7750 and 321, superior precision
Tapered pivot points reducing bearing friction in movement
Mechanism maintaining consistent power delivery to the movement throughout the mainspring's unwind.
Mechanism maintaining uniform force delivery to regulating organ
In-house developed and manufactured caliber by manufacturer
AI algorithm determining user activity and environmental context to optimize power consumption
Balance wheel incorporating copper for temperature compensation
Base caliber upon which additional complications are added
Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute certification for precision mechanical movements.
Friction device connecting chronograph to main movement when activated
Fine-tuning mechanism for rate adjustment in movement
Auction house term for hour hand that gradually advances between hour markers rather than jumping.
Cruciform component in escapement connecting to balance wheel
Bridging standard enabling seamless data transfer between smartwatch and smartphone ecosystems
Balance wheel with drum-shaped mass distribution design
Standard rounded pivot point between movement components