Watch Glossary

Mechanical system allowing crown to wind mainspring and set time without key

Swiss-made shock absorption system protecting pivots from mechanical damage and vibration.

Seiko's electromechanical movement converting automatic winding energy into electrical power.

Chronograph movement, hand-wound, 50-hour reserve, Swiss precision for military watches

Component in the escapement mechanism that controls the release of energy to the balance.

Type of escapement using pallet fork and lever to regulate energy release to balance

Coiled metal ribbon that stores energy to power the entire watch movement.

Mechanical movement requiring manual winding via the crown to store energy in mainspring.

Seiko's hybrid movement combining quartz accuracy with mechanical automatic winding.

Engagement of teeth between two gears; critical for smooth power transmission

Chronometer-grade movement meeting U.S. military specifications for accuracy and shock resistance.

Military specification requiring movement to survive 50G impact without losing chronometer rating.

Wheel rotating once per hour on cannon pinion, drives hour wheel in motion works

Meca-quartz hybrid, mechanical chronograph with quartz timekeeping, battery powered operation

Specific movement caliber selected and approved by British Ministry of Defence for issue.

Chronograph mounted on base movement, 7750 on 2824 base, allows customization

Watch stored for years with congealed oils; requires full service before operation.

Gear assembly converting center wheel rotation to hour wheel and minute wheel motion

Rolex's modern shock absorber protecting the balance wheel from impacts and vibrations.

Historic movement used in Speedmaster Professional, column wheel chronograph, hand-wound

In-house movement, dual barrels, 60-hour reserve, integrated chronograph mechanism

Master Chronometer certified, antimagnetic, 60-hour power reserve, chronograph capability

Omega's modern automatic movement with Master Chronometer certification and enhanced antimagnetic properties.

The balance wheel and hairspring assembly that regulates the watch's timekeeping rate.

Component that engages escape wheel teeth to control gear train release

Jewel on pallet fork engaging escape wheel teeth for impulse transmission

Rolex's blue alloy hairspring resisting temperature changes and magnetic fields effectively.

Rolex innovation, paramagnetic alloy, temperature resistant, used in 3135 and 3235

Alloys resistant to magnetism, Parachrom hairspring in Rolex, alloy balance wheels

Golden Ellipse exclusive, hand-wound, ultra-thin, 48-hour reserve, haute horlogerie standard

Slender, elongated hand design typical of 1960s minimalist watches.

Rolex's automatic winding mechanism using a free-spinning rotor

Small gear with fewer teeth, typically fixed to wheel shaft for gear meshing

Thin shaft extending from watch gears that rotates in jeweled bearings to reduce friction.

Base structural component of the movement holding bridges, jewels, and gear pivots in place.

Fine-tuning of movement rate to account for accuracy differences in various wearing positions.

Duration the watch continues running after being fully wound without additional energy input.

Smartwatch operating system architecture managing app alerts and message delivery

Electronic movement using vibrating quartz crystal regulated by a battery for timekeeping.

Toothed wheel in the winding mechanism that prevents mainspring from unwinding during manual winding.

Proportion of gear teeth determining speed reduction between successive gear stages

Intermediate wheel system providing constant force and regulating energy from the mainspring.

Perpetual rotor, Parachrom hairspring, 48-hour power reserve, widely used in sports watches

Evolved 3135 with Chronergy escapement, 70-hour power reserve, improved efficiency

GMT-Master II exclusive, dual time module, 70-hour reserve, Chronergy escapement

Proprietary automatic winding system in Caliber 3135, featuring bidirectional winding and optimized energy transfer.

Weighted oscillating component in automatic watches that winds the mainspring via wrist motion.

Hand-wound movement, 40-hour power reserve, robust construction for field watches

Hand-wound, 50-hour reserve, reliable workhorse for Prospex line, accurate regulation

Simple automatic, 41-hour reserve, iconic in Submariner homage watches, proven durability

Grand Seiko in-house movement, 72-hour reserve, high accuracy, hand-wound precision

Automatic, 40-hour reserve, hacking seconds, day-date complications, affordable reliability

Seiko's proprietary quartz-mechanical hybrid movement with magnetic braking, eliminating watch tick.

ETA 2824 alternative, 42-hour reserve, Swiss-made, compatible chronograph calibers available

Chronograph movement based on 7750, 42-hour reserve, Swiss manufacture, column wheel

Component that engages intermediate wheel to enable time-setting mode in keyless works

Hairspring made from silicon, offering improved precision and resistance to temperature variations.

Watch movement powered directly by solar panels, requiring no battery replacement.

Rolex's silicon hairspring and balance wheel assembly for enhanced chronometric performance.

Patek Philippe's patented hairspring with silicon construction, improving rate stability and temperature compensation.