Glossary

Welcome to the world of fine luxury timepieces. In order to familiarize yourself with various watch brands and its functionality, its important for you to know some of the standard terms in the industry. Here are some commonly used terms.

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Click one of the letters above to be taken to a page of all terms beginning with that letter.

Sapphire crystal

A crystal made of synthetic sapphire, a transparent, shatter-resistant, scratch-resistant substance. However, if subjected to forced contact from hard objects, the crystal will get scratched & chipped or even crack when it hits a hard surface. Eg. dropping your watch on a hard ground. Otherwise, it can last for many years.

Screw-lock crown

A crown that can be screwed into the case to make the watch watertight.

Shock Absorber

A bearing that takes up shocks received by the balance staff, protecting it from damage.

Sub-dial

A small dial on a watch face used for any of several purposes, such as keeping track of elapsed minutes or hours on a chronograph or indicating the date.

Swiss made

As a part of a move towards greater consumer protection and in order to combat fakes in the Far East that claim to be Swiss made, the Swiss federal council in 1993 laid down the rule that a watch has to satisfy before it could be described as Swiss made. The movement must be of Swiss origin, and must contain at least 50% Swiss parts. The watch must be cased in Switzerland and pass its final inspection in that country.