A-Z
Watch Terms
A-C
- Acrylic
A plastic used to make crystals. It's very soft, but is easy to repair and does not shatter when it breaks. Watches designed for use in space have acrylic crystals.
- Analog
A display of time or other data using dials and hands, as opposed to a digital readout. After a hiatus in the 1980s, the format has become increasingly popular.
- Analog-digital display
A watch display that combines analogue and digital elements, usually found on Quartz watches, though there are some mechanical versions
- Anti-magnetic
A type of mechanical watch movement that is designed to be highly resistant to magnetic fields that could adversely affect or stop it.
- Automatic winder
A box or cabinet with motorized rotating slots to hold watches with automatic movements. The rotation keeps the watch wound by spinning the movement's rotor, and accurate by counteracting the effects of gravity. Some winders are incorporated into special safes to hold collector automatic watches that cost six figures.
- Automatic winding
Also called self-winding or simply automatic. A mechanical watch movement that is wound by the motions of the wearer by either spinning a rotor or oscillating a weight. Failure to wear the watch regularly will cause it to stop once its power reserve is exhausted, which is annoying.
- Balance
The oscillator on a mechanical watch that regulates the movement so it runs in a series of beats or vibrations.
- Balance spring
See Hairspring.
- Balance wheel
An oscillating wheel that regulates the movement by dividing time into regular beats
- Balance cock
A bridge with a lug anchored to a stud. It holds the top pivot of the watch's balance staff.
