WATCH LEXICON

Here we have compiled a selection of the most important watch terms and technical terms for you and give you a brief explanation.

You will find information about handling and care of your watch under Watch Care.

AUTOMATIC

In watches with automatic movement, the mainspring is tensioned by a swinging weight or rotor in the center of the movement. The movements of the wearer thus wind the watch evenly and permanently. At best, the watch has to be moved daily in order not to stand still. Daily rate deviations are normal and accumulate over time.

CHRONOGRAPH

The additional function of short time measurement allows the second hand to be started, stopped and then reset to its initial position independently. Combined with other complementary complications, the chronograph makes a wristwatch a truly multifunctional tool.

CHRONOMETER

Chronometers are precision watches that have been finely adjusted over a period of 15 days in different positions and at different temperatures. However, a watch set in this way is not considered a chronometer until it has received the chronometer certificate from an official testing agency.

PERPETUAL CALENDARS

The so-called perpetual calendar can display the correct date up to the year 2100 without external intervention. The perpetual calendar not only shows the hours, minutes and seconds, but also the date, day of the week, month, year and often the phases of the moon. Leap years are also taken into account.

PILOTS WATCHES

Pilot's watches are models that have been developed to meet the needs of pilots. Often they are chronographs which are particularly easy to read, sometimes with a larger crown.

FLYBACK

The complicated flyback mechanism enables a chronograph to set the stop hand to zero while the time is being measured. When the pusher is released, a new time measurement starts.

ACCURACY DIFFERENCE

The accuracy of mechanical watches depends on environmental influences such as temperature, the position of the movement and the air pressure. Fluctuations of up to 6 seconds per day are a very good value. Even deviations of up to 30 seconds per day are not considered errors. In order to keep the rate deviation of your watch as small as possible, it is recommended to place the watch in different positions.

POWER RESERVE / DURATION

The power reserve indicator shows how long the watch will run correctly before it comes to a standstill without any further winding or movement (automatic).

BLUED HANDS / SCREWS

Deep blue and hardened hands or screws made of steel, which are heated to approx. 290° degrees centigrade and get their color after cooling.

GUILLOCHE

Uniform ornaments and patterns applied by hand or machine to the dial or case.

MANUAL WINDING

For watches with manual winding, the mainspring must be wound manually via the crown.

CALIBER

Designation for distinguishing and classifying the movement, i.e. the model name of the movement, so to speak.

SMALL SECOND

A small second is displayed decentrally, i.e. not in the center of the dial.

COMPLICATION

Complex additional functions such as a calendar, chronograph or alarm clock are called complications in a mechanical watch.

CROWN

The crown on the side of the case is used to set the watch or, to tension the mainspring.

BEZEL

There are very different bezels depending on the type of watch. A bezel can be firmly attached to the case as a decorative ring, for example with diamonds. Rotating bezels, as in diving watches, for example, are provided with minute markers, while in other watches the bezel serves as a display for a second local time.

MANUFACTURE

A watch manufacturer who produces movements and essential parts of watches himself.

MECHANICAL WATCH

A mechanical watch is driven by a mechanical movement with the help of gears, etc.

MOON PHASE

The moon phase indicates the position of the moon via a rotating disc, mostly from the northern hemisphere.

QUARTZ

In the electric quartz movement, a crystal is made to vibrate evenly, which drives the watch motor via a chip. Quartz watches have the advantage of a higher accuracy and allow for smaller movements. The biggest disadvantage is the environmental poisoning caused by the battery and the necessity to change the battery.

REGULATOR

A watch known as a regulator stands out due to its single, large and central minute hand. The hour and second hands are located decentrally in smaller areas of the dial.

REPETITION

A repeator is a complication in a mechanical watch that chimes the hours and often minutes at the press of a button.

RETROGRADE DISPLAY

The retrograde display refers to a complication in which the time or date hand moves over a certain segment and then jumps back to the starting position when it reaches the end.

SPLIT SECONDS / RATTRAPANTE

A split second is a secondary second hand which is synchronized with the actual second hand and "dragged along". The slave hand can be interrupted while the normal second hand continues to move. This allows an intermediate time to be read. This makes a split-seconds hand a precursor to the stopwatch function.

SCREWED BOTTOM

The back of a watch is screwed into the case with a thread.

SCREW CROWN

In a screw-in crown, the crown is screwed to the case and thus ensures a higher water resistance.

SKELETTING

A skeletonized movement reveals the mechanical heart of the watch. All superfluous material is removed by sawing out bridges, plates, dials and even rotors.

TACHYMETER

A scale on the dial or bezel for measuring speed.

DIVER'S WATCH

A diver's watch is usually waterproof to a depth of at least 100m, or 10 bar pressure. The diver's watch is used to measure the diving time and is equipped with a rotating bezel for this purpose. For safety reasons this can only be turned counter-clockwise. This way the duration of the dive cannot be dangerously prolonged by mistake. As Rent a Box watches are second hand watches, the information provided by Rent a Box and not those which may be printed on the watch apply. More about this in the AGB under §7. AGB unter §7.

TOURBILLON

The tourbillon eliminates the influence of gravity on the balance, which lead to inaccuracies in the rate.

BALANCE

The balance wheel is a precisely manufactured, compact wheel which in principle fulfills the same function as a pendulum. The balance wheel generates a temporally defined movement which is then converted into a movement of the clock hands.

CENTRAL SECOND

The central second is a second hand located in the center of the dial.

SECOND TIME ZONE

The second time zone is one of the most popular complications in high-quality mechanical wristwatches. Depending on the model, it is indicated by an additional hand and a 24-hour scale, an additional small sub-dial or an adjustable ring showing the time zones. The latter is typically in the form of city names, usually the reference city of the time zone.