Anatomy of a watch: the name of each part, on video
The video guide · 2:39
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You wear it every day. But do you know the name of each part of your watch? Each one has a name, and each one tells you something about your watch. The dial carries the hour markings: it's the face of the watch. The indices mark the hours. Coated with luminous material, they can be read in the dark. Three hands: the hours, the shortest; the minutes; and the seconds hand, the thin one. Watch it: on a quartz, it jumps once a second. On an automatic, it seems to glide. At three o'clock, the little window is the date window. Above the dial, the crystal. Mineral glass most of the time; sapphire, almost scratch-proof, is fitted on barely one watch in twenty in our range. Around the crystal, the bezel. On a dive watch, it only turns one way. Why? If it gets knocked under water, it can only show a longer time than the real one: the error always goes towards safety. On the side, the crown. Pulled out notch by notch, it sets the date, then the time. Screw-down, it's part of the water resistance: always screw it fully back in before going in the water. At the four corners, the lugs. They hold the strap. The gap between two lugs is the lug width: the width of the strap, often twenty or twenty-two millimetres. Not to be confused with the lug-to-lug length, from top to bottom, which decides whether the watch fits your wrist. Turn the watch over: the case back is its identity card. It shows the real water resistance, the one that counts, the case material, and where the movement comes from. Swiss Made follows a precise set of rules. Japan Movt means a Japanese movement. Inside, the movement. In a mechanical one, synthetic jewels act as bearings for the wheel pivots. They reduce wear. But more jewels doesn't mean a better watch. Finally, the clasp: the pin buckle, like a belt, or the deployant clasp, which keeps the watch attached when you open it. Discover a whole selection of watches at Montres Outlet.