Watch Glossary

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

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

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

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.

Seiko's unique technology combining mechanical precision with quartz accuracy using a mainspring.

Software design allowing smartwatch apps to function independently without tethered smartphone

Movement minimum 60% Swiss-manufactured content, Sellita SW200/500, ETA movements qualify

Omega's proprietary silicon hairspring providing superior stability and anti-magnetic properties.

Electronic adjustment system maintaining quartz accuracy across temperature variations

Advanced quartz movement with temperature compensation for superior chronometric stability.

Intermediate wheel in gear train that transfers power between barrel and center wheel

Shape of gear teeth affecting smoothness and efficiency of power transmission

Mechanism encasing the balance wheel assembly in rotating cage to counteract gravity effects.

Swiss chronograph movement, column wheel, 42-hour reserve, basis for many luxury chronographs

On-device audio processing enabling voice commands without cloud transmission

Software interface allowing third-party developers to design proprietary watch displays

Basic disc of metal before teeth are cut to create functional gear wheel

Gear on the crown shaft that engages the ratchet wheel during manual mainspring winding.

Shaft that connects crown to keyless works for manual winding and time setting functions

Fork-shaped component that actuates setting lever when pulling crown outward

Legendary integrated chronograph, 36,000 bph, 50-hour reserve, haute horlogerie standard