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cabochon - A gem that is highly polished, yet uncut.
calibre - The physical size design or layout style of the internal movement of the watch. Many watch companies have numbered these designs for identification purposes.
carillon - A style of repeater watch that strikes on three chime rods (instead of two) which are tuned to octaves.
case - The primary housing for the internal watch movement.
chronograph - A watch with a complicated feature allowing measurement of fractions of a second and elapsed time, independent of the watch displaying normal time.
chronometer - A watch which has been measured for accuracy and tested for precision by an official testing institute.
chronometer escapement - A high-grade escapement invented in the late 1700s for use in larger style mechanisms (marine or box chronometers) on ships to determine longitude. The most famous type of chronometer escapement is the "detent" style.
Civil Day - The accepted ordinary way of keeping time in most parts of the world. The day is divided into two parts, each from 1-12 hours. One part for day, and one part for night. Also known as the Mean Solar Day.
coin watch - A watch in which a coin is used as the case.
complication - A term used to describe an added feature to a watch, making it more than a simple timepiece. Examples: chronograph, split-chronograph, day, date, month, repeater, etc.
Coordinated Universal Time (U.T.C.) - The official measurement of time throughout the world, completely independent of all time zones.
crown - A knob on the outside of the watch case used for winding the mainspring, setting the time and calendar functions.
crystal - The transparent part over the dial used to protect the dial and hands of the watch. Pocket watch crystals were originally made of glass. Wrist watch crystals are normally made of synthetic materials, such as synthetic mineral crystal or acrylic.
cyclops - A slang term for the small lens on the crystal used to magnify the date.
damaskeen (damascene) - Ornamental engraving on the plates and bridges of a watch. This includes etched designs and geometric patterns.
date - Displayed on a watch dial, the numbers 1-31 represent the days of a calendar month, or the named day of the week and the number of the calendar month. Watches that display perpetual calendar functions will also display the named calendar month and sometimes the leap year cycle (1-4).
demi-hunter case - A style of watch case that has a closed lid or cover over the dial, but a small opening in the center of the lid to read the time without having to open the lid to view the complete dial.
deployant clasp - A hinged fold-over style metal clasp that opens and closes easily, allowing the watch to be placed on the wrist or removed without the use of a traditional buckle.
detent - An internal movement part which locks on part of a mechanism. In the setting mechanism of a watch, a detent could lock into the setting position, winding position and possibly a quickset date position.
dial - The part of a timepiece which allows you to read the time or observe other functions the timepiece may perform. Also known as the face.
digital watch - A watch that displays time directly using Arabic numerals instead of the use of a dial and hands.
display back - The case style of a pocket or wrist watch with a crystal mounted as the case back so the movement may be easily viewed.
double-quick - A setting position from the watch winding stem assembly allowing a person to change the day and date without having to advance the hands through a 24 hour period.
dual-time - A watch that displays the time from two separate time zones. Normally, these watches are made with two separate movements.
ebauche - A commercial term in the watchmaking industry for an unfinished movement. Some companies specialize in the manufacture of rough finished movements, while other companies specialize in the finishing and assembly of these movements.
electric watch - A timepiece which uses the energy from a battery to run electro-mechanical components as well as wheels, gears and pinions that are common to traditional mechanical watches. Electric watches use analog display and were first marketed in 1957 by the Hamilton Watch Company, USA.
electronic watch - A battery powered watch which uses electrical energy to cause a synthetic quarter crystal to vibrate at the very high rate of 100 kilocycles per second. Electronic quartz watches are some of the most accurate watches produced.
Elinvar - Derived from the words "elasticity" and "invariable," this hairspring is composed of a special alloy which does not vary (expand or contract) with temperature change.
Ephemerous Time - The time calculated for the Earth to orbit once around the Sun.
equation of time - The difference between solar time as displayed on a sun dial and Mean Time. With the use of an Equation of Time table, it is possible to calculate Mean Time with the results of a sun dial and conversion tables.
escape wheel - Escaping one pulse at a time, it is the last wheel in a train, and works with the fork or lever.
escapement - A series of internal parts which allow the release of mainspring power through the rotary motion of the watch train of wheels into the back and forth motion of the balance assembly oscillation into equal time intervals.
exposition back - A case style of a pocket or wrist watch where the crystal is mounted as the case back so the movement may be viewed easily.
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