Watch Key Terms To Know

Introduction to Watch Key Terms

Watches are a sophisticated staple piece for everyone’s wardrobe. Modern timepieces are capable of doing so much more than simply ticking away the seconds in a day. Many manufacturers add watch complications, which are useful features or functions that add to a timepiece's functionality, making them an even more vital and useful tool than they already are. It’s important to learn the essential watch key terms to understand what components to look for in a watch. Find a timepiece that fits with your fashion and lifestyle with Thom Duma Fine Jewelers.

Watch Movements

A watch can do many things, and it all begins with it’s inner mechanism—the watch movement. Also known as a caliber, the movement is the machinery that keeps a watch’s hands ticking. In the oldest examples, a manual mechanism tightly winds a mainspring, releasing the stored kinetic energy in bursts that coincide with seconds and keep time. These were followed by “self-winding” watches, also known as automatic watches, which have a counterweight to the mainspring that uses the inertia of the wrist when moving to wind the watch. Now, modern timepieces have quartz movements that use a small battery to provide power.

Watch Body
Protecting the movement is the case, a metal or ceramic container that forms the body of the watch. A bezel of the same material keeps a clear dome, called the crystal, firmly in place, regardless of if the crystal is made of glass, acrylic, or synthetic sapphire. Enclosed between these is the dial which is made up of hands that move around a circle of ascending numerals that displays the time. Either on top or on the side of the case lies the crown, a knob that either adjusts the current time or is used to wind the watch, depending upon your model.

Watch Complications

Many watches also include additional features such as a chronograph. Also called a stopwatch, a chronograph makes use of additional toggles to stop, start, or reset a timer, for a more precise and accurate measurement of time elapsed. Another popular option is a GMT complication, which allows one to have the time of another time zone displayed in addition to the current time zone. However, for more broad measurements, there are also complications that display the current month, date, and even day of the week, as well as moon phase indicators that accurately tell you what current phase the moon is in.

Why Shop for Luxury Watches at Thom Duma Fine Jewelers?

At Thom Duma Fine Jewelers, we provide a premium selection of high-quality watches and designer jewelry in various styles made to fit any aesthetic. Proudly serving the Mahoning Valley since 1896, at our Warren, Ohio jewelry store we welcome residents in Newton Falls, Lake Milton, and Cortland to visit our showroom. Let our experienced staff assist with finding your next luxury timepiece and provide you with a memorable shopping experience. We offer several services such as appraisal, jewelry repair, and watch repair. Visit us today or contact us online and see what shopping from a family business feels like.