Watchionary

Blued screws, also known as ‘blueing’ or ‘fire bluing’, is a process used to improve the appearance and corrosion resistance of steel screws in watches and other precision instruments. It involves heating the screws to a high temperature in a controlled environment, which leads to a thin layer of oxide on the surface of the steel.

A mechanical watch is a timekeeping device that operates without electronic components, relying on intricate gears, springs, and escapements to measure and display time. Its precise movement is powered by winding a mainspring, resulting in the consistent and elegant motion of the watch hands to indicate hours, minutes, and sometimes seconds. There are a wide variety of complications that may be present in a mechanical watch. They add to the functionality of the timepiece and enhance its overall appeal. Complications include automatic winding, calendar, alarm, chronograph, minute repeater, tourbillon, and many more, making mechanical watches a symbol of precision craftsmanship and artisanal horology.

This process is used to create a textured, matte finish on the surface of metal watch components. It involves using a rotary tool with an abrasive surface to lightly abrade the surface of the metal, creating a pattern of fine, parallel lines. This process is often used to finish the case, the bracelet or the bezel of a watch as well as its dial or other visible parts of the movement.

It is a plate or a bar that attaches to the mainplate to create a frame for a mechanical watch's internal mechanisms.

The ring that encircles the watch dial is referred to as the bezel. It holds the watch crystal firmly in position. The bezel of a watch can be basic, ornamental or practical, if it is a diving watch, depending on its style and design. For some purposes, the bezel can be either fixed or rotating.

It consists of two intersecting lines, usually perpendicular to one another, forming a cross shape. Crosshair designs can be created using a variety of techniques, including engraving, printing or laser etching, and they can be found in a wide range of styles and configurations.

It is a continuous tapestry of hollowed lines that, when viewed from a distance, form miniature pyramidal structures and provide depth to an otherwise flat surface.

It is one of the most famous watch movement decorations that consists of a complex pattern of parallel lines created by wave-like scratches on plates, bridges and rotors. It is often referred to as Geneva waves or Geneva stripes.

The little knob that can be seen on a watch's side is known as the watch crown. It can perform a number of tasks, such as winding a mechanical (manually wound) watch or pausing a battery-operated watch to conserve power. Additionally, it may be used to set or modify a watch's time, date and day. The crowns of water-resistant watches are often screwed into the casing.

A graduated 60-minute scale that ‘counts down’ from 60 to zero marks a countdown bezel as its defining feature. This is usually used to figure out how much time remains in an event, like a race. It is also used to keep track of the remaining time (during military strikes, for instance) on pilot or military clocks.

It’s the transparent area of the watch face that shields the hands, the dial and other elements. The crystal's material options include plastic, glass and synthetic sapphire. It functions like a window in a house, protecting the inside from the environment while also enabling you to look within.

Caseback refers to a watch's rear cover. It shields the interior components of a watch and can be taken off to get access to the battery or the movement.

The word, ‘chronograph’, refers to a watch with a stopwatch feature. It means ‘time recorder’. A chronograph displays time in hours, minutes and seconds, along with a mechanism the hand of which can be manually started, stopped or reset to zero. It can be identified by the two or three subdials and two pushers, which are used to start and stop the chronograph without influencing the watch.

Double-signed is a term used to describe a watch or some other precision instrument that bears the signatures or the logos of both the manufacturer and the retailer or distributor. Double-signed watches are typically high-end, luxury items that are sold through authorised dealers or distributors and they are known for their quality and attention to detail. The double-signing of a watch is often seen as a mark of authenticity and exclusivity, and it is often used as a way to differentiate a watch from more affordable, mass-produced alternatives.

A count-up bezel, often known as a diving bezel, measures the amount of time that has passed. It features a rating scale ranging from 0 to 60. A count-up bezel is unidirectional to prevent divers from accidentally turning the bezel in the other direction. The majority of count-up bezels must comply with ISO diving watch specifications, which include utilising a unidirectional bezel with a 60-minute scale.

A ‘double chronograph’ watch has two different stopwatch mechanisms that allow it to monitor two unique events concurrently and comparably.

Enamel is a type of decorative coating that is applied to the surface of metal watch components to create a smooth, glossy finish. It is made from a mixture of powdered glass and a binder, which is applied to the surface of the metal and then fired at a high temperature to create a durable, hard finish. Enamel can be applied to a wide range of metal surfaces, including gold, silver and steel, and it is available in a wide range of colours and finishes.

The escapement of a watch is a mechanism that regulates the release of energy from the mainspring to the movement of the watch, helping maintain its accuracy. It consists of a balance wheel, an anchor and a pallet fork, and it requires regular maintenance to ensure proper functioning.

An ‘equation of time’ watch shows the difference between ‘true’ solar time (that of Nature) and ‘mean' solar time (that of Man). It is a representation of our physical world that closely ties the watch to the sun's cycle to get to the heart of how we keep track of time. It is commonly supplemented with other astronomical signs.

It involves creating a pattern on the surface of a metal component by pressing a thin layer of metal into a textured mould, creating a raised relief on the surface of the component. Flinqué patterns are typically created using a thin sheet of gold or other precious metals and they are known for their intricate, detailed appearance.

It is a type of transmission system used in some mechanical watches to help maintain a consistent rate of power delivery to the movement. It consists of a cone-shaped pulley, called a fusée, and a fine chain that connects the fusée to the mainspring. As the mainspring unwinds, the chain transfers power to the fusée, which helps maintain a consistent rate of power delivery even as the mainspring winds down.

Guilloché is a decorative technique used in the manufacture of watches and other precision instruments. It involves using a specialised tool, called a rose engine, to create intricate, repeating patterns on the surface of a metal component. The patterns are typically created by cutting a series of fine, parallel lines into the metal, using the rose engine, which can be adjusted to produce a wide range of patterns with varying levels of complexity.

This is a process used to create a smooth, uniform finish on the surface of metal watch components. It involves using a rotary tool with an abrasive surface to remove small amounts of material from the surface of the metal.

Multiple time zones may be read using a GMT or a dual-time bezel. The bezel has a 24-hour scale and a zero marker, which is often shaped like a triangle. A 24-hour hand is usually included in a GMT watch.

A GMT watch is a timepiece that shows both the 24-hour and 12-hour time scales. In other words, instead of twice a day, the 24-hour hand circles the dial once a day, its tip pointing to the corresponding hour, removing any doubt about whether it's a.m. or p.m. The 24-hour clock hands are usually of a different colour and rotate half as fast as the 12-hour hands.