Helpful Watch Terms
Analog / Analogue
A watch that shows time using a mechanical movement of hands (minute hand, hour hand).
Automatic
Synonym for a mechanical watch with automatic winding. The movement of your wrist makes the rotor (oscillating weight) turn, thereby winding up the mainspring of the watch movement.
Chronograph
Wrist or pocket watch incorporating an additional stopwatch mechanism (start, stop and back to zero functions).
Chronometer
A watch of extremely high precision and accuracy, tested in several positions and under different temperatures and which has obtained an official rating certificate which testifies that it meets 7 criteria and achieves an average rate of -4 to +6 seconds per day. (chronos = time, meter = measure). A Chronometer rating can only be issued by the official Swiss chronometer-testing bureau, C.O.S.C.
C.O.S.C.
Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (Official Swiss Chronometer-testing bureau). Founded in 1973, COSC has its headquarters in la Chaud-de-Fonds and branches in Bienne, etc, where all chronometers are tested and rating certificates are issued.
Learn more about Swiss Watches
Mechanical Movement
Mechanical movement watches are powered by means of a mainspring working in conjunction with a balance wheel. The mainspring is either wound up manually in a handwinding watch or by the swinging weight (Rotor) through the movement of the arm in an automatic watch. Mechanical movement is different to Quartz movement, which is powered by a battery or some other source of electricity.
Quartz Movement
A Quartz Watch is a watch whose time function is determined by the vibrations generated by quartz. A quartz watch is powered by battery and therefore the term 'quartz watch' is sometimes used synonymously with the term 'battery powered watch'. A quartz watch can display time either in analogue or digital form. Quartz is generally considered to be very accurate, departing from true time at the average rate of about 1 minute per year or +/- ½ second per day (see Chronometer for mechanical comparison). The Quartz time function was first invented by 2 Americans in the 1930's, and first prototyped by in watch form by the Swiss in 1967. However, it was the Japanese (Seiko) that first successfully mass-produced a Quartz wristwatch in 1969.