Rolex Glossary of Watch Parts & Terminology
Case – the “body” of the watch. It contains the movement and is attached to the band on its extremes.
Dial – the face of the watch on which the hands and hour markers are put on.
Hands – the hour hand, minute hand, and second hand that keeps time.
Crown – the round-shaped winder that allows one to adjust the time, day, date, and movement.
Crystal – the glass that covers the dial. It comes in either a sapphire or plastic crystal.
Bezel – the round, outer-ring that seals the case.
Lugs – the two pointed edges that attach to the bracelet on both top and bottom ends of the case.
Bracelet – or the band, is the piece that wraps around the wrist. It is usually made of stainless steel or gold.
End Piece – the small metal piece that allows the bracelet to be attached to the case.
Spring Bar – a pushpin that holds the bracelet together.
Link – each “link” makes up the bracelet and can be removed or added to fit one’s wrist.
Aftermarket Rolex Parts – non-Rolex made parts that do not display counterfeit Rolex logos or hallmarks.
Arbor – the axle that a gear rides on.
Baguette – ladies style watch featuring a thin rectangular or oval shape.
Balance Spring – controls the swing of the balance.
Bubbleback – expression used to describe the early Rolex Perpetual models, due to the thickness of the case used to house the oversized movement.
Chronograph – in addition to conveying standard time, it also performs a time measuring function such as a stop watch.
Divers’ Extension – a hinged extension within the watch’s bracelet, which allows the bracelet to be lengthened, to fit the divers’ wet suit.
Quick Set – this feature allows the date to be rapidly set via the winding crown, without having the hour hand pass the 12 o’clock position.
Concealed Clasp – the clasp buckle is concealed under the bracelet’s links, appearing to have a continuous flowing bracelet.
Hallmark – a mark or stamp indicating the purity of the metal, or the date, and/or country of import.
Mainspring – the principal spring of a watch that supplies the force of motion to the gear trains.
Perpetual Movement – another term for an automatic or self-winding movement, this movement causes a weight inside the watch to rotate backwards and forwards, thus keeping it in constant tension.
Serial Number – an identification number of a watch, usually engraved between the lugs, this number can often be used to date the production of the watch.
Sweeping Movement – refers to the movement of the second hand quickly ‘ticking’ at approximately 5-8 times per second, thus giving the illusion of sweeping.