Watches From A-Z: A Fun Directory of All Things Watch-Related

Although you probably don't give much thought to that timepiece on your wrist, watches date back to 15th century Italy. Wristwatches gained popularity in the first part of the 20th century, and by the late 1900s, they became less about timekeeping and more about fashion. Here's a fun A-Z directory of all things watch-related.

Analog - A standard watch with dials, hands, and a 12-hour time span.

Bezel - The ring surrounding the dial of a watch that holds the crystal in place.

Chronograph - Another name for a stopwatch.

Digital - A watch that displays the time in numbers, rather than by a dial.

Escapement - Responsible for timekeeping accuracy, it is a mechanism in a mechanical watch.

Fob - The watch chain that attaches to a vest or belt at one end and a pocket watch on the other.

Gold Plating - A method used to give a watch the appearance of being gold, but at a fraction of the price.

Hands - The rotating pointer on a watch indicating hours, minutes, and seconds.

Integrated Bracelet - A watchband that is part of the case and, therefore, not detachable.

Jewels - Small gemstones that are used in the moving parts of some mechanical watches.

K - The abbreviation for karat, a unit of measurement for gold used in watches and other fine jewelry; 24k is pure gold.

Luminous - The glowing paint used on the hands of the watch.

Mechanical Watch - A watch that operates through a set of gears powered by a spring, which must be wound.

Nurse's Watch - A stainless steel watch with a red second hand.

Pocket Watch - A timepiece kept in the pocket that is usually attached to a vest or belt by a watch fob.

Quartz - A crystal used in quartz analog or digital watches that vibrates at a high frequency for accurate timekeeping.

Rectangular - The shape of the face on a ladies' baguette watch.

Self-Winding - Watches that wind themselves when the wrist is in motion.

Titanium - Watches that are corrosion-resistant, hypoallergenic, and that can tolerate extreme temperatures.

Unparalleled - The quality of Swiss watches, which will always have the "Swiss Made" designation inscribed on them.

Vibration - The movement of a timepiece's pendulum, usually about five to ten per second in a mechanical watch.

Water Resistant - Watches that are unaffected by moisture up to a depth of 100 feet.

Xpensive - The nature of platinum watches, which have a luxurious white luster.

Yellow Gold - The metal traditionally used in combination with other metals or stainless steel for watch casings.

Zone - One of 24 longitudinal divisions of the Earth's surface, which are found on the bezels of watches with world timers.

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