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Watches From A-Z
by: Chris Robertson
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.
Oscillation -
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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