They’re displayed on the dial and range from chronographs (stop watches) to subdials on the face which can track alternative measurements like dates or seconds. The ComplicationsĬomplications are unique features that designers can add to their watches to give them extra use. Other designers choose the “skeleton” design, where the gorgeous watch engineering and the movement of the gears is completely visible. MICHELE watches, for example, choose materials like iridescent mother of pearl. Traditionally made from enamel or brushed metal, a dial can be made from more exotic materials because they’re protected on all sides by the case and crystal.

The dial is the “presentation” of the watch, where the hands and numerals are kept. The latter, quartz movements, were first devised by Seiko in the 1970s and provide a democratic alternative to the top-shelf nature of mechanical watches. A movement can be powered by kinetic or mechanical energy, where turning the crown or a ratcheting weight reserves power in the mainspring or by an electrical battery that causes a quartz crystal to vibrate. While the case is the part of the watch that’s most visible, the movement is the heart of a watch that makes the hands turn. This is usually the part where designers feel most comfortable adding gold and more fragile materials like diamond. The bezel is a ring that sits atop the case and connects the crystal to it. This keeps them from deforming or getting damaged by daily wear. In the modern age, cases are usually built from ultra-durable materials like stainless steel and ceramics designed by horologists like TAG Heuer. The case is, as the name implies, the case in which the moving parts of the watch are kept and protected from the elements. Today, we’re going to discuss the various important parts that make up a watch, from inside to outside. What’s the difference between the case and the dial? Or the movement and complications? Well, have no fear! Rogers Jewelry Co.

Watchmaking has always required a design in which all parts come together to make a beautiful whole that’s greater than the sum of its-well, parts.īut in many cases, new watch owners may not know about all the parts that are described when a jeweler discusses timepieces. A watch is a remarkable piece of art and science, crafted with both aesthetic and mechanical considerations in mind.

Build watch timepiece from parts