hollandwatchgroup.com uses cookies and similar techniques to make the website function and to offer you a secure website during shopping. In addition, we use cookies to make your shopping experience more personalized. With these cookies we and third parties follow your internet behavior within our site, we display advertisements tailored to your preferences and we collect information to optimize our website. More information?

If you click on 'Agree' or continue on our website, we assume that you agree.

Unfortunately something went wrong

Free delivery Watches above € 50
0-9
24-hour denotationIn digital 24-hour denotation, one o’ clock in the afternoon/pm is shown as 13.00. On an analogue watch dial, the 24-hour denotation often has the shape of a separate dial indicating the hour from 00 – 24.
A
AlarmAlarm function.
AltimeterAn altimeter shows altitude.
Ana-DigiCombined analogdigital watch.
Analog watchWatch with hour, minute and second hands.
Automatic WatchThe spring of the watch is wound by a rotor powered by physical movement. Also called a mechanical watch.
B
BacklightThe pressing of a button lights up the dial.
BezelThe rim of the watch around the watch face securing the crystal. On sports or dive watches the bezel is usually movable.
Big DateWhen the Date denotation on a watch is made up of two separate windows with individually moving numbers, it is called a Big Date.
C
CarbonCoal. Also: Very dark grey colour.
ChronographWatch with a stopwatch function.
ChronometerA watch compliant with the quality standards of the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres. Not to be confused with chronograph.
ComplicationWhen a watch has more functions than just an hour, minutes or seconds, the extra functions are called complications.
D
Date bubbleMagnifying glass in the watch crystal above the date window. Is very common in dive watches.
Day- and Date denotationUsually in the shape of a window on the dial or a separate dial with a pointer.
Digital watchWatch with an LCD dial.
Dual TimeDual Time means the watch can show the time in two different time zones. Also: GMT.
E
ETASwiss watch movement manufacturer owned by Swatch Group.
Eco-DriveA quartz watch battery charged with (sun) light.
F
Fixed BezelA Fixed Bezel is not movable. Usually contains a scale of sorts, for instance a tachymeter.
Fixed LugsUsually, the watch strap or bracelet is attached to the lugs by a removable push pin. On a Fixed Lug watch, the pin is welded to the lugs. The watch strap (usually a NATO-strap) is pulled through the opening between pins and case. Also see: Slip Thru Strap.
Fly Back ChronoA flyback chronograph is a watch complication where the Chrono function can be started, stopped and reset with just one button. Also called Retour-en-vol or Permanent Zero Setting.
G
GMTGMT means the watch can show the time in two different time zones. Also: Dual Time.
GPSGlobal Positioning System
GunmetalDark Grey/Brown metal colour
H
HandwinderWatch movement powered by a hand-wound spring.
I
IndexesThe hour and minutes denotation on an analogue watch.
IndigloA backlight system for Watches which was developed by Timex, incorporating an electroluminescent display for illumination of the watch dial.
IridescentIridescence is the property of certain surfaces that appear to change colour as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Examples of iridescence are soap bubbles and mother of pearl.
K
KineticMechanical quartz watch movement, controlled by a battery charged by a rotor powered generator.
L
LCDLiquid Crystal Display
Laptimer/lap counterLap time memory
LugsThe watch strap is mounted on to the watch case at the lugs.
LumenA luminescent material applied to the numbers, indexes and hands of analogue watches. Usually charged by sunlight and blacklight/ultraviolet light.
LunetteSee: Bezel
M
Mechanical watchA mechanical watch is not powered by a battery, but by a rotor (automatic or kinetic watch), a hand wound spring or spring drive.
Mesh strapAlso called: Milanese, is a strap made from a woven and waltzed steel wire.
Milanese StrapAlso called: Mesh Strap is a strap made from a woven and waltzed steel wire.
Mineral crystal'Regular' glass. Not scratch or shock resistant. Sometimes provided with a protective coating.
MiyotaA Japanese watch movement manufactured by Citizen.
MoonphaseA window on the dial shows the 29.5-day moon cycle.
Movable BezelOn a sports or dive watch, the bezel is often movable. This has several functions. Also: Uni-Directional Bezel.
Multifunction WatchA watch with more than two functions/complications. Usually a day, date and 24-hour denotation.
N
NATO-strapWatch strap made from a durable textile (usually canvas or nylon) with a stainless steel buckle and placeholders.
P
Pepsi bezel(movable) bezel in in the colours red and blue.
Perpetual CalendarA perpetual calendar watch automatically displays (usually up to the year 2100) the correct date for the differing lengths of months and leap years.
Petit secondeSee 'Small second'
Plexiglass / PlexiPlastic. Shock resistant, but not scratch resistant. Can be polished easily.
Pocket WatchWatches with or without a lid(s) worn on a chain in the trouser or vest pocket.
Power reserve indicatorAn indication of how many hours of power a mechanical watch has left before it needs to be rewound.
Q
QuartzWatch movement with an oscillating crystal powered by a battery.
R
Radio controlA quartz watch synchronised with the international atom clock.
Regulator watchA regulator watch is a watch with hours, minutes and seconds on separate dials.
RetrogradeA retrograde watch dial does not display the time and other functions on a round dial, but on a scale. When the pointer reaches the end of the arc, it automatically jumps back to the start.
RondaSwiss watch movement manufacturer.
RotorA contra weight powered by physical movement winding the mechanical watch.
S
Sapphire CrystalScratch resistant glass. Is often supplied with an anti-glare coating. This type of crystal is also shock resistant, but can – in rare circumstances -shatter under extreme pressure/shock.
Screw Lock BackTo be able to withstand higher (water) pressure, the watch back is screwed into the watch case.
Screwed CrownThe watch crown is screwed into the case for protection of the water resistance.
Second time zoneUsually denoted by GMT or Dual Time.
Skeleton watchA skeleton watch is a mechanical watch (although it is occasionally a quartz), where the movement is visible through the front of the watch and often the back of the watch or a small window on the dial.
Slip Thru StrapWatch strap in one piece. The slip through strap is pulled through the gap between the lugs and pin which is underneath the watch case.
Small SecondWhen the second hand of the watch does not run from the central axis, but in a separate dial or display it is called a Small Second. Chronographs usually contain a small second doubling as a stopwatch. Also: Petit Seconde
SolarA quartz watch powered by a solar powered cell.
Spring driveWatch mechanism like in a mechanical watch wound by a mainspring, barrel, automatic winder and stem, to store the watch energy.
Start-Stop HebelLever on top of a chronograph pusher. Used by pilots to start and stop their chronograph with one push.
StretchbandMetal or plastic bracelets where the individual links are held together by an elastic material.
Swiss MadeA watch can only be called Swiss Made when the assembly of the movement and the watch were started, adjusted and checked by a manufacturer in Switzerland. By law at least 50% of the watch, components must be produced in Switzerland. But it is allowed to produce the watch case and strap elsewhere, but all the elements must be delivered to Switzerland unassembled.
Swiss MovementWatch movement manufactured in Switzerland. Some of the best known Swiss watch movement manufacturers are ETA, Ronda, Soprot en Sellita.
Swiss WatchSee: Swiss Made
T
TachymeterThe scale on the watch dial or bezel can be used to compute a speed based on travel time or measure distance based on speed.
TelemeterA Telemeter is a device used to measure distances - a rangefinder - to remote objects/occurrences that can be both seen and heard (like a flash of lightning). The user starts the stopwatch at the moment the occurrence is seen and stops the watch at the moment the occurrence is heard. The second-hand points to the distance on the scale. Originally used for finding naval gunnery.
Tide alarm or -tableDenotes water levels and high tides. Predominantly used by sailors and surfers.
TonneauBarrel shaped.
TourbillionA tourbillion is a cage turning on its axis containing a mechanical watch mechanism. Originally developed to limit wear and tear to the pocket watch movement.
Two-toneBicolour means two colours, usually silver gold or white gold yellow gold. Also called: Two-Tone.
TyvekTyvek is a synthetic material consisting of high-density polyethene. The material can be cut with scissors or a knife, but cannot be torn. It is sometimes used in watch straps.
U
Uni-Directional BezelA bezel that can only be turned in one direction. Often found on dive watches to help the diver estimate the remaining time/air supply. Unidirectionality is a safety measure to avoid accidental changes of the fixed period.
W
Watch mechanismThe driving mechanism of the watch. Well, known types of watch mechanisms are quartz, solar, kinetic.
Workout memorylap timer/lap counter
World timerAn analogue watch (usually in the bezel) shows the time in the 24 time zones of the world.

Copyright ©2022 Holland Watch Group B.V.