Before any woman walks into her first watch boutique, she’ll need to know the basics. Luckily, we’ve put together a helpful guide with all the basic parts of a watch so you can articulate what you’re looking for and choose a timepiece with confidence.
Case
Sometimes known as the case body, the watch case houses the timekeeping mechanism. The design of a case is driven by both aesthetics and functionality which are determined by the intended purpose of the watch. A dress watch is likely to have a smaller thinner case and mirror polished metal surfaces, as opposed to a dive watch which might have a combination of brushed, satin, or polished finishing.
A watch case can also be made out of a variety of materials; plastic, stainless steel, gold, platinum, ruthenium, ceramic, carbon fiber, being just a few of the examples. While choosing a watch does not center solely on case material and design, since it’s the largest part of the watch, materials cost does factor into the final price.
Caseback
The caseback is – as its name implies – the back of the watch case. While this may not seem to be altogether that important since it’s the side that is hugging the wrist, in the past two decades, they have become a sort of canvas for watchmakers to add a bit of flourish.
The most notable among these trends is the inclusion of exhibition casebacks which show off the inner mechanisms. While often associated with high-end horology where watchmakers want to show off their exquisite hand-finishing, these are increasingly being used even on cheaper entry-level watches.
Engraved casebacks are another example of caseback flourish. These can be something as simple as Max Bill’s signature on a Junghans Max Bill, to the cresting wave on a Seiko Diver, to the limited edition artwork on IWC timepieces.
There is, however, also a functional aspect to casebacks, since that’s the access point for the watch mechanism. Snap-in casebacks are the easiest to get into, but also the least secure. A screw-down caseback, on the other hand, is extremely secure and can maintain water resistance. And finally, a monocoque case has no dedicated caseback – they are crafted from a single piece for ultimate pressure resistance and access to the movement can only be done from the dial side.
Bezel
The bezel is the metal frame that holds the crystal (a.k.a. “the glass”) in place. Watches come with a few different bezel styles: plain bezels, tool bezels, jeweled bezels, and no bezels. While this may not seem important, the thickness of a bezel can have a major impact on how a watch wears. Two watches of equal size but with differently sized bezels can seem larger or smaller
Dial
The dial is where the timekeeping action takes place – it’s where you read the time. This is where much of the beauty of a watch comes from and it’s the interaction between dial finishing, materials, and the ratios and contrasts with specific dial elements that gives the watch its particular look and feel.
Dial materials can be anything from gold, silver, steel, titanium, ceramic to mother-of-pearl. Some watch dials feature materials not traditionally associated with watchmaking and can be anything from recycled materials, wood, asteroid, or experimental prototype materials.
Dial finishing can be extremely elaborate as well. They can appear to be matte, radially brushed, polished, lacquered, or they can have combinations of finishing. Some dials are textured with guilloche or tapestry finishes.
Lugs
The lugs are the “legs” of the watch case – the part where the watch strap is attached to. Knowing the lug width of your watch is important if you ever want to change your watch strap. Lug width can vary widely, particularly for women’s watches, and can range anywhere from a tiny 8mm (Fossil Georgia Bone Leather Watch) up to 20mm (Casio Women’s Baby-G). If you are comfortable wear men’s watches, it can go well beyond that as well.
Crown
The crown is one of the smaller and most often overlooked parts of the watch. It can serve several purposes, but is always a method of interacting directly with a watch’s inner workings. Depending on the watch, they are a method of winding the watch, setting the day or date, setting the time, or any combination thereof. Their construction can vary as well with push/pull crowns that are simple to operate and screw-down crowns that can be screwed securely into the watch case to prevent water penetration.
Strap
Perlon, nylon, bracelet, classic leather, take your pick. There's a HUGE selection for women when it comes watch straps. And if you don't like the strap it came with, you can always change it! Here's a link to a little DIY project I did, inspired by Hodinkee's wonderful article about how to make a $75 watch look like a million bucks.
Markers
There are no shortage of choices when it comes to the markers on a watch, and it really depends on the style of the watch itself. For some, it's all about legibility and Arabic numerals are definitely the easiest to read. Tradition might play a role, and when it does Roman numerals give a much more classic look. Stick markers can give a ladies watch a more modern look, while other watches use diamond indexes to give a watch a much fancier look.
Hands
The hands of a watch also depend on the type of watch it is. Minimalist watches tend to use baton hands, which are straight and elongated. Alpha hands are wider at the base, are connected by a narrow base in the center of the dial, and taper all the way to the end. Dauphine hands are popular on traditional watches. Triangular in shape, dauphine hands are faceted and catch the light beautifully. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it'll be enough to get you started!
You're all set with the basic parts of a watch! Now if you're ready to dive deep into the world of women's watches, check out our beginner's guide on different types of complications!