A date complication that displays both the day of the week and numeric day of the month.
Quite literally indicates whether a 12-hour cycle is day or night (similar to an AM or PM designation). This can be particularly useful when paired to a second time zone. The indicator often works in tandem with a moon phase complication.
A feature in which a mechanical watch jumps the seconds hand once per second, similar to an analog quartz watch, instead of traditionally sweeping it to the vibrations of the balance wheel. It’s a difficult and complex mechanism usually reserved for expensive luxury watches. Also known as jumping seconds, seconde morte, or true seconds.
A more sophisticated type of watch strap buckle than the common pin buckle that folds in on itself and snaps closed. The strap is initially adjusted by securing a pin into the proper hole, allowing the wearer to then simply release the buckle to remove and refold to wear. It extends the life of a leather strap and allows it to function more like a bracelet.
The face of a watch that displays the hands, time indicators and complications under the crystal. Some watches, such as those that are fully skeletonized, don’t have traditional dials.
A feature that uses printed Arabic numerals on discs instead of traditional hands to display time elements, usually through windows on the dial (hours or both hours and minutes, for example). It can also refer to an electronic time display via an LCD screen.
A water resistant watch specifically designed for underwater use. Dive watches generally require a rotating bezel to track air time, excellent legibility with ample luminescence and a significant depth rating (a minimum of 100 meters). Professional dive watches usually meet established standards such as ISO 6425, which requires specific minimum depth ratings, shock resistance, visibility, bezel indications and more.
A coating in which heated carbon is blasted onto a stainless steel surface and then cooled very quickly, forming a black protective layer that’s extremely hard and scratch resistant (similar to synthetic diamonds)
A split-seconds chronograph that can time multiple events simultaneously with an additional, independently controlled chronograph seconds hand. This is also known as the rattrapante or double chronograph.
An advanced mechanism where a tourbillon escapement is mounted in a secondary cage rotating in a different direction and at a different speed in order to increase accuracy and counteract gravitational pull on the balance spring.
A watch designed to be worn with formal attire, usually minimalistic, relatively thin and either hand-wound or automatic. Many dress watches are simple time-only pieces, often without even a seconds hand and generally delicate (no significant water resistance, etc.).
A watch that displays two time zones via a second hour hand. For example, New York and London time can be viewed simultaneously.
