An unassembled or incomplete watch movement that contains the main components. Generally known as a movement kit to be assembled (often without the escapement parts), ebauches are usually finished, adjusted and/or decorated (and sometimes modified) by the watchmakers of the purchasing brand.
A very difficult process of coating a metal dial base with a powder of mostly silica and then heating it to very high temperatures. The process is often repeated to create multiple layers, resulting in a deep glassy surface that’s almost impossible to replicate with any other method.
A decorative, labor-intensive technique using a rose engine (hand-operated lathe) that engraves intricate geometric patterns into watch dials, cases and even parts of a movement. Patterns include solar, barley, hobnail, sunburst and many more. Also known as guilloché.
A traditional finishing technique used to decorate dials, cases and movement components. It can be executed entirely by hand or with a machine like a rose engine lathe. The process is to carefully remove material by using a cutting tool. One of the most common engraving styles are floral patterns.
Measures the variation of the lengths of days throughout a year. For example, during parts of the year, days can fluctuate by around 20 seconds above or below 24 hours. This is caused by the Earth’s orbit around the sun being slightly elliptical and the sun’s eastward passage throughout the year being fastest at the solstices and slowest at the equinoxes. Clocks and watches, however, measure time at a steady rate, known as mean time, while solar time fluctuates as mentioned above – the equation of time is the offset between mean time and solar time.
A long-toothed wheel that’s part of the escapement, controlled by two jeweled pallet forks that lock and unlock it based on the balance wheel’s amplitude.
A part of a mechanical movement that translates the rotational energy of the balance wheel to impulses via pallet forks locking and unlocking with the escape wheel. This manages and regulates the release of power from the mainspring and provides the tick-tock sound heard from the movement.
A watch caseback with an integrated transparent window to display the movement. The window is usually sapphire or hardened glass, sometimes tinted or decorated with prints or other details.
