Design, materials and production are the main factors in the formation of consumer properties of watches (functional, ergonomic, etc.).

The most common clock designs are mechanical clocks - pendulum and balance. The mechanism of such watches consists of six main parts (assemblies) and additional assemblies. The main ones include the engine, transmission mechanism, regulator, descent, spring winding mechanism and transfer of arrows and pointer mechanism.

Engine. It is the source of energy that drives the entire watch mechanism.

Two types of engines are distinguished in mechanical watches: weight-bearing (in pendulum), which is called a weight drive, and spring (in balance).

Energy kettlebell engine is transmitted by the force of gravity of the lifted weight through the wheel system to the pendulum, which serves as a control regulator for the action of the escapement (stroke) of the clock. In a watch-clock, when the weight is lowered down, the chain rotates the wheel from left to right, which ensures the rotation of the entire wheel mechanism.

The kettlebell engine is the simplest in design (Fig. 10), it works only in stationary conditions. Compared to a spring-loaded kettlebell motor, it transmits forces (by lowering the kettlebell) through the wheel gear to the travel controller; such efforts are not always constant and this creates the stability of the engine.

Spring motor drives the clock with a wound spring, which transfers the energy supply through the wheel system and the stroke to the regulator, maintaining its oscillations (Fig. 11). This engine is usually found in portable clocks (wrist, pocket, alarm clocks, table and wall clocks), where the regulator is a balance with a hair (spiral). There may also be spring motors in some types of stationary clocks (in wall clocks and partially in desktop clocks), where the pendulum serves as a regulator.

There are engines with a drum and without a drum.

A spring motor with a drum is used in wrist, pocket, table and wall clocks, as well as in small alarm clocks. The drum is a cylindrical box, ending with a toothed rim along the outer perimeter. The spring, placed in the drum, is fastened with an inner coil to the roller by a hook, and with an outer coil - to the inner wall of the drum using a lining. The drum with the spring and axle installed in it is closed with a lid, which prevents dust from getting between the coils of the spring. In watches of a simplified design - alarm clocks, table and wall clocks - the winding spring does not have a drum, and one end of it is attached to the roller, and the other to one of the blocks of the mechanism. There are various ways of attaching the outer coil of the spring to the inner wall of the drum.

Mainsprings are made from a special iron-cobalt alloy or carbon steel with appropriate heat treatment. The spring must have elasticity along its entire length and uniform elasticity. From the mainspring, not only an elastic force is required that can set the watch mechanism in motion, but also a certain duration and stability of the watch from one full winding of the spring.

The duration of the watch depends on the thickness and length of the spring.

The working and design characteristic of the winding spring is its torque(the product of the elastic force of the spring and the number of revolutions). The spring has the greatest torque in the wound state, and in the process of operation, its moment decreases. The uneven force created by the spring during operation affects the accuracy of the watch, therefore, in the manufacture of their mainspring, they are calculated so that its torque for a given stroke duration is maximum.

transmission mechanism. This mechanism is called wheel system or gear train, as well as engagement. It consists of a series of gears, the number of which depends on the type of mechanism.

The gears propagate the movement and transmit the energy coming from the engine to the entire mechanism. The wheel and the tribe attached to it form a knot. The meshed wheel and pinion make up gear pair. The wheel has a larger diameter and makes less revolutions than the pinion. Compared to the wheel, the pinion has fewer teeth and makes as many revolutions as many times its diameter is smaller than the diameter of the large wheel. The wheel is considered leading, and the tribe is driven.

In wrist and pocket watches, alarm clocks and some table clocks, the transmission mechanism consists of four gear pairs: a central wheel with a pinion, an intermediate wheel with a pinion, a second wheel with a pinion and a pinion of the running (anchor) wheel.

The rotation of the wheel system is transmitted by the force of the wound spring from the drum to the road wheel. Each gear pair in engagement provides a certain gear ratio depending on the ratio of the diameters of the wheel and the pinion or on the ratio of the number of their teeth. The speed of rotation of the individual axes of the gear train is chosen in such a way that they are used to count the time in minutes and seconds. So, the axis of the central wheel makes one revolution per hour, and the second one - one revolution per minute.

The number of gear pairs of the transmission mechanism depends on the type of watch movement. So, table clocks with a 7- and 14-day winding have an additional wheel with a tribe, pendulum clocks with a 2-week winding also have an additional wheel, and for clock-clocks, the transmission mechanism consists of only two nodes - the central and intermediate wheels and the running tribe wheels,

The wheel system is going to platinum, which forms the base of the clockwork. Platinum is a massive brass plate compared to the parts of the assembled wheel system (Fig. 12). In addition to mounting holes pins(ends) of the axles of the wheels, platinum in wrist and pocket watches has a whole series of various grooves, depressions and protrusions that increase its mechanical strength and make it possible to place clockwork parts on a relatively small area. Opposite ends of the axles of the wheels are fixed in holes bridges, which are shaped, somewhat massive parts, fixed with pins and screws on platinum.

In watch mechanisms of a simplified design, the ends of the axles rotate directly in the holes of plane trees and bridges.

In high-quality watch mechanisms, to reduce friction and wear of the axles, stone supports made of synthetic corundum are used, which has the lowest coefficient of friction and high hardness (on the Mohs scale of 9).

watch stones divided into functional and non-functional.

The functional stone serves to stabilize friction or reduce the rate of wear of the contact surfaces of watch mechanism parts. Functional stones include: stones with holes that serve as radial or axial supports, or both at the same time; stones that contribute to the transmission of force or movement, or both at the same time, for example, the supports of an oscillatory system; stones without holes, serving as axial supports, etc.

Non-functional stones include: decorative stones and their substitutes; stones covering stone holes, but not being an axial support, such as an oiler; stones that serve as a support for moving parts, such as bill of exchange, clock, drum and transmission wheels, winding shaft, etc.; stones serving to limit the accidental displacement of an oscillating mass or serving as a support for a date disc, calendar disc, etc.

Watch stones are very tiny in size, they have different shapes: with a through cylindrical or non-cylindrical hole, with a small funnel-shaped recess on one side of the hole to hold the watch oil, false blind stones with a flat supporting surface (Fig. 13). The stones are pressed into the corresponding holes of the platinum and bridges, and the pins of the axis are installed in the holes of the stone.

Wristwatches, depending on the design, have from 15 to 33 stones, the number of which to a certain extent determines the quality of the watch.

Regulator. The regulator, or oscillatory system, in a mechanical watch is a pendulum or a balance with a spiral (hair).

Pendulum used only in stationary clocks. It consists of a rod, at the lower end of which there is a lens. The lens has the shape of a flat disk or lentil and usually rests on a nut, by turning which you can lower or raise the lens relative to the pendulum rod.

In simple pendulum clocks, a wire suspension is used for the pendulum.

In pendulum clocks of higher quality, spring suspensions are used in the form of one or two flat springs (Fig. 14), fixed at the ends with two brass blocks. The pads have steel pins protruding with their ends on both sides of the pad. The upper pin is fixed in a split bracket mounted on the back wall of the clock case, and a pendulum is hung on the lower pin of the block with a double hook.

To bring the clock into action, it is necessary to deviate the pendulum from the equilibrium position. The angle of deviation of the pendulum from the equilibrium position is called oscillation amplitude, and the time of a complete swing of the pendulum from the extreme right deviation to the extreme left and back is called period of oscillation.

The period of oscillation depends on the length of the pendulum rod. If the clock is behind, then the lens should be raised up, i.e., reduce the length of the pendulum, and thereby shorten the period of oscillation, and vice versa, if the clock is in a hurry, then the lens should be moved down, which increases the period of oscillation.

balance regulator used in portable watches (wrist, pocket, etc.). It is an oscillatory system in the form of a balance with a spiral.

The balance-spring system is one of the critical components of the watch mechanism.

The balance consists of a thin round rim with a crossbar mounted on a steel axle. Balances are screw and screwless. For screw balances, screws are screwed into the rim to balance the rim and to adjust the oscillation period when selecting the spiral (Fig. 15). Screwless balances are used in watches of modern design. Compared to screw ones, they have a lower mass (weight), which reduces friction in the balance supports, a stronger rim, which is less susceptible to deformation; the absence of screws makes it possible to increase the outer diameter of the rim and, accordingly, increase the moment of inertia without increasing the mass of the balance.

The spiral (hair) is made of nickel alloy. This is an elastic spring, the inner end of which is embedded in a brass bushing called a spiral shoe. The block together with the spiral is put on (pressed) on the upper part of the balance axis, and the outer end of the spiral is pinned into the hole of the column located in the balance bridge.

Under the action of the energy (impulses) coming from the engine, the balance makes oscillatory movements, rotating, makes turns in one direction and the other - either starts or unwinds the spiral. In turn, the lockable, then the released wheel transmission of the clock mechanism periodically moves. Such a movement can be observed in watches by the jump-like movement of the second hand.

The balance in most watches makes 9,000 complete oscillations per hour. The balance fluctuation period is measured in seconds; it is the time it takes the balance to make a full swing from the extreme left deviation to the extreme right and back. In wristwatches, the oscillation period is usually 0.4 s. There are wristwatches with a balance oscillation period of 0.36 or 0.33 and 0.20 s. For small-sized alarm clocks, the balance oscillation period is 0.4 s, for large ones - 0.5 or 0, 6 s.

The amplitude of balance fluctuations is measured in angular degrees from the equilibrium position of the balance to the left or to the right. The equilibrium position is considered to be such a balance position when the ellipse is on a straight line connecting the centers of rotation of the balance axis and the axis of the anchor fork. The equality of the right and left amplitudes is a necessary condition for the accurate running of the clock.

The period of oscillation of the balance can be adjusted by changing the length of the spiral with a thermometer.

Thermometer consists of an arrow pointer fixed on the balance bridge. In the tail part of the thermometer there are two pins, between which the outer coil of the spiral passes. The outer turn of the spiral, as mentioned above, is fixed in a column installed in the balance bridge. The pins of the thermometer form, as it were, the second attachment point of the outer coil of the spiral. By turning the thermometer in one direction or another, lengthen or shorten the length of the spiral, thereby changing the period of balance oscillation. When the spiral is lengthened, the oscillation period increases and the clock begins to lag, and when the spiral length is shortened, the oscillation period decreases and the clock begins to rush.

For the convenience of adjusting the accuracy of the clock, the signs "+" (speed up) and "-" (slow down) are put on the balance bridge. When the thermometer pointer moves towards the "+" sign, the pins located in the tail part of the thermometer move away from the column, shortening the length of the working part of the spiral.

Often a thermometer with a movable column is used, which improves the quality of the clock adjustment (Fig. 16). It consists of a column regulator and a thermometer itself with a pin and a lock. Together with the column regulator, the thermometer also rotates. By turning the thermometer relative to the spiral column regulator, the effective length of the spiral changes. This design of the thermometer provides a more accurate setting of the equilibrium position of the balance, called "pumping out the balance."

Descent(move). It is a watch mechanism assembly located between the gear train and the regulator. The descent is a running device that serves to periodically transfer engine energy to the regulator to maintain its uniform oscillation and, accordingly, uniform rotation of the wheels.

Running devices are of two types - anchor and cylinder.

Anchor (in the lane with it. Anker - bracket) move can be non-free and free.

Not free escape route used in stationary clocks with a pendulum regulator. The move consists of an anchor wheel and an anchor fork (bracket) axis fixed on the roller with curved ends, called pallets: input at the left end, output at the right (Fig. 17). In a non-free running device, the regulator constantly interacts with the details of the descent during oscillation.

The principle of operation of a non-free escape passage is that when the pendulum is deflected to the left, the left (input) pallet rises and at the same time the right (output) pallet falls between the teeth of the escape wheel. The anchor wheel gets the opportunity to turn one tooth. The oscillations of the pendulum create a continuous cycle of uniform movement of the clock mechanism.

The type of non-free descents also includes a cylindrical course. It consists of a running wheel with figured (in the form of trihedral heads) teeth and a hollow cylinder with a balance mounted on it. The cylinder descent has no intermediate link between the running (cylinder) wheel and the travel controller (balance). The running wheel directly affects the balance assembly. The cylinder, which is the axis of the balance, has side cutouts forming, on the one hand, the inlet and outlet impulse jaws, and on the other hand, a cutout - a pass for the passage of the figured leg of the tooth of the running (cylinder) wheel. The teeth of the travel wheel for the entire period of balance fluctuations are in interaction with the cylinder.

The domestic industry does not manufacture watches with a cylinder escapement, since this watch design is considered technically and morally obsolete.

Free anchor passage There are two types - pin and pallet.

At the pin run, the anchor fork is made of brass, and steel pins serve as input and output pallets (Fig. 18). Such a move is used in ordinary alarm clocks, as well as in table clocks with an alarm clock mechanism.

The pallet move (Fig. 19) is used in wrist, pocket, table and wall clocks, partly in chess and alarm clocks (in small-sized production of the Second Moscow Watch Factory). The travel consists of a steel running (anchor) wheel with a tribe, a steel anchor fork with two pallets and a double roller mounted on the balance axis. This should also include two restrictive pins fixed in the platinum of the clockwork.

The anchor wheel has teeth of a special shape, the flat top of these teeth is called the plane of momentum (moment), and the side surface of the teeth is called the plane of rest.

The anchor fork has two arms with grooves. Pallets made of synthetic ruby ​​and a shank (tail part of the fork) are inserted into them, equipped at the end with two safety horns and a rectangular groove, in the middle of which there is a safety spear.

The pallets also have, like the escape wheel teeth, impulse and rest planes, which interact with the same planes of the escape wheel teeth.

The inner sides of the horns of the shank are planes interacting with the impulse stone (ellipse).

The anchor wheel and the anchor fork are mounted on steel axles.

A double roller is mounted on the balance axis. The double roller has two rollers: upper (large) and lower (small). The top roller carries the impulse stone. The lower roller has a cylindrical recess located under the ellipse. This roller interacts with the lance of the anchor fork and is a safety one.

The principle of operation of the free anchor pallet move is as follows. Under the force of the mainspring, the escape wheel tends to rotate and, through its tooth, exerts pressure on the input pallet, pressing the shank against the stop pin. Under the action of the spiral, the balance oscillates freely and introduces an ellipse into the groove of the anchor fork. The ellipse strikes against the inner surface of the right horn of the shank, and the fork rotates through the angle of rest. The escape wheel tooth moves from the rest plane to the impulse plane of the input pallet, the left horn of the fork moves away from the stop pin, and the momentum transfer from the escape wheel through the fork to the balance begins. For a full period of balance oscillation, the escape wheel will rotate one tooth.

The mechanism of winding the spring and the translation of the arrows. This mechanism, called repairman, is a watch mechanism assembly consisting of a number of parts. The assembly engages the winding shaft with the pointer mechanism (when the hands are turned) or engages the winding shaft with the spring winding assembly.

In common designs of the wrist watch mechanism, the assembly of winding the spring and transferring the hands consists of the following parts: a winding shaft with a crown screwed on its outer end; a winding tribe loosely seated on the cylindrical part of the winding shaft, and a cam (winding) clutch with freedom of longitudinal displacement is installed on the square section of the winding shaft; winding lever; crank springs; clockwork (crown) wheel; winding wheel lining; transfer lever; fixing springs; two transfer wheels - small and large.

The winding pinion and the cam clutch have oblique end teeth with which they come into contact with each other. The cam clutch has an annular groove, which includes the tail of the crank.

When translating the hands, the crown is pulled out, the winding lever moves the cam clutch down until it engages with the small transfer wheel, which transmits the movement to the large transfer wheel, and the latter rotates the bill wheel with the bill tribe. The bill wheel rotates the minute, and the tribe - the hour wheel. The locking spring is used to fix the positions of the transfer lever.

After moving the hands by pressing the crown, the winding shaft returns to its normal position, the transfer lever moves, and the locking spring fixes it in this position. The released winding lever moves the cam clutch up until its teeth engage with the teeth of the winding tribe.

To wind the spring, the crown is rotated clockwise. Together with the winding shaft, the cam clutch and the winding pinion rotate. The latter rotates the drum wheel through the winding wheel and thus winds the spring. The drum wheel has a locking (ratchet) device, which is called a pawl with a spring. This device interacts with the teeth of the drum wheel and serves to fix the drum from the reverse untwisting of the mainspring.

When winding the spring, the pawl comes out of the teeth of the drum and slides over their surface. When the winding stops, the pawl, under the action of the spring under it, engages with the teeth of the drum and does not allow the drum to spin in the opposite direction.

In table clocks and alarm clocks, the spring is wound using a key acting on the drum shaft, and the hands are moved using a button mounted on the axis of the central wheel. The crown and button are located on the back of the case.

In wall and some types of desktop clocks, the spring is wound with a removable key from the side of the dial, and the hands are moved by hand by rotating them from left to right.

Pointer mechanism. It is located on the sub-dial side of the platinum and consists of a minute tribe, a bill wheel with a tribe and an hour wheel.

Minute tribe in the turnout gear, it is the main part that ensures the movement of the entire turnout mechanism. The minute pinion is mounted on the axle of the central wheel and frictionally coupled with the axle. Friction fit is achieved by the fact that there is a radial groove on the axis of the central wheel, and the sleeve of the minute tribe is equipped with two internal protrusions that are included in this groove when the tribe is installed on the axle. With a friction fit, the minute tribe rotates freely on the central axis during the transfer of the hands and does not cause the clock mechanism to brake.

On the sleeve of the minute tribe is installed with freedom of rotation hour wheel. The protruding part of the hour wheel sleeve carries the hour hand, and the protruding part of the minute tribe sleeve carries the minute hand. Thus, the minute hand is located above the hour hand.

bill wheel, mounted on the axis, has a clutch with a minute pinion, and the pin of the bill wheel is coupled with the hour wheel.

When translating the hands, the cam clutch through the transfer wheels receives a clutch with the bill of exchange wheel, which in turn transmits the movement to the minute, and the tribe of the bill of exchange wheel to the hour. After the transfer of the arrows is completed, the cam clutch disengages from the transfer wheel, and the switch mechanism begins to receive movement from the axis of the central wheel.

The general structure and interaction of individual components of the wristwatch mechanism are given in fig. twenty.

Additional devices of clock mechanisms. The clock uses various additional devices associated with the operation of the main mechanism.

In ordinary wrist and pocket watches, the balance supports are through and applied stones pressed into the platinum and the balance bridge, as well as into the overlays. Such supports are rigid.

Modern watches use anti-shock devices(Fig. 21) in the form of a depreciation block built according to a specific design scheme. The anti-shock device protects the balance axis from breakage in case of possible sharp shocks and accidental fall of the watch from a height of about 1.2 m onto a wooden floor.

The principle of operation of the most common anti-shock devices is as follows. The trunnions (ends) of the balance axis, as usual, are located in through and superimposed stones, fixed in a bushon (metal frame of a stone). The bush with stones, inserted into the conical socket of the lining, is held by an elastic spring, which creates a shock-absorbing support, thereby protecting the pin of the balance axis from impact.

stopwatch device It is designed to measure short periods of time and is used in wrist and pocket watches.

Wristwatches with a stopwatch manufactured by the First Moscow Watch Factory are called the Poljot 3017 chronograph watch. more complex than conventional watches with a central second hand. In addition to the hour, minute and central second hand, which is considered chronograph, there are two additional hands and, accordingly, two additional scales on the dial: the left one is a small second scale and the right one is a counter with 45 divisions. Summing up stopwatch, 0.2 s division value of the chronograph scale. You can measure individual time intervals ranging from 0.2 to 45 s with an accuracy of ±0.3 s for a minute and ±1.5 s for 45 minutes.

The dial of such watches along the edge of the circle has two additional scales designed to measure quantities that are functionally dependent on time: the speed scale is red and the distance scale is blue.

The speed scale shows the speed of the object in kilometers per hour and is designed for speeds ranging from 600 to 1000 km/h. Using this scale, you can get the speed of a car, motorcycle, bicycle, train and other moving objects, provided that the distance between the two measured points is known.

The distance scale of the dial serves to measure the distance separating the observer from the phenomenon, which is perceived first by sight and then by hearing. The distance scale is based on the speed of sound propagation in air, equal to 330.7 m/s, or 1200 km/h.

They control the operation of the stopwatch device using two buttons: one for starting and stopping, the second for setting the arrows to zero. Arrows - second chronograph and minute counter - return to zero division of the scale from any position on the dial.

Such watches are used in sports competitions, medicine, laboratory work, etc.

A pocket watch with a stopwatch device of the Molniya model produced by the Chelyabinsk Watch Factory is called a pocket chronograph. They are designed to measure time in hours, minutes, seconds and to count short (up to 45 minutes) time intervals in seconds. Stopwatch with jump second hand every 0.2 s. Mechanism with escapement on 19 ruby ​​stones. The control of the second hand is two-button: start and stop - with one button above the number 11, return to zero - with the second button above the number 1.

The duration of the watch from one full winding of the spring with the stopwatch turned on is at least 24 hours and with the stopwatch turned off - at least 36 hours.

calendar device watches come in a variety of designs. The simplest constructive version of a calendar device is a digitized disk mounted under the dial. The disk has an internal crown consisting of 31 teeth of a trapezoidal or triangular shape. The daily wheel, coupled with the hour wheel, makes one revolution per day and with its leading finger once a day engages with the teeth of the digitized disk, moving it one division. Through a miniature square window in the dial, you can see the numbers of the disc. Sometimes a miniature lens is mounted above the window in the glass of the watch to make it easier to read the calendar readings. Mechanical date change occurs every 24 hours.

Calendar devices come with a slow change of readings and instant action - with a jump in dates. The readings are corrected using the crown simultaneously with the transfer of the minute and hour hands. They also make wristwatches with a double calendar, showing the days of the month and the days of the week.

Automatic winding springs are used in watches produced by the domestic watch industry (Fig. 22). The automatic winding mechanism is located above the watch movement bridges. Automatic winding is a device in the form of an inertial weight, having the shape of a half-disk, freely rotating on an axis. The inertial load is made from heavy metals. The bushing of the inertial weight has a pinion, which, by means of two pairs of wheels and pinions, is connected to the winding wheel mounted on the axis of the drum with freedom of rotation. On the same axis, the drum wheel can rotate freely.

Between the drum and winding wheels, two three-leaf springs (upper and lower) with bent ends are installed on the drum shaft, which has a square section. The ends of these springs enter the recesses made on the drum and clockwork wheels. The rotation of the inertial weight with a wave of the hand while walking or with a change in the position of the hand causes the winding wheel to rotate. The upper three-leaf spring, being in the recesses, captures the winding wheel and transfers rotation to the shaft of the winding spring, and thus the spring is wound; the lower three-leaf spring in this case slips along the inner surface of the drum wheel.

The mainspring can also be wound in the usual way through the crown of the watch. When using the crown, the spring will be wound by the lower three-lobed spring, the ends of which, sinking into the recesses of the drum wheel, will rotate the shaft with the winding spring, while the upper three-lobed spring will slide along the inner surface of the winding wheel.

The advantage of self-winding wristwatches is that the constant automatic winding of the spring engine occurs when the hand moves.

Automatic winding of the spring after the watch has been worn on the wrist for 10 hours ensures its normal operation for the following duration: for watches of an increased class of the 4th group - at least 22 hours; for hours of the increased class of the 1st-3rd groups and the 1st class of the 3rd and 4th groups - not less than 18; for hours of the 1st class of the 1st and 2nd groups and the 2nd class - at least 16 hours.

Such watches practically do not require winding the spring with the crown, because thanks to the automatic winding, the mechanism works continuously. When the watch is lying down and the automatic winding is not working, the energy consumption for the operation of the mechanism is compensated during the subsequent wearing of the watch on the wrist.

anti-magnetic device to protect the watch from magnetic fields, it is a casing made of thin electrical steel with high magnetic permeability. The magnetic field, concentrating on a magnetically permeable metal, does not penetrate into the casing. This protective cover is called a magnetic shield, which reliably protects the steel parts of the mechanism from magnetization.

To reduce the influence of the magnetic field in the watch, the balance spiral (hair) is made from a weakly magnetic alloy H42KhT.

To protect the mechanism from the penetration of the smallest dust, from corrosion due to high humidity or from the penetration of water, watch cases are made dustproof,splashproof and waterproof. The dust-proof case should protect the movement from dust penetration, splash-proof from water splashes, and waterproof from water penetration when the watch is immersed in water at a depth of 1 m for 30 minutes or at a depth of 20 m for 1.5 minutes.

Such housings usually have a screwed cap or a cap that is fixed in the housing ring with an additional threaded ring. The tightness of the connection between the cover and the body ring is achieved by means of a polyvinyl chloride gasket placed in the annular groove of the body ring. The winding shaft is sealed with a bushing installed in the hole of the case ring or in the bore of the crown. For watertight housings, a tight connection between the glass and the housing ring is ensured by using an additional metal threaded ring.

There are cases in which the cover and the case ring are one-piece (made as one piece), and the mechanism is installed on the side of the glass. The connection between the glass and the housing ring is achieved by a threaded rim. Tightness in such housings is ensured by means of tension or sealing rings.

Combat mechanics, giving sound signals in accordance with the indications of the arrows, are used in wrist, pocket, table, wall, floor and alarm clocks. Mechanisms are of several types.

The signaling device of the wrist watch "Polyot" 2612, produced by the First Moscow Watch Factory, is driven by its own spring engine. The winding of the spring motor of the signaling device and the installation of the signal hand are carried out using the second crown, located on the watch case. The duration of the signal from one full winding of the signal spring is at least 10 s.

The alarm device in alarm clocks, as well as in wristwatches, has an independent source of energy, i.e., a winding spring. The principle of operation of the signaling device of the alarm clock is almost the same as similar devices of a wrist watch - the signal is given at a predetermined time by a signal arrow.

In large-sized clocks (desk, wall and floor clocks), a signaling device is widely used by hitting one or more hammers on a sound spring or sound rods. The fighting mechanism is a device with its own source of energy (winding spring or weight) and a speed regulator. Depending on the design, mechanisms are distinguished that beat only whole hours, hours, half hours and quarters of an hour.

The sound spring is a wire spiral, the inner end of which is pressed into the block. The sound rod is attached to a special block. Several sound rods (two or four) are usually fixed into the block, while the mechanism has the corresponding number of percussion hammers.

A more complex design is the mechanisms of the battle with quarters of an hour. So, floor pendulum clocks have three independent kinematic chains, each with its own weight drive: the movement mechanism occupies a middle position, the clock strike mechanism is located to the right, and the quarter hour strike mechanism is to the left of the clock movement mechanism. These mechanisms are placed between two brass rectangular plates.

The signaling device of a wall clock with a strike and a cuckoo is the simplest striking mechanism. This mechanism strikes hours and half hours. Each blow of the battle is accompanied by cuckooing and the appearance of a cuckoo figurine in the opening window above the dial. The mechanism of fighting and cuckooing consists of two wooden whistles, in the upper part of which there are bellows with lids. These furs and at the same time the hammer are actuated with the help of wire levers. When the lids are raised, the furs take in air, and when lowered, a jet of air creates a cuckoo sound by means of a whistle. The cuckoo figurine, fixed on the rotary lever, at the beginning of the battle moves out into the window, and the lever of one of the furs pushes it and it bows.

Diamond- Crystallized carbon, the hardest substance in the world. Brilliant, pure, colorless carbon, lustrous due to cutting. Used to decorate bracelets, cases, rings, etc.

Anti-magnetic watch- Watches, the mechanism of which is located inside a magnetically protective case made of a special alloy that protects the watch from magnetization.

Anti-reflective coating- it can be both internal (when the glass is covered only from the side of the dial), and double (when the glass is covered not only from the side of the dial, but also from the outside, while achieving the effect (from a direct angle) of the absence of glass and the dial is viewed to the smallest detail ). This type of glass is usually installed in expensive models of luxury brands.

Amplitude of balance fluctuation- this is the maximum angle of deviation of the balance from the equilibrium position.

shock absorbers- devices designed to protect the axes of the mechanism parts from breakage under impulse loads.

Angrenage- the main wheel system, consisting of gears that engage with other gears-tribes with less than 20 teeth.

Anchor mechanism (anchor)- consists of an escape wheel, a fork and a balance (double pendulum), - this is a part of the clock mechanism that converts the energy of the main (clockwork) spring into impulses transmitted to the balance to maintain a strictly defined oscillation period, which is necessary for uniform rotation of the gear mechanism.

Aperture- a small hole (window) in the watch dial, which gives the current indication of the date, day of the week, etc.

astronomical clock- a watch with an indicator of the phase of the moon, the time of sunset and sunrise, and in some cases the movement of the planets and constellations.

Bezel- A ring around the glass, sometimes rotating. Depending on the design, the rotating bezel can be used to time a dive or time another event.

The fight- Combat mechanism. In wrist, pocket and other watches, it is an automatic or manually operated mechanism that announces the time by striking.

Alarm- Watches equipped with a mechanism that emits a sound, which turns on at a specified time. Small table clocks are most often equipped with this type of mechanism, but any other types are also found (pocket watches, wrist watches, travel watches, etc.)

Baguette- an elongated rectangular clock mechanism, a method of cutting precious stones in the form of a rectangle.

Balance- a balance wheel together with a spiral, forming an oscillatory system that balances the movement of the gear mechanism of the watch.

Time in the second time zone- Watches showing the time of the second time zone are usually called Dual Time, World Time or G. M. T. (from Greenwich Mean Time - "Greenwich Mean Time"). There are watch models that show the time in several time zones at once.

Water resistance- the property of the case to prevent moisture from entering the clockwork. The degree of water resistance of watches is usually set in meters or atmospheres. A dive of ten meters corresponds to an increase in pressure of one atmosphere. This feature was first introduced by Rolex in 1926.

pumping out- this is the exact setting of the equilibrium position of the balance.

Glyftal- A hard, highly resilient, anti-magnetic and rustproof alloy used to make all-metal pendulums, governors and pendulum springs.

Thermometer- A device designed to adjust the period of balance oscillations by changing the effective length of the spiral. The end of the last turn of the spiral, before fixing it in the block, freely passes between the pins of the thermometer. By moving the pointer, the thermometer to one of the sides on the scale applied to the surface of the bridge, they achieve a change in the course of the clock.

Guilloche- a method of processing dials, in which, using an engraving machine, a drawing is made in the form of combinations of simple and curved lines.

diving watch- The body must be made of a material that does not interact with sea water, such as titanium.
The watch must also have a fully threaded screw-down bottom with an o-ring or other type of crown sealing mechanism. The crown must be screwed on.
It is also advisable to have a sapphire glass with a non-reflective coating.
The water resistance of the watch (usually indicated on the case back) must be 300 meters or more.
The hands must also be coated with a luminescent material so that the time can be accurately read even in very low light. The indication must be applied at 5 minute intervals and must be clearly visible at a distance of 25 cm in the dark underwater. The same legibility conditions apply to arrows and numbers.
The bezel must only be rotated counter-clockwise so that the dive time reading can only be increased, not decreased, as a result of erroneous rotation, which could lead to a life-threatening lack of air for the diver.
The bracelet of such a watch can usually be worn on the cuff of a diving suit, as a rule, it should not contain materials that interact with sea water.
Each diving watch must be individually tested and 100% of the quality standards. The check is carried out comprehensively: legibility of inscriptions, anti-magnetic properties, shock resistance, reliability of bracelet clasps and reliability of the rim. And of course, they must withstand exposure to salt water and sudden changes in temperature. Under all these conditions, the clock should work.

date- An ordinal number denoting the day of the month: (for example - "February 9"). Date watch: A watch that shows the date. Also called calendar clock or just calendar.

Disc plate, wheel- Thin, flat, round plate. Date disk - a disk that rotates under the dial and shows the dates through the holes. Disk of days, disk of months, disk of lunar phases.

Display- Indicator, mechanical, electrical or electronically controlled. Alphanumeric display. Display showing the time in the form of letters and numbers, digital display.

Pendulum length (PL)- For identification, the term "nominal length" of the pendulum is used (with a certain number of oscillations per hour for each "nominal length"). The dimensions of the pendulum actually used in clocks differ from the nominal ones.

Bicolor watch(bicolor)

Jaquemarts (French Jaquemarts, English Jack)- Moving figures of clock mechanisms, which strike the time (in tower clocks, grandfather clocks), or imitate it (in pocket and wrist watches).

Iron (steel)- Swiss watchmakers use the term aciers as a collective term for steel watch parts (return bar, screws, etc.) Semi-hard steels are used for running parts and compressible parts. Hard steels are used for screws, pins and other watch parts that require increased hardness. Extra hard steels are used for springs and watch tools (milling cutters, needle files, etc.)

Steel 316L used in the manufacture of watches does not contain nickel (Ni, lat. Niccolum). It is maximally biocompatible with the human body and does not cause an allergic reaction.

Groove- A circle located in the center of the watch welt, designed to hold the glass.

Gold/Gilding/PVD

Electroplated (case/bracelet)) - a special method of coating the watch case by electrolysis in an electrolyte (when an electric current is applied), ions from the gold plate are attracted to the watch case, a gold coating is formed. The coating is from 5 to 20 microns, depending on the number of cycles (erasing of the gold layer (in average use) is approximately 1 micron per year).

Gold- Pure 24 carat gold is almost never used in watchmaking because it is too soft and does not polish well. Gold alloy 18 carats (18K) corresponds to the 750th sample, i.e. contains 750/1000 parts of gold. The rest of the alloy content is copper, palladium, silver or other metals that give the gold alloy hardness, brilliance and a certain shade.

A precious metal whose alloys are used in the manufacture of watches and jewelry. Gold alloys, depending on the composition, have different colors: white (white gold), yellow (yellow gold), pink (pink gold), reddish (red gold). In its purest form, gold is yellow.

Coating the case and/or bracelet of a watch (usually made of steel) with a thin layer of gold. Mostly there is gilding with a thickness of 5 and 10 micrometers. Currently, PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating is widely used in the watch industry - superhard titanium nitride is applied to the case material in a vacuum, on top of which an ultrathin layer of gold is applied. The PVD coating has a high degree of resistance to wear and scratches, while the gilding wears off an average of 1 micron per year, depending on clothing, etc. The PVD coating technology allows you to get very thin (from 1 to 3 microns, sometimes up to 5 microns) coating layers without any impurities. IPG (Ion Plating Gold) - a method of ion deposition of gold with a substrate (intermediate hypoallergenic layer), today is the most wear-resistant gilding (IPG-coating is 2-3 times more wear-resistant than PVD-coating of the same thickness). Thickness of gilding 750°: 1-2 microns.

Bicolor watch(bicolor) is a term used to refer to a watch whose case and bracelet are made from a combination of gold and stainless steel.

Factory- A way to give mechanical watches the energy necessary for their operation. There are two classic ways to wind wrist and pocket watches - manual and automatic. With manual winding, the mainspring of the watch is twisted using the crown of the watch - manually. With automatic winding, a massive weight (rotor) of a special shape “works”, which comes into rotation when the watch moves. The rotor transfers the rotational energy to the mainspring.

gate valve- The grip, which can be used from the outside of the watch case, is used to start the movement.

sidereal (sidereal) time- Time measured by the position of the stars. Local sidereal time at any point is equal to the hour angle of the vernal equinox; on the Greenwich meridian, it is called the Greenwich star. The difference between true sidereal and mean sidereal time takes into account small periodic oscillations of the earth's axis, called nutation, and can reach 1.2 seconds. The first of these times corresponds to the movement of the true point of the vernal equinox, and the second is measured by the position of the imaginary midpoint of the vernal equinox, for which the nutation is averaged.

gears- In a mechanical watch, they are designed to supply energy to the oscillator and count its vibrations. In analog quartz - for connecting a stepper motor with arrows and pointers.

Watch back- it happens as a sapphire or mineral glass, and also differs in deaf or screwed (installed on deep-water watch models).

watch factory- an operation consisting in twisting the main (clockwork) spring of the watch. This operation can be carried out in two classical ways - manually and automatically. With manual winding, the spring is wound by the crown of the watch. Automatic winding uses the rotation of a specially shaped rotor that converts rotational energy into the energy needed to twist the mainspring.

Crown or Crown- part of a watch case used to wind a watch and correct the time and date.

Pulse Stone (Ellipse) - is a cylindrical pin with a section in the form of a cut ellipse (located on a double balance roller). In watches, it carries out the interaction of the balance with the anchor fork.

Power reserve indicator- an indicator in the form of an additional sector on the dial, showing the degree of winding of the main spring of a mechanical watch. It shows the time remaining before the clock stops, either in absolute units - hours and days, or in relative ones.

Moon phase indicator- a dial with a graduation of 29 days and a rotating indicator, which depicts the moon. At each moment of time, the indicator shows the current phase of the moon.

The inertial sector of self-winding ("Rotor"- used, but not entirely correct name of this part!)- a semi-disk made of heavy metal, freely rotating around the axis of the watch, which, with the help of a reversing device, converts the energy of its two-way rotation into the energy necessary for winding the spring.

Indices- designations on the watch dial in the form of numbers (Arabic / Roman), as well as in the form of marks, marks, figures and diamonds. Indexes on watches are printed and overhead (polished, gold-plated and silver-plated).

Inlay- decoration of the watch case, dial and bracelet with precious stones.

Carat- 1. A measure of the gold content in alloys, equal to 1/24 of the mass of the alloy. Pure metal corresponds to 24 carats. The 18 carat gold alloy contains 18 parts by weight of pure gold and 6 parts by weight of other metals. Along with this, the metric system is widely used, in which the content of precious metal in an alloy weighing 1000 grams is determined in grams. Here are some standard sample values ​​established in various systems. 23 carats - 958 samples, 21 carats - 875 samples, 18 carats - 750 samples, 14 carats - 583 samples. The sample of products is guaranteed by the imprint of a special brand on them. 2. A fractional unit of mass, used in jewelry. K=200 milligrams or 0.2 grams.

The calendar- in the simplest case, it is present in the clock in the form of an aperture (window) in which the current date is displayed. More sophisticated devices show the date, day of the week, and months. The most complex are perpetual calendars, which indicate the year, including the leap year. Perpetual calendars do not require the owner to correct the date of the month, even in a leap year, and are usually programmed 100-250 years ahead.

annual calendar is a watch device that includes date, day of the week and month indicators, and does not require date adjustment, except for February 29 of each leap year.

Coaxial arrangement of elements-Term showing that parts have the same axis of rotation. In watches, many elements are arranged coaxially. If we talk about the internal elements, then these are the axes of the hour and minute hands in their classical arrangement.

Compensation- Temperature compensation is carried out in the watch in order to reduce the effect of temperature on the accuracy of the watch. Since the influence of temperature has not yet been completely eliminated, the most accurate clocks are located in temperature-controlled rooms when necessary. Compensation for wrist and pocket watches is carried out by various methods, the main one being the selection of materials for the balance wheel and spiral.

Crown- In watchmaking, a crown wheel, an American term for a transmission wheel that engages a winding pin (incorrectly called a crown wheel by the British) and a ratchet wheel on the cylinder shaft. Winding pusher (also, especially in the USA, crown), knurled pushbutton of various shapes, making it easier to wind the watch by hand. Crown push-button with additional movable crown for chronographs or sports stopwatches.

stones is a term applied to watch parts made from rubies, sapphires or garnets, both synthetic and natural, which are used to reduce friction between metal parts.

Stone bearings used in watches are plain bearings made of artificial or natural precious stones. The main material for stone supports in modern watches is an artificial ruby.

Ceramics- Derived from the Greek word "Keramos", meaning material made in a kiln. In watch mechanisms, first of all, these two oxides Al2O3 and ZrO3 (polycrystals). They are used to make cases and decorative elements, sapphire (Al2O3 monocrystalline) for glasses and jewelry (Al2O3 + Cr2O3) for watch stones.

Ceramic parts made of ceramic are characterized by exceptional wear resistance and heat resistance.

Ceramics is a very hard material, but brittle and difficult to work with. Among the advantages of ceramics is its chemical inertness. Used in watch making.

Watch-case) - Serves to protect its contents - the mechanism - from the influence of external factors. For the manufacture of the case, metals or their alloys are usually used: bronze or brass, which can be plated with gold, nickel, chrome; stainless steel; titanium; aluminum; precious metals: silver, gold, platinum, very rarely others. Non-traditional materials: plastic (Swatch watches); high-tech ceramics (Rado); titanium or tungsten carbides (Rado, Movado, Candino); natural stone (Tissot); sapphire (Century Time Gems); tree; rubber.

Lyre pendulum- A pendulum, which consists of vertical rods connected in the middle and which has a decorative lyre decoration above the lens of the pendulum.

Marquetry (fr. Marqueteries - place, line, mark)- A set of thin plates of wood (veneer) with a thickness of 1 to 3 mm, of various species, exotic - such as the roots of American walnut, wavona, myrtle, mahogany, lemon or sandalwood, for example, or familiar to us: burl poplar, the veneer of which is fine material, walnut, ash, oak, maple, apple or pear, which are glued together along the edges in the form of a pattern or ornament, and then glued onto the base - a flat wooden surface.
The technique of wood mosaic (marquetry) has been known since time immemorial and has always been shoulder-to-shoulder with a similar style of intarsia (from Italian - intarsio), which is the predecessor of marquetry and is a more labor-intensive process of creating a pattern in which an image is made from thin slices of wood and other materials (precious stones, metals, mother-of-pearl) crashes into a tree.

Rubber- the material of a natural origin received from juice of tropical trees. It has great elasticity and dielectric properties. In the watch industry, it is mainly used for the manufacture of buttons, crowns and watch straps.

Louisiana alligator skin- this is a high-quality skin of Mississippi alligators, which are bred by strictly controlled farms in the US state of Louisiana. The most valuable skin with the correct pattern is on the belly of the animal. After a complex tanning process, it goes through another 60 stages of processing before turning into an elegant watch strap.

Cabochon- a method of cutting precious stones in the form of a hemisphere. As a rule, cabochons are used to decorate the crown and in the lugs fastening the bracelet or strap to the watch case.

Caliber is a term used to refer to the size and type of watch movement. As a rule, the caliber number corresponds to the largest overall dimension of the movement, measured in lines (1 line = 2.255 mm), and for some companies it is just a set of symbols to designate a particular model (L901 for Longines, 2824-2 for ETA, etc. .).

Line- the traditional measure of the size of the watch mechanism, equal to 2.255mm.

Limited edition (Limited edition - limited edition)- limited edition (consisting of a certain number of released watch models) each limited edition watch has its own serial number.

Release mechanism- A device that stops the joint movement of two parts. Stop and start mechanism.

pendulum hammer- Block for the pendulum. Modern pendulum hammer. The only feature of this part is that it has a hole in which a spacer for a spring pendulum is installed. Acts as a transmission arm for the moving pointer.

Maltese cross- an element of the watch mechanism used to limit the force of the mainspring tension. This detail got its name because of the similarity in shape with the Maltese cross. The Maltese Cross is the emblem of Vacheron Constantin.

Instant daily move- call the clock rate obtained by checking the clockwork on the clock tester.

Marine chronometer- the most accurate mechanical watch, placed in a special case that constantly keeps the watch mechanism in a horizontal position. Used to determine the longitude and latitude of a ship in the ocean. The special case eliminates the influence of temperature and gravity on the accuracy of the movement.

Bridge- a shaped part of the clockwork, which serves to fix the supports of the axles of the clock gears. The name of the bridge corresponds to the name of the gear.

manufacturing mechanism- a mechanism developed and created with the participation of one watch brand, at its own factory (increases the prestige of the watch and the brand itself), is mainly produced in a limited series and has its own serial limited number, which is indicated on the dial.

Cylinder axis- Axle supporting the cylinder and its spring. It consists of a cylindrical part, which is called the center and a hook to which the inner end of the main spring is attached. The upper trunnion of the cylinder axle is cut in the shape of a square for a ratchet wheel. Cylinder axle trunnions are inserted into holes in the bottom plate and cylinder.

Palladium (from lat. Palladium)- White metal, belongs to the platinum group. Pure palladium and its alloys are used in the manufacture of watches and jewelry.

Parachute (or parachute)- Design of depreciation of balance support pins (invention of Abraham-Louis Breguet). In the first version, Breguet created sharply conical pins that rested on a large and absolutely impenetrable stone (ruby) with a spherical recess. This stone was held by an oblong leaf-shaped spring in such a way that it could deflect upwards in the event of a blow and then return to its original position under the pressure of the spring. In the event of a side impact, the pin could slide along the inner wall of the hole, thereby pushing the stone up, and then automatically re-center. The travel distance of the stone could be adjusted using a micrometer screw located at the end of the leaf-shaped spring. To limit the movement of the balance legs, Breguet inserted a disk in front of both pins: if the impact shook the watch, these disks could strike the internal surfaces of the balance bridge or the plate.

Plank, clamp- In a wristwatch, a thin metal rod inserted between the lugs to attach a watchband.

Sample (eng. Hallmark)- Shows the percentage of pure precious metal in the alloy. The sample of products is guaranteed by placing on them imprints of a special hallmark, also called a sample.

Sample of Geneva (Poincon de Geneve)- Evidence of the special quality of the watch. The "Geneve Watch Control Bureau", operating in the Canton of Geneva, has the sole task of putting on the watches provided by local manufacturers, the official mark, as well as issuing a certificate of origin or making a special external marking. The inscription "Geneve" can appear on the watch legally only on the condition that a number of certain rules are observed. The quality of watches must meet strict requirements. They must be "Swiss" and have a direct connection with the canton of Geneva: at least one of the main manufacturing operations (assembly of the movement or its installation in the case) must be carried out in the canton of Geneva and at least 50% of the total value of the product must be made in the same canton.

heart rate monitor- Based on its name, the heart rate monitor is designed to measure the number of heart beats per minute - our pulse. The location of the heart rate scale is the same as that of the tacho and telemetry scales. On the heart rate monitor dial, the base number of heart beats is usually indicated (the most common scales are 20 or 30 beats). To measure the pulse, it is enough to measure the interval during which this number of beats occurred - the hand of the chronograph second accumulator will show the value of the pulse on the pulsometric scale.

Progress reserve or reserve de marche is a device that is increasingly found in mechanical watches. The power reserve indicator shows the power reserve, usually expressed in hours on a 40-46 hour scale or, in the case of a large factory reserve, on a scale of up to 10 days. As a rule, the data is displayed with a single arrow placed in the sector of the upper part of the clock.

Platinum- the main part and usually the largest part of the frame of the clock mechanism, which serves to fasten the bridges and supports of the watch wheels (gears). The shape of the platinum determines the shape of the movement.

cloisonne enamel- a complex technology used in the manufacture of handmade dials. The essence of the technology lies in the manufacture of deep recesses in the dial, into which the wire is then placed. The gaps between the wires are filled with a thin layer of powder, which, after firing, turns into hardened enamel, which is then polished.

Period of balance fluctuation- is the time during which the balance makes a complete oscillation, i.e. deviates from the equilibrium position in one direction, returns back, passes the equilibrium position, deviates in the other direction and returns to the equilibrium position.

shockproof device- consists of special movable supports, in which thin parts of the balance axis are attached. The movable support is designed in such a way that in case of axial or side impacts, the balance axis moves up or sideways and abuts against the limiters with its thickened parts, protecting the thin parts of the axis from breakage or bending.

Perlage "snake scales"- represents centric circles located close to each other, performed by a cutter (as a rule, on the platinum and bridges of the mechanism).

Perforation- This is a section of round holes in a variety of patterns, used in watch straps and bracelets.

Plasma diamond spraying- patented metal surface treatment technology. The thickness of the coating is only 1 micrometer, which is 50-100 times less than the thickness of a human hair. At the same time, it has exceptional hardness (5000-5300 units on the Vickers scale) and a very low coefficient of friction (0.08-0.12), because, like diamond, it is 100% carbon. The advantage of plasma spraying technology is the low temperature (below 100 C°) of processing, which does not cause changes in the physical properties of the processed material. The obvious advantages of the single-button mechanism with plasma diamond coating are minimal wear, zero maintenance and the highest reliability.

polished finish– glossy surface of the watch (case/bracelet).

Reference- Watch catalog number.

Rhodium (from lat. Rhodium)- A metal belonging to the platinum group. It is used in the watch industry to cover parts of the clockwork, dial.

Manual winding- mechanism springs

The energy source of a mechanical watch is a spiral spring located in a drum with a jagged edge. When the watch is wound, the spring is twisted, and when unwinding, the spring sets in motion the drum, the rotation of which sets the entire clock mechanism in motion. The main disadvantage of the spring motor is the uneven rate of unwinding of the spring, which leads to inaccuracies in the clock. Also, for a mechanical watch, the accuracy of the course depends on many factors, such as temperature, position of the watch, wear of parts, and others. Therefore, for a mechanical watch, a discrepancy with the exact time of 15-45 seconds per day is considered the norm, and the best result is 4-5 seconds per day. Mechanical watches with manual winding must be manually wound using the crown.

Lever arm- An extended part that precisely connects other parts of the mechanism.

Regulator- these are the second, minute and hour hands separately located on the dial.

remontoire- consists of parts of the mechanism for winding the watch and moving the hands, the crown, the crown, the winding shaft, the winding pinion, the cam clutch, the winding wheel, the drum wheel, etc.

Repeater- complex mechanical watches with an additional mechanism designed to indicate the time using sounds of different tones. Typically, such watches, when you press a special button, beat the hours, quarters of an hour and minutes. In the Grand Sonnerie models, the hours and minutes strike automatically, although they can also indicate the time by pressing a button.

Repassage– complete (preventive) repair of the mechanism.

Retrograde (from the English “Retrograde” - “moving back”)- this is an arrow that moves along an arc, and, having reached the end of the scale, “jumps” (moves) back to zero.

Rotor - (inertial sector)- An important detail of the movement with automatic winding. The sector (load) fixed in the center of the clockwork reacts to the slightest movements of the human hand. The kinetic energy of its rotation is transmitted through the wheel system to the barrel spring. Therefore, if a watch with automatic winding is worn all the time, it will never stop.

Moon Phase Distributor- complex clock mechanics: the disk rotates, indicating the position of the phases of the moon relative to the Earth.

Greenwich Mean Time (G.M.T. for short)) - A term that means the average time on the zero meridian, on which the famous astronomical observatory of Great Britain is located. The abbreviation G. M. T. is often used in the name of watches with the function of showing the time of the second time zone.

Tachymetric scale- Needed (theoretically) to determine the speed of movement. It is very difficult to find a use for it, except perhaps on a train or bus you want to know its speed. Then, passing the kilometer post, it is necessary to start the measurement. When passing the next column - determine the speed on the scale. This feature works more or less in chronographs, where you can force start or stop the second hand. In simple watches, such a scale is generally decorative. So an example: you start a stopwatch while passing a pole, and the next pole appeared in half a minute - your speed on the scale is 120 km / h, if after a minute - then 60. I hope that there is nothing complicated. However, I would like to note that in our country the distance between the pillars is not always equal to a kilometer. So on the Moscow Ring Road, the distance between the pillars varies from 600 kopecks to 1800 meters.

Second- the basic unit of time, which is 1/86000th part of a solar day, i.e. the time it takes for the earth to rotate around its own axis. With the advent of atomic clocks after the Second World War, it was found that the Earth rotates with an infinitesimal irregularity. Therefore, it was decided to reset the standard for measuring the second. This was done at the 13th General Conference of Weights and Measures in 1967. The following has been defined:

Spiral or hair- a thin spiral spring, fixed with the inner end on the balance axis, and with the outer end on the block. The number of turns of the balance spiral is usually 11 or 13.

Spiral Breguet- a spiral, the inner and outer ends of which are bent so that the period of oscillation of the balance-spiral system does not depend on the oscillation amplitude (system isochronism). The invention was made by Abraham-Louis Breguet.

Split Chronograph- a watch with a stopwatch that has the function of an intermediate finish.

Average daily course- call the algebraic sum of adjacent daily cycles, divided by the number of days during which the daily cycles were measured. In other words, the average daily rate can be defined as the clock rate obtained for the nth number of days and divided by the number of days during the test.

Satin finish- matte surface of the watch (case/bracelet).

Skeleton rotor- have a cavity inside their case (the manufacturing process is expensive, since the mass of the rotor is recalculated. It gives prestige and status to the watch model on which it is installed.

skeletonized arrows- have a cavity inside their case (the manufacturing process is expensive, it gives prestige and status to the watch model on which they are installed).

Skeleton- a watch with a transparent dial and case back through which the mechanism is visible. The details of the mechanisms of such watches are decorated with hand engraving, coated with precious metals, and sometimes decorated with precious stones.

Arrow date(function)- complex mechanics: the rotation of the hand in a circle indicates the date.

Super Luminova- the composition, which is superimposed on the cases of hands and digital hour markers, to ensure the determination of time in the dark.

sonnery- The English chiming system, also known as the Petite Sonnerie, is a two-part mechanism that beats out quarters of each hour. The Grande Sonnerie strikes the hour at every quarter.

Twinsept- Digital data seems to "float" above the analog dial.

Telemeter- Using a telemeter, you can determine the distance from the observer to the sound source. As in the case of the tachometer, the telemeter scale is located on the edge of the dial, next to the second accumulator scale. So, in order to determine the distance from the observer to the storm front during a thunderstorm, it is enough to measure with the help of a chronograph the time between the flash of lightning and the moment the thunder roll arrives at the place of observation. At the same time, the chronograph second drive hand will indicate on the seconds scale the time between the flash of lightning and the roll of thunder, and on the telemetric scale - the distance from the observation point to the thunder front. The calculation of the telemetric scale is made using the value of the speed of sound in air - 330 m/s. Those. the maximum distance that can be measured using the telemeter scale is about 20,000 m, which corresponds to a time delay between flash and sound of 60 s. This function is often used by the military to determine the distance to enemy artillery, by the time between the flash from a volley and the explosion.

Titanium (from lat. Titanium)- Silver gray metal, light, refractory and durable. Resistant chemically. It is used in many areas of human activity, including for the manufacture of watches.

Trust index- Balance wheel amplitude indicator. The fact is that with a fully wound spring, the amplitude of oscillations of the balancer of a mechanical watch is slightly higher than the optimal value, and by the end of the winding, on the contrary, it is slightly less. Thus, by maintaining the optimum level of oscillation, without over-stretching the spring, and without allowing the spring to fully discharge, the wearer can maintain a high level of accuracy.

Tonneau- the shape of the watch case, reminiscent of a barrel.

tourbillon- a mechanism that compensates for the influence of the Earth's gravity on the accuracy of the clock. It is an anchor mechanism placed inside a mobile platform with a balance in the center, and making a complete revolution around its own axis in one minute. Invented in 1795 by Abraham Louis Breguet (A.L. Breguet).

The tourbillon consists of a balance, an anchor fork and an escape wheel, located on a special rotating platform - a carriage. The escape wheel tribe rotates around a second wheel tightly fixed on the platinum, forcing the entire device to rotate around its axis. At the same time, a wheel or pinion is firmly fixed on the carriage, with the help of which energy is transferred from the spring to the balance, and the rotation of the carriage through the wheel gear turns into the rotation of the arrows. Despite the fact that Breguet himself called a tourbillon only a construction in which the geometric centers of the carriage and the balance coincided, now constructions in which the balance axis is shifted closer to the edge of the carriage are also called tourbillons.

ear- The part of the watch case to which the bracelet or strap is attached.

Ultra-thin watch- watches with a movement thickness of 1.5 to 3.0 mm, allowing to minimize the thickness of the watch itself.

Equation of time- a clock mechanism that takes into account and shows the difference between the generally accepted time, which shows ordinary hours and real solar time.

Oyster- one of the most famous Rolex models, as well as the patented by this company method of double sealing of the watch mechanism, protecting it from external influences.

Retainer- A lever with a rear part that retains a wheel tooth under the action of a spring.

Hesalit (plexiglass, acrylic glass)- This is a lightweight transparent plastic, tends to flex upon impact; if it beats, it does not crumble into fragments. It is also resistant to temperature fluctuations and high pressure. Therefore, hesalite is used in watches that require increased security (for example, in some Omega models). In addition, hesalite is easy to polish to get rid of scratches. Vickers hardness - about 60 VH.

Chronometer- Highly accurate watches that have passed a series of accuracy tests and received the appropriate certificates. Chronometers run with only a few seconds of error per day when used in normal temperature ranges.

Chronograph- clock with two independent measuring systems: one shows the current time, the other measures short periods of time. The counter registers seconds, minutes and hours and can be turned on or off as desired. The central second hand of such watches is usually used as the second hand of a stopwatch.

Collet- A small cylinder attached to the pendulum support.

Clock face- The dials are very different in shape, design, material, etc. Watch faces show information through numbers, divisions, or various symbols. Jumping dials are equipped with apertures in which hours, minutes and seconds appear.

Digital display- Display showing the time in the form of numbers (numbers).

Frequency of balance fluctuations- Determined by the number of semi-oscillations of the balance wheel per hour. The balance of a mechanical watch usually makes 5 or 6 vibrations per second (i.e. 18000 or 21600 per hour). In high-frequency watches, the balance makes 7, 8 or even 10 semi-oscillations per second (ie 25200, 28800 or 36000 per hour).

Striking clock- Sonnery (French Sonnerie). Petite Sonnerie or the English chiming system is a two-voice chiming mechanism that strikes quarters of the hour. Grande Sonnerie - a clock that strikes an hour and a quarter of an hour at every quarter of an hour.

Electro-luminescent backlight- Thanks to the electroluminescent panel that illuminates the entire dial, it is easier to read the data. Features a turn-off delay function that keeps the EL backlight on for a few more seconds after the light button is released.

The electronic unit- generates impulses for controlling a stepper motor in a quartz watch. The electronic unit consists of a quartz oscillator, a frequency divider and a pulse shaper.

COSC- an abbreviation of the name of the Swiss office for the control of chronometers - "Controle Officiel Suisse des Chronometres". COSC is a government non-profit organization whose purpose is to test the movements of watch manufacturers for the accuracy of the watch in accordance with strict criteria. For each mechanism that has passed the test, a chronometer certificate is issued. COSC has three laboratories in Biel, Geneva and Le Locle.

Cotes-de-Geneve (waves of Geneva)- represent a wave-like pattern on the watch, performed by a cutter (as a rule, it is applied to the automatic winding rotor of the watch).

Dual Time(function)- complex watch mechanics (two dials in one watch), designed to determine the local time and time anywhere in the world.

Swiss Made(stamp)- located at the bottom of the dial below the six o'clock position, assigned by the Swiss Watch Federation under the following conditions:

• 50% of all components are made in Switzerland
• 50% of all technological processes (including assembly and testing) are carried out in Switzerland

Nivarox- an alloy for the manufacture of watch balance spirals. It has the property of temperature self-compensation, very wear-resistant and not subject to corrosion.

Nivaflex- an alloy for the manufacture of clockwork springs. It has the ability to maintain constant elasticity for decades.

Watch Winder (Watch Winder) This is a self-winding watch case that combines an automatic winding mechanism and a watch box.

15/04/2003

Let's see what "complications" are, what they are for and why they affect the status and cost of watches.

Let's see what "complications" are, why they are needed and why they affect the status and. Chronograph, self-winding, perpetual calendar, moon phase... What is it?

Complex mechanisms

Automatic watch

They are also called “automatic” or “self-winding” watches. The cargo sector (rotor), freely rotating around the axis by 360, is connected to the winding device by a system of reversible and gear wheels. Thus, each “shake” of the clock causes the rotor to rotate and, accordingly, to start the mechanism.

It is believed that Abraham-Louis Perlet designed such a mechanism for the first time in the 18th century, and he gained his fame when Abraham-Louis Breguet improved it and began to use it. The first use of automatic winding in a wristwatch was made by John Harvard in 1924.

There are two types of automatic winding:

1. Simple - allows you to start the watch only when the cargo sector rotates in one direction. Such watches are also equipped with a conventional crown to be able to wind the spring by hand.

2. Reversible - allows you to start the watch when the cargo sector rotates in both directions.

In the middle of the 20th century, a type of rotor was also quite common, which could rotate only part of a turn, and was limited on each side in its movement by shock-absorbing stops. This is the most impractical type of automatic winding, because it does not allow you to use all the movements of the hand, and the clatter of the rotor hitting the stops unnerves the wearer. Today it is practically not used.

Chronographs

Chronograph is, if you decipher the name, “a device that records time”. Or, better to say, time intervals. A chronograph can be installed in an ordinary watch that counts hours and minutes, or it can exist separately. In the latter case, it is called a stopwatch.

For the first time, a mechanism that measures periods of time was designed in the 18th century by John Graham.

Chronographs are driven either by pressing the crown (first push - start, second - stop, third - return to its original position), or two additional buttons located next to the crown (one button - start and stop, the second - return).

Now the second type is most often used. When the chronograph is started, under the action of a spring, the lever connected to the transmission wheel of the clockwork moves and falls into the cavity between the teeth of the column wheel. Thus, the transmission wheel interacts with the central chronograph wheel and drives the second hand. The second push on the button causes the wheel to turn in a column and push out the lever. The wheels separate again and the chronograph mechanism stops.

The minute counter is arranged in a similar way: when the second chronograph is started, the finger located on the central wheel enters into interaction through the transmission wheels with the minute counter wheel and when the chronograph wheel is fully rotated around the axis, it turns the minute wheel by one tooth. Such a minute counter is called instantaneous.

If the minute hand begins its movement when the second hand reaches 58 seconds, then the minute counter is called smooth. Chronographs can also be equipped with an hour counter.

There are also chronographs without a column wheel, driven by the meshing of two levers connected to transmission wheels.
Chronographs are used for various purposes: chronograph-tachometer (to determine the speed of a moving object), telemeter (to measure the distance to a distant object, provided that the object is visible and audible - such a device is built on knowledge of the speed of sound), heart rate monitor (to measure the pulse) , an asthmameter (respiratory rate counter), for registering hot flashes and even for monitoring industrial processes.

In addition, there are chronographs that record fractions of a second and split chronographs: with two second hands, for measuring the intermediate result.

Calendars

This part is best depicted in the form of a diagram, since there are quite a lot of types and subspecies of calendars. So, the calendar in hours can be ordinary and lunar. The lunar calendar is somewhat akin to "automatic machines" - common in the 17-18 centuries. devices connected to the clock transmission, and in an oval window located above the dial showing “moving pictures”.

In the lunar calendar, on a wheel with 59 teeth, there is a disk (blue or light blue) depicting stars and two moons. The disk rotates in 59 days, which corresponds to about 2 lunar months. During this time, the phases of the rise and fall of the painted moons are shown in a semicircular hole in the dial. During the full moon, the entire moon is visible, during the new moon - only the starry sky.

An ordinary calendar can be simple and eternal. The first type requires adjustment at the end of each month with less than 31 days, the second one takes into account the number of days in a month and the leap year. The device of a simple calendar resembles a car's speedometer. The date digits are most often shown in a small window located on the circumference of the dial. In this case, the disk with 31 teeth is connected to the central wheel by means of transmission wheels. When the hour and minute hands make two revolutions and end up at midnight, the date shifts.

The wheels of the days of the week and months function in a similar way. An example of a watch with a simple calendar: date, month and day of the week, as well as with a lunar calendar: the Cosmic model from Omega 57 (?). In it, the days of the week and months are shown in a window, and the dates are located around the dial and are marked with an arrow.

In watches with a perpetual calendar, the mechanism is often located on a separate main plate (for example, Patek Philippe), because it is rather complicated. The principle of its operation is similar to a chronograph: the number of days in a month is regulated by special latches.

Calendars are also divided by display types. The transition to the next date can be smooth and fast; data can be displayed using arrows or discs in a window. There are also such frills as, for example, a retrograde calendar (Parmigiani): the numbers of dates are located on the dial in a semicircle, and the hand, after the completion of the cycle, returns to its original position.

Repeaters and striking watches

Repeaters are called watches designed to repeat the sound signal (battle) at will. A simple striking clock strikes the hours and quarters automatically in the course of the clock, like a tower clock or a chimney clock. Such watches have separate springs for winding the battle.

Repeaters are of the following types: quarter (beating quarters and hours); half-four (hours, quarters, and half-quarters in a higher tone every 7.5 minutes); five-minute (hours and five minutes); minutes (hours, quarters and minutes).

The first watch with a repeater was designed in 1676 by the English watchmakers Barlow and Quear - they beat the hours and quarters.

The details of the repeater as well as the perpetual calendar are located on a separate plate. The movement is powered by a lever that releases the mainspring, which drives the counterclockwise rotating comb. The teeth of the comb deflect the pallets of the hammers, forcing them to strike.

alarm clock

This clock works in the same way as a conventional mechanical alarm clock. The most famous model of such a watch is the Crikcet (“Cricket”) from Vulcan, named after the call, reminiscent of the chirping of this insect.

tourbillon

This device is considered one of the most complex in watch movements. Its purpose is to compensate for the effect of gravity and ensure the stability of the balance-spring at all positions of the watch.
The “father” of the tourbillon is Abraham-Louis Breguet, who patented this device in 1800.

The tourbillon is a mobile platform on which the movement of a watch with a balance is placed. The platform rotates at a certain predetermined speed. The world's fastest tourbillon: Albert Potter's 12-second tourbillon. Each time the balance receives momentum, the platform rotates. This is done so that the center of gravity of the balance changes its position all the time and, thereby, reduces travel errors to a minimum. However, this device has a number of shortcomings, which led to the almost complete disappearance of the tourbillon from watchmaking at the beginning of the 20th century.

Breguet conceived a mechanism for pocket watches that are constantly in an upright position. And in a horizontal position, it not only practically does not affect the accuracy of the course, but also draws on itself the energy of the plant, which is necessary for the rotation of the central wheel of the mechanism. And with the development of modern technologies, when every detail of the stroke is calculated to the micron, the error factor due to the displacement of the center of gravity and without a tourbillon is minimal.

Nevertheless, watches with such a mechanism are quite popular. In 1995, Blancpain launched the Tourbillon to mark the 200th anniversary of Breguet's invention. It has a calendar, a reverse stopwatch and a 7-day power reserve. And the tourbillon itself acts rather as a decorative device, the operation of which can be observed through a window in the dial at around 12 o'clock.

Complicated clock
Such watches can combine three different movements: like the already described Blancpain with a calendar, chronograph and tourbillon, or, for example, a perpetual calendar, minute repeater and chronograph (Patek Philippe).

Anglage is a decorative technique that consists in beveling clockwork parts (usually bridges) at an angle of 45 degrees and then polishing them. More about Anglazh.

Angrenage

Angrenage or wheel gear - a set of several (usually four) gears with tribes (cm), transferring energy from the barrel to the escapement and successively increasing the speed of rotation of the wheels. So, the second wheel in the mechanism with a three-hertz escapement rotates almost 15,000 times faster than the barrel. Wheels are usually made of brass.

Automatic winding

Self-winding is a system of winding a mechanism by means of special weights moving in time with the movement of the wrist. In the vast majority of modern automatic watches, such a load is a rotor that freely rotates around a central axis and winds the drum in one or two directions of rotation (an invention by Rolex). An alternative to it is a microrotor. There are also inertial linear weights moving along guides (for example, in the models TAG Heuer and Corum). Read more about Automatic winding.

Aperture

Aperture, or window, is a cutout in the dial designed to display this or that information.

Balance

The balance is a pendulum wheel that oscillates according to the will of the balance spiral. The accuracy of the movement depends on the uniformity of its oscillations, so the balance is considered one of the most important watch parts. There are several frequency standards for clock balances: 2.5 hertz (18000 vibrations per hour), 3 hertz (21600), 4 hertz (28800) and 5 hertz (36000). Read more about Balance.

The fight

Fight is a sound function that, upon request, or automatically informs the owner of the current time. It is present in all repeaters and is one of the most technically complex and beautiful functions. The fighting system usually consists of several (most often two, less often three or four) gongs in the form of wires twisted along the outer radius of the mechanism and hammers beating on them. Four-gong systems are also called carillons (from the French for “chime”), as they can play melodies. There are two types of combat: large and small. The first strikes the clock before each quarter, the second strikes the clock only every hour, without repeating the call before subsequent quarters.

Alarm

The alarm clock is another sound function that sounds at a predetermined time. Usually, a vibrating membrane is used for this, but alarm clocks with a repeater strike are also common - that is, they ring back a signal using a hammer and a wire gong.

Guilloche

Guilloche is a fine engraved pattern on the dial. More about Guilloche.

Glucidur

Glucidur is a beryllium bronze, anti-magnetic alloy with a low coefficient of thermal expansion. It is used for the manufacture of balance wheels in order to achieve stable accuracy regardless of temperature changes in the environment.

Thermometer

Thermometer - a device for adjusting the balance frequency in the form of an arrow and a scale applied to the balance bridge with divisions from “-” to “+”. The watchmaker tightens the screw on the thermometer and makes the spiral longer (the clock starts to fall behind) or shorter (the clock is in a hurry).

Geneva Stamp (Poincon de Geneve)

Isochronism of vibrations

The isochronism of fluctuations is a physical term meaning independence of the period of balance fluctuations from the amplitude of its fluctuations. The key characteristic of a modern descender unit, which determines the accuracy and stability of the course, is usually provided by the terminal or Breguet curl (cm).

Incabloc, KIF (Incabloc, KIF)

Incabloc, KIF (Incabloc, KIF) - shock-absorbing devices that protect the thin axis of the balance wheel from external influences. They are curly springs on which the supporting stones (cm) of the balance axis rest.

The calendar

Calendar is a function that optionally shows additional time parameters such as date, day of the week, month and year. Learn more about the Calendar.

stones

The stones are the bearings of the clock mechanism. Robust and with a very low coefficient of friction, they are ideal for axle bearings. More about Stones.

Carousel

The carousel is a device invented in 1892 by the Danish craftsman Bane Bonniksen as a simpler and more affordable alternative to the tourbillon (see). The fundamental structural difference between a carousel and a tourbillon is that in the event of a failure of the carousel mechanism, the watch will continue to work, while a breakdown of the tourbillon carriage entails a complete immobilization of the mechanism. In Bonniksen's design, the escapement made one revolution in 52.5 minutes. Today, the carousel regulator (already a minute, like the tourbillon) can be found in the collection of only one representative of the major watch league: Blancpain.

Quality Fleurier (Qualite Fleurier)

Quality Fleurier (Qualite Fleurier) is another watch “quality mark”. founded in 2001 by producers from the Fleurier region. It is considered the most difficult of all, as it includes a series of Chronofiable tests, during which many years of watch wear are simulated. Read more about Fleurier Quality.

column wheel

Column wheel - a three-dimensional wheel with column-like teeth, responsible for switching chronograph functions. Usually, manufacturers open this unusual part of the mechanism for viewing from the back cover. A more modern and budget alternative to the column wheel is the cam system.

Terminal Breguet (curl Breguet)

Terminal Breguet (Breguet curl) - the outer end of the balance spiral, raised above the spiral plane by 0.5 mm and bent in a special way for uniform twisting and unwinding of the spiral. The manufacture of such an end is called bregetting. There are various modified versions of the Breguet end - for example, the Phillips end.

Silicon

Silicon is a hard, wear-resistant, temperature- and magnetic-resistant material with a low coefficient of friction, which has recently found wide application in the watch industry. Silicon parts do not require lubrication and last much longer than brass or steel. The physical properties of silicon are ideal for the details of the trigger unit, therefore, as a rule, balance spirals, anchors and escape wheels that experience extreme loads and are sensitive to magnetic and temperature changes are made from it. The state-of-the-art DRIE (Deep Ion Etching) method makes it possible to produce absolutely identical components of ideal sizes from silicon, which also has a positive effect on the quality of the final product. Ulysse Nardin pioneered this field in the early 2000s, followed by Rolex, Patek Philippe and the Swatch Group. Today, silicon technology has become widespread, and silicon components can be found even in budget models.

Line

A line is the traditional unit of measure for a watch movement, equal to 2.255 mm.

Lunette (bezel, welt, bezel)

Lunette (bezel, welt, bezel) - the outer ring that holds the top glass and sometimes performs various functions. More about Lunette.

World time (world timer)

World time (world timer) is a function that allows you to find out the current time in different (usually 24) time zones of the Earth. Read more about World time.

Bridge

Bridge - a detail by means of which the nodes of the mechanism are attached to the platinum (cm). More about the Bridge.

Nivarox

Nivarox is a temperature-compensating alloy based on iron and nickel for the manufacture of balance coils. The name is an abbreviation of the German Nicht Variabel Oxydfest - “Unchanging, non-oxidizing). It was invented by the Swiss physicist Reinhard Straumann in 1931. Today, this is the name of the company specializing in the production of spirals, which is part of the Swatch Group and supplies most of the watch manufacturers in Switzerland with its products.

Nivaflex

Nivaflex is an alloy of cobalt, nickel and chromium used to make clockwork springs. Able to maintain elasticity for decades.

Perlage (pearl grain)

Perlage (pearl granulation) is a decorative technique that consists in applying (by hand or on a machine) a circular “pearl” pattern to bridges and platinum plates.

Platinum

Platinum is the basis of the mechanism, on which its nodes are mounted with the help of bridges. It is made from brass or nickel silver, less often from cupronickel. In especially exclusive models, there are platinum plates made of ceramics, sapphire glass and even natural stone.

Regulator

Regulator - a type of dial marking, consisting in a separate indication of time parameters. More about Regulator.

remontoire

The remontoir is the second wheel system of the clock mechanism after the engagement. designed for drum winding. Driven by self-winding rotor or crown.

Repeater

A repeater is a device that informs the owner, upon request, of the current time by means of sound signals of different tones and durations (see fight). Read more about Repeater.

Retrograde indication

Retrograde indication - an indication with a sector scale, in which the arrow, having reached the end of the scale, jumps back to its beginning.

Descent

The escapement is the “heart” of the watch mechanism, on which the accuracy of its movement depends entirely. The escapement makes a characteristic tick-tock sound and consists of an escape wheel, an anchor and a balance-spring assembly. More about Descent.

Glass

Glass – Modern expensive watches usually use sapphire glass, which is durable and scratch resistant. Also less durable mineral glass and plexiglass (plexiglass) are in use. The latter is easily scratched, but is valued by collectors as an authentic material, and therefore is used by some brands in replicas of vintage models.

tachymeter

A tachymeter is a scale printed on the bezel of a chronograph that allows you to calculate the speed of the watch owner (usually in the range from 60 to 500 km/h). To determine the speed, road pickets are needed - poles with kilometer markings. The chronograph starts at the moment of passing the next picket and stops at the moment of passing the next picket. The number on the scale, opposite which the chronograph second hand has stopped, will indicate the desired speed.

tribe

Trib - a gear wheel with a small number of teeth, tightly mounted on the axle directly under the engagement wheel. Used to change the amount of torque.

tourbillon

Tourbillon - translated from French "whirlwind". A device patented in 1801 by Abraham-Louis Breguet and designed to compensate for the gravitational effects on the clockwork. It is a rotating carriage with a descent inside. More about tourbillon.

Equation of time

The equation of time is an exotic function that shows the difference between mean (standard) and true solar time. This difference is not constant, due to the tilt of the earth's axis and the ellipticity of the earth's orbit, and varies from +14.3 minutes (February 12) to -16.4 minutes (November 4).

Chronograph

Chronograph is a sports function that allows you to record time intervals with an accuracy determined by the balance frequency (cm). The chronograph display usually consists of a central second hand and auxiliary 30- or 60-minute and 12-hour counters. There are three types of chronographs: regular, flyback and split (rattrapant). In a conventional chronograph, to restart, you must first stop and reset the second hand, in a flyback chronograph, a new countdown can be started with a single push of a button that instantly resets the hand without stopping it, and a split chronograph allows you to record two time periods simultaneously using two second hands with their successive starts -stops. By the way, the first real chronograph, that is, a device that literally wrote time parameters in ink on paper, was built in 1821 by the Frenchman Nicolas Rieussek.

Chronometer

A chronometer is a particularly precise watch, the characteristics of which are confirmed by the relevant certificate of the Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (Controle Officiel Suisse des Chronometres, abbreviated as COSC). Important: only movements are certified, not complete watches. A series of tests lasts 15 days, during which the mechanisms are tested in five positions at three temperature conditions. As a result, the accuracy of the “subjects” should not go beyond the interval from -4 to +6 seconds per day. For quartz movements (they also pass tests), this figure is + -0.07 seconds. In total, about 3% of all mechanisms produced in Switzerland are tested annually within the walls of COSC. An alternative to COSC certification has recently been the certification of the Swiss Institute of Metrology METAS with accuracy standards like Qualite Fleurier and a check for the immunity of the mechanism to magnetic fields up to 15,000 Gauss. Today, only Omega watches pass the Master Chronometer certification.

Moon phase

Phases of the Moon - indication of the lunar phases - perhaps the most "romantic" function. The moon makes a complete revolution around the Earth in 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.82 seconds. The simplest "moons" have a very high error; serious brands are trying to complete their models with the so-called "astronomical" lunar phase indicators, which give a daily error for 122-odd years. More about the phase of the moon

Fusee

The fusee is an ancient constant force device designed to equalize the torque transmitted from the barrel to the escapement. More about Fuzeya

Frequency

Frequency is one of the main characteristics of the watch mechanism, indicating the speed of oscillation of the balance wheel (cm).

chaton

Chaton - a frame of a reference stone made of brass or gold. In modern watches, stones are pressed directly into bridges and mainplates.

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Detailed scheme and description of concepts

Each watch manufacturer strives to create unique watches that differ from the rest in design or technical characteristics. But despite its uniqueness and even originality, there are certain components without which it is impossible to imagine a watch. In the diagram below, as well as in the explanations below, we have analyzed the most popular watch terms and concepts applicable to mechanical watches, in particular a mechanical chronograph.

The main advantage of mechanical watches can be considered the absence of the need for constant battery replacement. This will save you from additional service and fixed costs.

Aperture

A small hole (also called a "window") on a watch face that displays specific information such as the date, day, month, or moon phase.

A rock

A watch piece made from a natural or synthetic gemstone (garnet, sapphire or ruby). Regulates and reduces friction to reduce friction in the interacting rubbing parts of the watch mechanism.

Bezel

A ring around the glass. Various indications can be applied on the bezel, which, depending on the specialization of the watch, can show dive and ascent times in diving watches, speed (tachymeter scale), seconds in chronographs, etc. Sometimes the bezel can be rotating.

plank

Also sometimes called "horns", they are protrusions on the watch case that are used to attach a belt or bracelet to the watch case.

Frame

The case is a kind of container that protects the fragile watch mechanism from damage. The case comes in various shapes, such as round, square, oval, barrel-shaped, rectangular and even unusual shapes.

Mechanism

The internal mechanism of a watch that works like a motor and makes the watch and its functions work.

Crown

The crown in a mechanical watch is used to wind and adjust the time, and in a quartz watch it is used to stop the watch, adjust the time, change the mode.

Chronograph stop and start button

Button(s) located outside the case that control certain functions of the watch. They are most often found on watches with a built-in chronograph.

Glass

Dial glass, sapphire or mineral, sometimes made of transparent plastic. It is extremely rare that a natural gemstone is used as a watch glass.

Rotor

The rotor is attached to the watch movement and is used to wind the spring and store energy in automatic watches.

Clock face

Clock panel with numbers, divisions or other symbols indicating hours, minutes. The dials are very different in shape, design, material, etc. Jumping dials, for example, are equipped with apertures in which hours, minutes and seconds appear.

Strap

The strap secures and holds the watch on your wrist. The straps have a clear division: if it is made of leather, fabric, rubber or rubber, then this is a strap. If it is made of metal or ceramics, then this is a bracelet.

Arrows

Indicators that move around the dial indicating the hour, minute or second. The large hand points to minutes, the small hand to hours, and the thin hand to seconds.

Additional dial

A small dial located inside the watch's main dial that provides additional information such as chronograph, second time zone, power reserve indicator, etc.

Most of the terms we have analyzed are also applicable to quartz watches, except for definitions related to the mechanism.