Hello everyone,

after finally getting our website up and running we are happy to begin with the funny and enjoyable tasks as writing and presenting blogs to you. 

Our first blog is the opening chapter to a longer series named “Watchmaking Vocabulary”. It is a blog we put a lot of work and effort into, as it is our first time actually writing one. But don’t worry, we are also going to work hard writing our next blogs too.😊

With this series of interesting and mind catching blogs coming your way, we want you to fall head over heels in love with the captivating world of watchmaking. 😍

It doesn’t matter if you are a newbie or a watch making enthusiast. We start from the beginning of our vocabulary book as we want everyone to be entertained while learning through reading our blogs. We are not called “Everyone’s Favourite” just like that. 😎

And by the way, with each blog we write, we learn a lot of new stuff too. So buckle up, grab some popcorn, and get ready for some serious watch-talk!

Watch Parts

In our opinion just wearing watches is boring. Having a beautiful time peace on your wrist is one thing, but knowing what it is all about is different. Imagine being asked about the watch you bought the other day and you not having a clue about what kind of watch it is, what it is made of and what is so special about it. Would be just embarrassing, right? 😳 That’s why we are here to help you to become the smartest version of yourself. 🥸

Speaking about watches, knowing the different parts and components is a necessary and helpful skill. There are some fundamental components that never change. These may differ in their appearance, form colour and material. In this blog we are going to break down three of these components and add them to our basic watchmaking vocabulary.

1.The Dial

We all know that first impressions count. The dial is the first thing that is noticed when buying or wearing a watch. This is why it is also called the “face”. It catches your eye immediately and makes you go “Ooh la la” or even not. 🥱 

It determines the unique style and look of a timepiece and mostly influences your buying decision. Its secondary task is telling you the time 🤣. It comes in different materials and designs and contains many other components as indices and hands. Don’t worry, you also will get to know these terms soon. We will not let you down 😉.

What a true watch lover definitely has to know is that there are two types of dials: digital and analogue. But we are not going to talk about the digital ones, are we? Just some boring numbers on a screen. We are all about the analogue dials which display the beauty of watchmaking. There are many different types of dials determined by the amount of hands and the choice of hour markers. But it’s a whole other story which we’ll have to save for another day, we promise. We just don’t want you to get bored.

Many companies learned to use the dial as a sign of recognition over the time (Hehe, another time joke). That's why they started playing around with similar patterns and designs on their dials, but mixing things up with different colours and materials. Same classic dish, but with a little somethin' to keep it interesting.

A good example for that is “Rolex”. Maybe a company you’ve heard about somewhere. Now, we know what you're thinking - "who cares if the font style or the crown shape is the same on a bunch of different watches?" Well, my friend, let me tell you that those little details can make all the difference in the world. And for watch collectors, those repeating marks and designs are like gold. They're what sets one timepiece apart from the rest and can determine whether it's worth a pretty penny or not. Next time just look out for the water resistance dept rating replacements and the hour markers. 😂😂

A company which uses a completely different strategy of standing out is the American watchmaker “Jacob and Co”. With a reversed psychology by designing a different face every single time, they get even celebrities to buy their stuff. They make incredibly beautiful and detailed designs which can’t be found anywhere else on the market. 

2. The Case

The case is what ultimately gives the watch its shape. Think of it like a car - sure, the engine is important, but if the body looks like a hot mess, ain't nobody gonna take it for a spin.

It contains three different parts: the bezel, the middle case and the case back. The bezel is a thin ring on top of the watch in which the glass is inserted.

Behind it you can find the middle case which holds the dial of the watch. It is responsible for the unique look. It comes in many different materials, sizes and shapes as round, rectangular, cushion or barrel formed or even asymmetrical.

The closing part of the watch is the case back. It must be robust but easy to open, to be able to maintain the functionality of the watch.

Back then, the case was all about looks. It was like the watch equivalent of a ball gown or a tuxedo - sure, it looked pretty, but you wouldn't wanna wear it to the grocery store. Until the end of the 19th century watches were only worn to formal situations. In 1892 the case was given a different meaning when François Borgel decided to make them waterproof and to protect the interior (movement) from humidity, so watches could be worn in less formal situations too. 

Besides that, there are still companies nowadays who use the cases shape to be recognised.

And guess what... nobody does it better than “Richard Mille” which is one of the top luxurious watch makers in the world. These guys don't just make watches - they make works of art, with shapes so unique you'd think they were designed by aliens or something. But hey, that's what sets them apart from the rest of the watchmakers out there.

3. Lugs and straps or bracelets

The lugs also called horns are an essential part of having a wearable wristwatch. Those are extensions of the case to which the straps or bracelets are attached to. Without these bad boys, you'd be stuck carrying your watch around in your pocket like it's the 1800s Logically they come in different shapes, colours and materials too, which, most of the time, fits the style of the case.

Watchmakers and collectors differentiate between seven different types of lugs which are: 

• Straight lugs
• Twisted lugs
• Wire lugs
• Explorer lugs
• Cushion lugs
• Shrouded lugs
• No lugs

Don't go throwing your watch out the window just yet - we know all these watch terms can be a bit overwhelming. But fear not, dear reader, we're here to guide you through this wacky world of watchmaking. We promise to explain the lugs types in an extra blog to you.

As we mentioned, the lugs are the connections between the straps and bracelets to the case. The strap and bracelets primary function is keeping your watch securely attached to your wrist. I mean, can you imagine the horror of dropping your precious timekeeper on the ground? It's like watching a little piece of your soul shatter into a million tiny pieces.

The differentiation between straps and bracelets is simple: If it’s metal it’s a bracelet. If it’s something else, it’s a strap.

As you might have known that straps and bracelets can be changed any time the wish occurs. You know what they say - a new strap a day keeps the boredom away! Okay, maybe they don't actually say that, but they should. Because swapping out your watch strap can have a serious impact on your vibe. It's like a mini makeover for your wrist. Basically, having a wide collection of straps increases the variety of looks to choose from and wearing your favourite watch every single day never gets boring.

Dear watch lovers and newbies,

unfortunately, our first blog has come to an end.

Look at us - watch experts in the making!

We've just unlocked the mysteries of three essential watch parts. You may wonder why we chose those three (actually four) components when there are a lot more, one would like to learn about in the first place.

Well, we chose the main visible parts of the watch: the dial, the face and the straps. Those are the components everyone would notice on the first sight. Of course, there is still the crystal (glass covering the watch), which is also an essential part of the watch, but it is often forgotten because it’s see-through. That’s why we decided not to tell you about it in our first blog (maybe second blog 😊).

Then some would say: “If you didn’t add the crystal, why would you write about the lugs.” We decided to include the lugs, because speaking about the straps without mentioning the lugs would be simply ripped out of context.

We really didn’t want to dive to deep into the world of watchmaking vocabulary, because it’s our first blog and we wanted to make it interesting for every single one of you. We promise to continue writing our blogs constantly and adding new words to our terminology.

But don’t be disappointed if we write some blogs about different topics here and there too. We don’t want you and especially the “nerds” in our audience to get bored. Also they have to be constantly entertained (haha, just kidding).

And don't you worry! We won't let you forget all these watch terms you just learned. We'll be throwing them around left and right in our upcoming blogs.

We hope we were able to give you the best possible introduction into the watchmaking world and excite your interest in watches even more. And remember, the most important thing is enjoying what you read, otherwise you’re not going to get anything. 

Stay tuned and until next time!

Sincerely,

Your team from EVERYONE’S FAVOURITE