Watch glossary
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A short glossary of the terms you meet when choosing a watch: fluted bezel, sapphire crystal, sunburst dial, Mercedes hands, date magnifier, lume, hacking and lug width. Each term is defined in one sentence, followed by a short note on how it appears on ATÉRET watches, which cost ₪790 to ₪940.
Automatic
An automatic watch is a mechanical watch that winds itself from wrist motion, via a rotor that tightens the mainspring.
No battery: worn, it runs; set aside, it runs until the power reserve is used up. See what is an automatic watch.
Rotor
The rotor is a half-moon weight inside an automatic movement that swings with your wrist and winds the mainspring.
Power reserve
Power reserve is how long a mechanical watch keeps running from a full wind without being worn or wound.
On the NH35A it is about 41 hours.
Hacking
Hacking is the feature that stops the seconds hand when the crown is pulled to the time-setting position.
It lets you set the watch to the second. The NH35A hacks.
Hand-winding
Hand-winding is the ability to wind a mechanical watch's mainspring by turning the crown.
20 to 30 turns get a stopped automatic going. See watch care.
NH35 / NH35A
The NH35A is a Seiko Instruments automatic movement with 24 jewels, 21,600 vph, about 41 hours of reserve, hacking, hand-winding and a date.
It powers every ATÉRET watch. Full specs.
Jewels
Jewels are tiny synthetic ruby bearings in a movement that reduce friction where pivots turn.
The count reflects construction, not monetary value. The NH35A has 24.
Beats per hour (vph)
Beats per hour is how many times the balance wheel oscillates in an hour, which sets how smoothly the seconds hand moves.
At 21,600 vph the seconds hand takes six small steps a second.
Crown
The crown is the knob on the side of the case used to wind the watch, change the date and set the time.
On the NH35A: pushed in to wind, first click for the date, fully out for the time.
Fluted bezel
A fluted bezel is a metal ring around the crystal with tight, polished grooves that catch the light.
A classic dress-watch detail. ATÉRET fluted bezel cases come on a five-link bracelet, steel or two-tone.
Smooth bezel
A smooth bezel is a polished ring without grooves, for a clean, quiet look.
ATÉRET smooth bezel cases come on a three-link bracelet.
Sapphire crystal
Sapphire crystal is a watch glass made of synthetic sapphire, a very hard material far more scratch-resistant than mineral or acrylic glass.
Every ATÉRET watch has one.
Date magnifier (cyclops)
A date magnifier, or cyclops, is a small lens on the crystal over the date window that enlarges the numerals.
Ours enlarges the date about 2.5 times and is fitted on some cases.
Sunburst dial
A sunburst dial has fine rays radiating from the centre that shift in tone and shine with the angle of the light.
ATÉRET offers silver-white and black sunburst dials with polished markers.
Diver dial
A diver dial is inspired by dive watches, with large legible markers and a triangle at 12.
Ours come in black and blue, glossy enamel or matte, plus white with gold-tone markers.
Enamel finish
An enamel finish is a deep glossy layer on the dial that looks like coloured glass.
It reflects light richly; matte reads quieter and sportier.
Mercedes hands
Mercedes hands are a set whose hour hand carries a circle with three spokes, resembling the car maker's emblem.
A dive-watch classic, easy to read at a glance. Ours come in steel and black.
Stick hands
Stick hands are straight, slim hands that give a dial a clean, minimal look.
Ours have a lume strip along their length.
Lume
Lume is light-emitting material on hands or markers that charges from light so the time can be read in the dark.
How long it glows depends on the amount applied and how much light it absorbed.
Lug width
Lug width is the distance between the lugs where the strap attaches, and so the strap width the watch takes.
Ours is 20 mm, among the most common. See the size guide.
Five-link bracelet
A five-link bracelet is a metal bracelet with five small links per row, making it supple and sparkling.
Dressy; ours comes with the fluted bezel cases, in steel or two-tone.
Three-link bracelet
A three-link bracelet is a metal bracelet with three broad links per row, classic and sturdy.
Ours comes with the smooth bezel cases.
Two-tone
A two-tone watch combines steel with gold-tone parts such as the bezel, crown and centre bracelet links.
Deployant (folding) clasp
A deployant or folding clasp opens and closes by folding, so the bracelet or strap never fully comes apart when you take the watch off.
Conventional leather straps usually use a pin buckle, like a belt.
Quick-release spring bars
Quick-release spring bars have a small lever that lets you remove and change a strap without tools.
ATÉRET leather straps come with them.
Frequently asked questions
Can sapphire crystal scratch?
It is highly scratch-resistant in daily wear, far more than mineral glass, though harder materials such as diamond can still mark it.
Why are they called Mercedes hands?
The three-spoke circle on the hour hand resembles the car maker's emblem.
What is a cyclops on a watch?
Another name for a date magnifier: a small lens over the date window.
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