Glossary & terminology translator
The language of horology
122 terms with editorial English definitions and equivalents in French, German, Italian and Spanish. French and German follow trade usage; Italian and Spanish are drafts awaiting specialist review and are marked as such.
Terminology translator
| Term | Definition | Français | Deutsch | Italiano* | Español* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AlarmComplications | Mechanism that sounds at a preset time. Encyclopedia → | Réveil | Wecker | Sveglia | Despertador |
| AmplitudeEscapement & regulation | The angle of swing of the balance from its rest position. | Amplitude | Amplitude | Ampiezza | Amplitud |
| Anchor escapementEscapement & regulation | Recoil escapement for pendulum clocks with anchor-shaped pallets, introduced in England around 1670. Encyclopedia → | Échappement à ancre à recul | Hakenhemmung (Ankerhemmung mit Rückfall) | Scappamento ad àncora a rinculo | Escape de áncora de retroceso |
| AnglageFinishing | Bevelling and polishing of the edges of parts. | Anglage | Kantenpolitur (Anglieren) | Anglage | Anglage |
| Annual calendarComplications | Calendar needing correction only once a year, at the end of February. Encyclopedia → | Quantième annuel | Jahreskalender | Calendario annuale | Calendario anual |
| AstrolabeClocks & instruments | Hand-held astronomical instrument for finding the time and the positions of stars. | Astrolabe | Astrolabium | Astrolabio | Astrolabio |
| Atomic clockElectronic & atomic | Clock regulated by an atomic transition; the SI second is defined by caesium-133. Encyclopedia → | Horloge atomique | Atomuhr | Orologio atomico | Reloj atómico |
| Balance cockMovement | A bridge fixed at one end only that supports the upper balance pivot; often engraved on antique watches. | Coq | Unruhkloben | Ponte del bilanciere | Puente de volante |
| Balance springEscapement & regulation | Fine spiral spring that returns the balance and sets its period; also called hairspring. Encyclopedia → | Spiral | Unruhspirale | Spirale | Espiral |
| Balance wheelEscapement & regulation | The oscillating wheel that, with its spring, regulates a watch. Encyclopedia → | Balancier | Unruh | Bilanciere | Volante |
| BarrelMovement | Toothed drum containing the mainspring. Encyclopedia → | Barillet | Federhaus | Bariletto | Barrilete |
| Beat errorEscapement & regulation | Asymmetry between the tick and the tock of a watch, measured in milliseconds. | Défaut de repère | Abfallfehler | — | — |
| BezelCase & dial | The ring holding the crystal; on some watches it rotates. | Lunette | Lünette | Lunetta | Bisel |
| Blued screwsFinishing | Steel screws heated to a blue oxide colour for appearance and corrosion resistance. | Vis bleuies | Gebläute Schrauben | Viti azzurrate | Tornillos azulados |
| Bracket clockClocks & instruments | Portable spring-driven table clock with a carrying handle, made in England from the 1660s. | Pendule de table | Stockuhr | Orologio da mensola | Reloj de sobremesa |
| Breguet overcoilEscapement & regulation | Balance spring whose outer end is raised and curved inward to improve isochronism. | Spiral Breguet | Breguetspirale | Spirale Breguet | Espiral Breguet |
| BridgeMovement | A plate fixed at both ends that holds the upper pivots of one or more wheels. Encyclopedia → | Pont | Brücke | Ponte | Puente |
| CalibreMovement | A specific movement design, usually identified by a maker's number; also used for its size. | Calibre | Kaliber | Calibro | Calibre |
| Cap jewelMovement | A flat jewel covering the end of a pivot to carry end-shake load. | Contre-pivot | Deckstein | Contropivot | Contrapivote |
| Carriage clockClocks & instruments | Small spring-driven travelling clock in a glazed metal case with a handle. | Pendulette de voyage | Reiseuhr | Orologio da viaggio | Reloj de viaje |
| CaseCase & dial | The housing that protects the movement. | Boîte | Gehäuse | Cassa | Caja |
| CasebackCase & dial | The rear cover of a case. | Fond | Gehäuseboden | Fondello | Fondo |
| Centre secondsComplications | Seconds hand mounted on the central axis with the hour and minute hands. | Seconde au centre | Zentralsekunde | Secondi centrali | Segundero central |
| ChronographComplications | A watch with an independently started, stopped and reset seconds hand for timing events. Encyclopedia → | Chronographe | Chronograph | Cronografo | Cronógrafo |
| ChronometerEscapement & regulation | A precision timekeeper; today, a watch certified to official rate criteria such as those of COSC. | Chronomètre | Chronometer | Cronometro | Cronómetro |
| ClepsydraClocks & instruments | Water clock measuring time by the regulated flow of water. | Clepsydre | Wasseruhr | Clessidra ad acqua | Clepsidra |
| ClickMovement | A pawl that stops the ratchet wheel, and so the mainspring, from unwinding. | Cliquet | Sperrklinke | Cricchetto | Trinquete |
| Column wheelComplications | Castellated wheel that coordinates the start, stop and reset levers of a chronograph. | Roue à colonnes | Schaltrad (Säulenrad) | Ruota a colonne | Rueda de pilares |
| Compensation balanceEscapement & regulation | Bimetallic cut balance that offsets the effect of temperature on rate. Encyclopedia → | Balancier compensé | Kompensationsunruh | Bilanciere compensato | Volante compensado |
| ComplicationComplications | Any function beyond the display of hours, minutes and seconds. | Complication | Komplikation | Complicazione | Complicación |
| Côtes de GenèveFinishing | Parallel wave stripes decorating bridges and rotors. | Côtes de Genève | Genfer Streifen | Côtes de Genève | Côtes de Genève |
| Count wheelClocks & instruments | Notched wheel controlling the number of blows in older striking clocks. | Roue de compte | Schlossscheibe | — | — |
| CrownMovement | The knurled button used to wind and set a watch. | Couronne | Krone | Corona | Corona |
| CrystalCase & dial | The transparent cover over the dial: glass, acrylic or sapphire. | Glace | Uhrglas | Vetro | Cristal |
| Cuckoo clockClocks & instruments | Black Forest clock with bellows and pipes imitating a cuckoo's call. | Coucou | Kuckucksuhr | Orologio a cucù | Reloj de cuco |
| Cylinder escapementEscapement & regulation | Frictional-rest watch escapement in which the escape-wheel teeth act on a cut-away cylinder on the balance staff. Encyclopedia → | Échappement à cylindre | Zylinderhemmung | Scappamento a cilindro | Escape de cilindro |
| Deadbeat escapementEscapement & regulation | Pendulum-clock escapement without recoil, perfected by George Graham c. 1715. Encyclopedia → | Échappement à repos (Graham) | Grahamgang (ruhende Ankerhemmung) | Scappamento a riposo | Escape de reposo |
| Deadbeat secondsComplications | Seconds hand that advances in one-second jumps in a mechanical watch. | Seconde morte | Springende Sekunde | Secondi morti | Segundero muerto |
| Detent escapementEscapement & regulation | Chronometer escapement in which a detent locks the escape wheel and the balance receives impulse directly. Encyclopedia → | Échappement à détente | Chronometerhemmung | Scappamento a scatto | — |
| DialCase & dial | The face of a clock or watch. | Cadran | Zifferblatt | Quadrante | Esfera |
| Duplex escapementEscapement & regulation | Watch escapement with two sets of teeth on the escape wheel, one for locking and one for impulse. Encyclopedia → | Échappement duplex | Duplexhemmung | Scappamento duplex | Escape dúplex |
| ÉbaucheMovement | A blank or partly finished movement supplied by a specialist maker to be completed by a watch brand. | Ébauche | Rohwerk | Ébauche | Ébauche |
| EnamelCase & dial | Vitreous glaze fused onto metal, used for dials and decorated cases. | Émail | Smalto | Esmalte | |
| Equation of timeComplications | Difference between apparent solar time and mean time, shown by some clocks and watches. Encyclopedia → | Équation du temps | Zeitgleichung | Equazione del tempo | Ecuación del tiempo |
| Escape wheelEscapement & regulation | The last wheel of the train, whose teeth are locked and released by the escapement. | Roue d'échappement | Ankerrad | Ruota di scappamento | Rueda de escape |
| EscapementEscapement & regulation | The mechanism that releases the train's energy in regular steps and impulses the oscillator. Encyclopedia → | Échappement | Hemmung | Scappamento | Escape |
| FlybackComplications | Chronograph that resets and restarts with one press of the pusher. Encyclopedia → | Retour en vol | Flyback | Flyback | Flyback |
| FoliotEscapement & regulation | Weighted horizontal bar oscillating on the verge of early clocks. Encyclopedia → | Foliot | Waag (Foliot) | Foliot | Foliot |
| FrequencyMeasurement | Number of complete oscillations per second (Hz) of the regulating organ. | Fréquence | Frequenz | Frequenza | Frecuencia |
| FuseeMovement | Spiral-grooved cone linked to the barrel by a chain, equalising the mainspring's pull. Encyclopedia → | Fusée | Schnecke | Conoide | Caracol |
| Gear trainMovement | The series of wheels and pinions carrying power from the barrel to the escapement. Encyclopedia → | Rouage | Räderwerk | Ruotismo | Tren de engranajes |
| GnomonClocks & instruments | The part of a sundial that casts the shadow. | Gnomon | Gnomon (Schattenwerfer) | Gnomone | Gnomon |
| Grande sonnerieComplications | Striking watch or clock that sounds hours and quarters automatically at every quarter. Encyclopedia → | Grande sonnerie | Grande Sonnerie | Grande sonnerie | — |
| GuillochéCase & dial | Engine-turned decorative pattern cut on dials and cases with a rose engine. | Guilloché | Guilloche | Guilloché | Guilloché |
| Half hunterCase & dial | Hunter case with a small window in the lid and a chapter ring for reading the time. | Demi-savonnette | Halbsavonnette | Mezza savonnette | Media saboneta |
| HallmarkCase & dial | Official stamp guaranteeing the precious-metal fineness of a case, often with assay office and date marks. | Poinçon | Punze | Punzone | Contraste |
| HandsCase & dial | The pointers indicating the time. | Aiguilles | Zeiger | Lancette | Agujas |
| HourglassClocks & instruments | Two glass bulbs through which sand flows in a fixed interval. | Sablier | Sanduhr | Clessidra a sabbia | Reloj de arena |
| Hunter caseCase & dial | Pocket watch case with a hinged lid covering the dial. | Savonnette | Sprungdeckelgehäuse | Savonnette | Saboneta |
| ImpulseEscapement & regulation | The push the escapement gives to the oscillator in each beat. | Impulsion | Impuls (Hebung) | Impulso | Impulso |
| Index regulatorEscapement & regulation | Pivoted arm carrying curb pins that changes the effective length of the balance spring. | Raquette | Rücker | Racchetta | Raqueta |
| IsochronismEscapement & regulation | The property of an oscillator keeping the same period whatever its amplitude. | Isochronisme | Isochronismus | Isocronismo | Isocronismo |
| JewelMovement | A bearing of synthetic ruby or sapphire reducing friction and wear at pivots. Encyclopedia → | Rubis (pierre) | Lagerstein | Rubino | Rubí |
| Jumping hourComplications | Digital hour display that jumps instantly at the hour. Encyclopedia → | Heure sautante | Springende Stunde | Ora saltante | Hora saltante |
| Keyless worksMovement | The mechanism that winds and sets a watch from the crown rather than with a key. Encyclopedia → | Mécanisme de remontoir | Aufzug- und Zeigerstellwerk | Meccanismo di carica e messa all'ora | Mecanismo de carga y puesta en hora |
| Lever escapementEscapement & regulation | Detached escapement in which a pivoted lever (pallet fork) transmits impulse; standard in mechanical watches. Encyclopedia → | Échappement à ancre | Ankerhemmung | Scappamento ad àncora | Escape de áncora |
| Lift angleEscapement & regulation | The angle through which the balance is in contact with the escapement; needed to compute amplitude on a timing machine. | Angle de levée | Hebungswinkel | Angolo di alzata | — |
| LigneMeasurement | Traditional French unit of movement diameter, ≈ 2.2558 mm. | Ligne | Linie | Linea | Línea |
| Longcase clockClocks & instruments | Tall weight-driven pendulum clock in a floor-standing case ("grandfather clock"). | Horloge de parquet | Standuhr | Orologio a colonna | Reloj de pie |
| LugsCase & dial | Projections of a wristwatch case to which the strap is fixed. | Cornes | Bandanstöße | Anse | Asas |
| MainplateMovement | The base plate of a movement on which the bridges and wheels are mounted. | Platine | Werkplatte (Platine) | Platina | Platina |
| MainspringMovement | Coiled steel or alloy spring that stores the energy driving a watch or spring clock. Encyclopedia → | Ressort de barillet | Zugfeder | Molla di carica | Muelle real |
| MariageCollecting & condition | Watch or clock assembled from parts that did not start life together. | Mariage | Mariage | Mariage | — |
| Minute repeaterComplications | Repeater that strikes hours, quarters and minutes on demand. Encyclopedia → | Répétition minutes | Minutenrepetition | Ripetizione minuti | Repetición de minutos |
| Moon phaseComplications | Display of the lunar phase, usually by a disc with two moons turning once in two lunations. Encyclopedia → | Phases de lune | Mondphase | Fasi lunari | Fases lunares |
| Motion workMovement | The 12:1 gearing under the dial that drives the hour hand from the minute wheel. Encyclopedia → | Minuterie | Zeigerwerk | Minuteria | Minutería |
| MovementMovement | The mechanism of a clock or watch, without its case and dial. | Mouvement | Uhrwerk | Movimento | Movimiento |
| Open faceCase & dial | Pocket watch case without a front cover; the crown is usually at 12 o'clock. | Lépine | Lépine (offenes Gehäuse) | Lépine | Lepine |
| Pallet forkEscapement & regulation | The lever of a lever escapement, carrying the pallet stones and fork. | Ancre | Anker | Àncora | Áncora |
| PatinaCollecting & condition | Surface ageing of dial, hands or case valued by collectors when original. | Patine | Patina | Patina | Pátina |
| PendulumEscapement & regulation | A swinging weight whose period depends on its length; the regulator of most clocks since 1656. Encyclopedia → | Balancier (pendule) | Pendel | Pendolo | Péndulo |
| PerlageFinishing | Overlapping circular graining on plates and bridges. | Perlage | Perlage (Perlierung) | Perlage | Perlage |
| Perpetual calendarComplications | Calendar that accounts for month lengths and leap years without manual correction. Encyclopedia → | Quantième perpétuel | Ewiger Kalender | Calendario perpetuo | Calendario perpetuo |
| PinionMovement | A small gear with few teeth (leaves), usually cut solid with its arbor. | Pignon | Trieb | Pignone | Piñón |
| PivotMovement | The polished end of an arbor that turns in a bearing. | Pivot | Zapfen | Perno | Pivote |
| Positional errorEscapement & regulation | Variation of rate when a watch is held in different positions. | Écart de position | Lagenfehler | Errore di posizione | Error de posición |
| Power reserveMovement | How long a fully wound movement runs before stopping. | Réserve de marche | Gangreserve | Riserva di carica | Reserva de marcha |
| Power-reserve indicatorComplications | Display showing how much running time remains. Encyclopedia → | Indicateur de réserve de marche | Gangreserveanzeige | Indicatore di riserva di carica | Indicador de reserva de marcha |
| QuartzElectronic & atomic | Piezoelectric crystal oscillator, typically 32,768 Hz in watches. Encyclopedia → | Quartz | Quarz | Quarzo | Cuarzo |
| Rack strikingClocks & instruments | Striking controlled by a stepped snail and rack, allowing the strike to be repeated (c. 1676). | Sonnerie à râteau | Rechenschlagwerk | Suoneria a rastrello | — |
| Radio-controlledElectronic & atomic | Clock or watch synchronised by a time signal such as DCF77 or WWVB. | Radiopilotée | Funkuhr | Radiocontrollato | Radiocontrolado |
| RateEscapement & regulation | How much a timekeeper gains or loses, typically in seconds per day. | Marche | Gang | Marcia | Marcha |
| RecasedCollecting & condition | Movement fitted into a case it did not originally leave the factory in. | Remboîté | Umgehäust | — | — |
| RecoilEscapement & regulation | Backward movement of the escape wheel during the oscillator's supplementary arc. | Recul | Rückfall | Rinculo | Retroceso |
| RedialCollecting & condition | A dial that has been refinished or reprinted after original manufacture. | Cadran refait | Restauriertes Zifferblatt | Quadrante rifatto | Esfera restaurada |
| RegulationEscapement & regulation | Adjusting a timekeeper so that its rate is as small and steady as possible. | Réglage | Regulierung (Reglage) | Regolazione | Reglaje |
| RegulatorClocks & instruments | Precision pendulum clock used as a time standard in workshops and observatories. | Régulateur | Präzisionspendeluhr (Regulator) | Regolatore | Regulador |
| RemontoireEscapement & regulation | Device that rewinds a small spring or weight at intervals so the escapement receives constant force. Encyclopedia → | Remontoir d'égalité | Remontoir (Konstantkraft) | Remontoir | — |
| RepeaterComplications | Striking mechanism that sounds the time on demand. Encyclopedia → | Répétition | Repetition | Ripetizione | Repetición |
| Retrograde displayComplications | Hand that travels along an arc and flies back to zero at the end of its scale. Encyclopedia → | Affichage rétrograde | Retrograde Anzeige | Indicazione retrograda | Indicación retrógrada |
| RotorMovement | Pivoted oscillating weight that winds an automatic watch as the wrist moves. Encyclopedia → | Masse oscillante (rotor) | Schwungmasse (Rotor) | Massa oscillante | Rotor (masa oscilante) |
| Second time zoneComplications | Display of a second time zone, often by a 24-hour hand (GMT). Encyclopedia → | Second fuseau horaire | Zweite Zeitzone | Secondo fuso orario | Segundo huso horario |
| Serial numberCollecting & condition | Number stamped on a movement or case; with maker records it can help date a piece. | Numéro de série | Seriennummer | Numero di serie | Número de serie |
| Shock protectionMovement | Spring-loaded jewel settings that protect the balance pivots from impacts. Encyclopedia → | Antichoc (pare-chocs) | Stoßsicherung | Antiurto | Antichoque |
| SignedCollecting & condition | Bearing the maker's or retailer's name; not in itself proof of who made the movement. | Signé | Signiert | Firmato | Firmado |
| Skeleton clockClocks & instruments | Clock with pierced plates displayed under a glass dome to show the movement. | Pendule squelette | Skelettuhr | Orologio scheletrato | Reloj esqueleto |
| Small secondsComplications | Seconds shown on a subsidiary dial, usually at 6 o'clock. | Petite seconde | Kleine Sekunde | Piccoli secondi | Pequeño segundero |
| Split-secondsComplications | Chronograph with a second seconds hand that can be stopped for intermediate times and then rejoin the first. Encyclopedia → | Rattrapante | Schleppzeiger | Rattrapante | Ratrapante |
| Stepping motorElectronic & atomic | Lavet-type motor turning the hands of an analogue quartz watch one step per pulse. | Moteur pas à pas | Schrittmotor | Motore passo-passo | Motor paso a paso |
| StopworkMovement | A device limiting how far the mainspring can be wound or let down, so only its even middle turns are used. | Arrêtage | Stellung (Malteserkreuz) | — | — |
| Strike trainClocks & instruments | Separate gear train that sounds the hours (and sometimes quarters) on a bell or gong. | Sonnerie | Schlagwerk | Suoneria | Sonería |
| SundialClocks & instruments | Instrument showing apparent solar time by the shadow of a gnomon. | Cadran solaire | Sonnenuhr | Meridiana | Reloj de sol |
| TachymeterComplications | Scale for reading speed from the time taken to cover a known distance. | Tachymètre | Tachymeter | Tachimetro | Taquímetro |
| TourbillonEscapement & regulation | Rotating carriage carrying the escapement and balance to average out positional errors (Breguet, 1801). Encyclopedia → | Tourbillon | Tourbillon | Tourbillon | Tourbillon |
| Tuning forkElectronic & atomic | Electronically sustained fork oscillator used in the Bulova Accutron (1960). Encyclopedia → | Diapason | Stimmgabel | Diapason | Diapasón |
| Turret clockClocks & instruments | Large clock for a tower or public building, often driving external dials and bells. | Horloge d'édifice | Turmuhr | Orologio da torre | Reloj de torre |
| Verge escapementEscapement & regulation | The earliest mechanical escapement: a crown wheel acting on two pallets on an arbor (the verge). Encyclopedia → | Échappement à verge | Spindelhemmung | Scappamento a verga | Escape de rueda catalina |
| Vibration (vph)Measurement | One half-oscillation (one beat); 28,800 vibrations per hour = 4 Hz. | Alternance (A/h) | Halbschwingung (A/h) | Alternanza (A/h) | Alternancia (A/h) |
| WadokeiClocks & instruments | Japanese mechanical clock adapted to unequal temporal hours (Edo period). | Horloge japonaise (wadokei) | Japanische Uhr (Wadokei) | Orologio giapponese (wadokei) | Reloj japonés (wadokei) |
| WheelMovement | A toothed gear of larger diameter, normally driving a pinion. | Roue | Rad | Ruota | Rueda |
| Winding stemMovement | The arbor linking the crown to the keyless works. | Tige de remontoir | Aufzugwelle | Albero di carica | Tija |
| World timeComplications | Display of the time in all 24 zones, usually with a ring of city names. Encyclopedia → | Heure universelle | Weltzeit | Ore del mondo | Hora mundial |
* Draft equivalents awaiting review by specialist translators. A dash means no equivalent has been supplied yet. Persian, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Portuguese and Turkish terminology will be added after specialist review rather than by machine translation.