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ComplicationsIn horology terms, a complication in a mechanical timepiece is any feature beyond that of a simple hours, minutes, and seconds movement such as a moon phase, month display, quickset date, power reserve, chronograph, etc In watch making there are 3 grand complications. Horologists often speak of 3 classic high complications collectively known as "grandes complication". They are the Perpetual Calendar, the Tourbillon, and the Minute Repeater. AlarmA watch with an alarm function. It can ring in the case of a mechanical watch or vibrate if it is a quartz watch. CalendarThe calendar mechanism or function on a watch can consist of a date only showing in a window through to a triple calendar, showing the date, day and month. A combination of dial cut outs and pointer hands may be used. The most complicated calendar mechanisms may be mechanically programmed to show the year, and months including those with less that 31 days; leap years can also be mechanically allowed for. Sometimes referred to as perpetual calendars.
ChronographA chronograph is watch that is able to measure independent time intervals. It is a sense a stopwatch within a watch. This is indicated on subdials of the watch dials. Typically a chronograph has 3 subdials. One is the subsecond dial which indicates that the watch is running. The more directly specifically important subdials indicate elapsed minutes and elapsed hours. Diver's WatchDivers' watches traditionally are large, featuring a graduated rotating bezel and often a screw down winding crown. Water resistant to 200m as a minimum, the modern diver's watch must confirm to certain standards laid down for example by ISA in order to be classified as a Scuba Divers Watch. Dual time or Multi-timeA watch that keeps two or more separate times. This is usually indicated in the main dial and separate subdials, or in the case of Jaeger Le Coultre's reverse, on the reverse side of the watch. Equation of TimeAn equation of time watch shows the difference between "true" solar time (that of Nature) and "mean" solar time (that of Man). This rare and poetic complication is usually combined with other astronomical indications. The Earth makes an elliptical orbit around the Sun; also, its axis is tilted from perpendicular to the plane of the equator. For these two reasons, a "true" solar day, which is the interval of time between two "true" noons when the Sun is at its highest point in the sky, is never the same length over the course of the year. It is exactly twenty-four hours long on just four days: April 15th, June 14th, September 1st and December 24th. In an unchanging cycle, all the other days are either longer or shorter. This difference, which ranges from less 16 minutes and 23 seconds on November 4th to plus 14 minutes and 22 seconds on February 11th, is the "equation of time". FlybackA flyback chronograph is a chronograph with a twist. Unlike typical chronographs which must be stopped before they can be reset to zero a flyback can be returned to zero while it is moving enabling one to time successive events without a undue lapse of time. FoudroyanteA foudroyante uses a small dial that is marked 0-8. The hand on the dial completes a sweep every second which is an elapsed time of 1/8th of second for each number. GMTUniversal time based on the Greenwich Meridian used by the military and in aviation. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is a 24-hour watch is a type of watch with an hour hand that completes a revolution every 24 hours. This type of watch is especially useful for airplane pilots, astronauts, members of the military, or anyone who uses a 24-hour clock. Also referred to as UTC: Universal Time Co-ordinate.Zulu Time: Yet another reference to GMT and UTC! The use of this phrase is prevalent in civil aviation and military. Zulu is the phonetic for Z which is for the Zero meridian. Jump HourWhereas a standard watch displays the time by a pair (or sometimes three) hands pointing at fixed numbers, jump hour watches have a wheel that rotates to display the correct time i.e. the numbers themselves move. The watch will have a small window cutout on the dial so that only the correct time is displayed. Power ReserveThe mechanical watch operated either by automatic- or manual winding. In order to run at a regular rate a mechanical timepiece needs to have at least 30 per cent of its mainspring wound]. An automatic timepiece needs to be worn for about 10–15 hours before it is fully wound. The power reserve indicator displayed on the watch with automatic- winding movement shows how long a watch will function when not worn. The one displayed at a watch with the manual winding mechanism shows the time left for its next winding. Moon phaseSimply, this is a cut-out on the dial with a picture of the moon show it's current phase. RegulatorA watch where the hour and minute hands are not on the same, but separate, pinions; they are watches where the hour function is off centre. Typically the watch will have a small 12 hour watch face at the 12 position which denotes the hours, a minute hand central to the watch face and usually a seconds hand in a circular face at the 6 position. The watch is read by consulting each hand separately. RepeaterThe repeater strikes the number of hours that have passed since 12 o'clock on a gong. Repeater watches were much harder to make than repeater clocks; fitting the bells, wire gongs and complicated striking works into a pocket watch movement was a feat of fine watch making. So repeating watches were expensive luxuries and status symbols.
RetrogradeRather then a typical display in which a hand (such as a minute hand) completes a 360 degree revolution, a retrograde display completes 180 degree journey before flying back instantaneously to begin its travel once more. Skeleton MovementThe skeleton has had all excess metal removed from its structure of plates and bridges transforming it into an intricate artwork of beauty and delicacy that allows the movement to be seen through the dial. Also sometimes referred to as exposition, which usually referrers to only the back of the watch. Rattrapante - Split Second Chronograph - Double ChronographSplit Second Chronograph is the most complicated chronograph. Instead of the ordinary single central stopwatch hand, two hands are superimposed over the other. When the chronograph is activated both hands will start in unison. However upon pressing the split-second button the lower hand will stop while the other hand continues forward enabling two events to be timed at once. By pushing the button again, the stopped hand will immediately catch up with the other hand and will continue to travel in unison. This complex mechanism places great demands on watchmakers as this type of chronograph undergoes much more violent mechanical stresses when used in its intended manner. TachymeterA scale used to measure units per hour. Commonly found on the bezels of chronograph watches, an event is timed by using the chronograph seconds hand. The hand is stopped when the event ends and the hand will point to the number of units per hour that could be achieved. TourbillionConsidered a very special complication in a mechanical watch. A Tourbillon mechanism compensates for the effects of gravity on the balance thus improving the overall accuracy of the watch. Originally invented by Abraham Louis Breguet, the watch's escapement (balance, lever and escape wheel combined) is housed in a cage which rotates every 60 seconds. Pocket watches were worn vertically and motionless in a gentleman's pocket, in order to negate the effect of gravity, the tourbillion originally was an attempt to improve accuracy. The mechanism is usually exposed on the watch's face to show it off.
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