Editing Watch (section)

== Parts ==

The movement and case are the basic parts of a watch. A [[watch band]] or bracelet is added to form a wristwatch; alternatively, a [[watch chain]] is added to form a pocket watch.<ref>United States International Trade Commission.
[https://books.google.com/books?id=_DBzHzS07mgC "Report to the Committee on Ways and Means on Watches and Parts Therefor"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426210458/https://books.google.com/books?id=_DBzHzS07mgC |date=26 April 2023 }}.
1977.
p. 3</ref>

The case is the outer covering of the watch.

The case back is the back portion of the watch's case. Accessing the movement (such as during battery replacement) depends on the type of case back, which are generally categorized into four types:
* Snap-off case backs (press-on case backs): the watch back pulls straight off and presses straight on.
* Screw-down case backs (threaded case backs): the entire watch back must be rotated to unscrew from the case. Often it has 6 notches on the external part of the case back.
* Screw back cases: tiny screws hold the case back to the case
* Unibody: the only way into the case involves prying the crystal off the front of the watch.

The crystal, also called the window or watch glass, is the transparent part of the case that allows viewing the hands and the dial of the movement.
Modern wristwatches almost always use one of 4 materials:<ref>[https://aarniwood.com/mineral-glass-or-sapphire-crystal/ "Mineral or Sapphire Glass – What is the Difference Between Watch Glasses?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926105620/https://aarniwood.com/mineral-glass-or-sapphire-crystal/ |date=26 September 2022 }}.</ref>
* Acrylic glass ([[plexiglass]], hesalite glass): the most impact-resistant ("unbreakable"<ref>"Unbreakable Crystals"
section of
[https://books.google.com/books?id=ldt4EAAAQBAJ "A General History of Horology"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327112540/https://books.google.com/books?id=ldt4EAAAQBAJ |date=27 March 2023 }}.
2022.
p. 486</ref><ref>Oren Hartov.
[https://wornandwound.com/military-watches-of-the-world-great-britain-part-1-the-boer-war-through-the-second-world-war/ "Military Watches of the World: Great Britain Part 1—The Boer War Through The Second World War"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926105616/https://wornandwound.com/military-watches-of-the-world-great-britain-part-1-the-boer-war-through-the-second-world-war/ |date=26 September 2022 }}.</ref>), and therefore used in dive watches and most [[US military watches|military watches]]. Acrylic glass is the lowest cost of these materials, so it is used in practically all low-cost watches.
* Mineral crystal: a [[tempered glass]].
* Sapphire-coated mineral crystal
* [[Synthetic sapphire]] crystal: the most scratch-resistant; it is difficult to cut and polish, causing watch crystals made of sapphire to be the most expensive.

The bezel is the ring holding the crystal in place.<ref name="fogle" >Katelyn Fogle.
[https://www.jewelersmutual.com/the-jewelry-box/10-parts-watch-you-should-actually-know "10 Parts of a Watch You Should Actually Know"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023111227/https://www.jewelersmutual.com/the-jewelry-box/10-parts-watch-you-should-actually-know |date=23 October 2021 }}.</ref>

The lugs are small metal projections at both ends of the wristwatch case where the watch band attaches to the watch case.<ref name="fogle" />
The case and the lugs are often machined from one solid piece of stainless steel.<ref>Japan Clock & Watch Association.
[https://www.jcwa.or.jp/en/time/qa/qa03.html "What are the part names of watches?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926105616/https://www.jcwa.or.jp/en/time/qa/qa03.html |date=26 September 2022 }}.</ref>