WATCH TERMINOLOGY
Horology: The art and/or science of measuring time. Haute Horlogerie: Translated to English, this French term means “high watchmaking,” and is used to distinguish watches or watchmakers that demonstrate extreme proficiency in watch design, technical innovation and finishing. Manufacture d’Horlogerie: A French term, usually shortened to “manufacture,” that refers to a watch company that develops its own parts (including its movements) at its own facility (“in-house”), rather than assembling watches from parts made by third-party part suppliers. Patina: A green or brown film on the surface of bronze or similar metals, produced by oxidation over a long period. In watches this mostly happens with the dial, however, bronze watches also develop a beautiful patina on the case over time. Luminescence: Colloquially referred to as “lume,” luminescence is the glow given off by watch numerals, indices and hands that have been coated with a photoluminescent material. While early watches used radioactive radium to create lume, most modern watches use non-radioactive phosphorescent substances like strontium aluminate. 30 | Jansher Aidan Bakhshi Nongrum | Product Design
Luminova - LumiNova®, also referred to as “lume”, is a photo-luminescent substance. When applied on watch dials and hands, it allows to tell time in the dark. Working as a kind of “light battery”, LumiNova® stores light, so it can then glows under weak luminosity conditions.
misleading, While 30m WR may give you the feeling that it is safe to get into any body of water that is a few feet deep, at WR 30m you’re actually only supposed to be able to wash your hands with the watch on - You aren’t meant to take it into the shower or submerge it at all.
Super Luminova - is a brand name under which strontium aluminate–based non-radioactive and nontoxic photoluminescent or afterglow pigments for illuminating markings on watch dials, hands and bezels, etc. in the dark are marketed. This technology offers up to ten times higher brightness than previous zinc sulfide–based materials.
10 mts = 1 ATM
Tritium Tubes - Tritium radioluminescence is the use of gaseous tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, to create visible light. Tritium emits electrons through beta decay and, when they interact with a phosphor material, light is emitted through the process of phosphorescence. The overall process of using a radioactive material to excite a phosphor and ultimately generate light is called radioluminescence.
WR 100M (10ATM) - Ideally suitable to be used for swimming in swimming pools.
Water Resistance: Water Resistance is a really muddy subject in watch servicing. Watches are tested in extremely specific conditions and the water resistance marking are actually quite
WR 30M (3ATM) - Ideally just suitable to be used to wash hands and dishes. WR 50M (5ATM) - Ideally just suitable to be used in a cold shower.
WR 200M (20ATM) -Ideally suitable for shallow open water swimming. Diver’s 200M - Suitable for diving up to depths of under 200 metres. There are a lot ratings that go beyond Diver’s 200M and these are ideally meant for professional deep diving at where the watch will have features to mechanically help divers to time their decompression stops.
