Lexique Horloger

A self-winding mechanical watch is a watch whose mechanism is powered by the energy naturally supplied by wrist movements. The oscillating weight, responsible for resetting the barrel spring, is moved by the driving force of each of our movements.

The RALF TECH WRX, WRV, WRB and Académie models are available in self-winding mechanical versions.

Synonymous with winding. Winding a watch means putting it back into operation after a period of non-use (automatic winding watches) or simply on a daily basis (manual winding watches). Winding a watch involves manually or automatically tensioning the barrel spring so that it can accumulate energy, which is then distributed to the movement.

The annual calendar is a complication that indicates the date, day and month, and automatically takes account of 30- and 31-day months. With this complication, your watch can be set just once a year, in March.

The barrel is a cylindrical case containing a spring that gathers the force accumulated by the spring and distributes it to the gear train. In the case of an automatic winding movement, the spring is wound by the wrist, and in the case of a manual winding movement, by the winding crown.

Synonym satin finish. The term ‘brushing’ is used when the polishing movements produce a coarse finish, and ‘satin-finishing’ when the finish is finer to the eye.

Originally synonymous with ‘dimension’ in the name of a watch movement, calibre now refers to the movement itself. Followed by numbers and letters, the calibre indicates the origin of the movement, its reference, the name of the manufacturer, etc. Some brands produce their own calibres, known as ‘manufacture calibres’.

The RALF TECH calibres are the RTE001 electric, the RTH002 hybrid, the RTA002 and RTA003 automatic and the RTAC001 and RTAC002 automatic chronographs.

Carbon Tech® by RALF TECH is an innovative material from the SMC carbon family. A truly exceptional material, it consists of long carbon fibres with multidirectional woven reinforcement. Its virtues are its lightness, its high mechanical performance, its excellent chemical resistance and also its strength, which is essential for our professional customers.

Watch complications are numerous. They refer to any function other than indicating the hours, minutes and seconds. The best known are the date, the large date, the chronograph, the moon phase, the second time zone (GMT), the power reserve, etc. Watches with grand complications may also have a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar, a tourbillon, etc.

A chronograph is a watch that indicates the hours, minutes and seconds, and also has a complication whose purpose is to measure the duration of a phenomenon. This is achieved by activating a hand, which can be stopped and reset by simply pressing the dedicated push-pieces. The minute and hour counters on the dial show the number of revolutions made by the chronograph hand.

There are 10 chronograph models in the RALF TECH collection.

The main metal part of the watch, where all the indications are given: hours, minutes, seconds, date, thanks in particular to the hour-markers. The dial can come in a wide range of colours, as well as being engraved, guilloché, lacquered, enamelled, etc.

Flyback is a function originally designed for aircraft pilots. This complication enables timekeepers to restart a new count by simply pressing a pusher, without having to stop the hand, reset it to zero and start it again.

Grooves are small grooves made along the length of a stem or knob so that you can grip it firmly without your fingers slipping. Like on the winding crown, for example.

All RALF TECH crowns are fluted to make our watches easier to grip and set quickly.

Guilloché is a decorative engraving technique used on the dial or certain watch components. These engravings form intersecting or intertwining lines or curves. Guilloché engraving can be done with a chisel or a lathe.

Attached to the case middle and located at the ends of the case, the lugs are used to attach the strap to the watch. The small bar that fits into the lugs through small holes, which also pass through the inside of the bracelet to hold it in place, is also known as the lugset.

A special feature of RALF TECH’s WRX models is the use of threaded rods aimed at the lugs to prevent the straps from being ripped off.

The index refers to the hour markings that have gradually replaced the Roman or Arabic numerals, generally running from 1 to 12 on the dial. Indexes can be painted, screen-printed or applied.

Luminova® is a luminous substance deposited on the hands, numerals or indexes of a watch. It absorbs light and releases it in the dark, giving these elements excellent visibility. In the past, the substance that performed this function contained radium, which has radioactive properties. It was replaced by tritium (also radioactive but to a lesser extent), then by Luminova® and SuperLuminova®, both registered trademarks.

All RALF TECH indexes have one or more layers (depending on the model) of SuperLuminova® applied to all or part of the dial for better time reading in dark conditions.

A hand-wound mechanical watch must be wound by hand. The spring is wound when the winding crown is pressed.

The moon phase is a complication that indicates the different phases of the moon. A lunar cycle lasts 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 28 seconds and is made up of 4 phases: new moon, waxing moon, full moon and waning moon.

Amagnetic and antimagnetic are synonymous terms. A watch movement is usually made up of moving metal parts. This movement can be seriously disrupted when certain parts become magnetised. The proof is that a watchmaker will always demagnetise the calibre he is reassembling before adjusting it. To reduce this risk, the most sensitive parts (balance-spring and escapement, for example) can be made from non-magnetic metals or alloys. The RALF TECH WRX Millenium and WRX Millenium Lefty models are non-magnetic.

Also known as the rotor, the oscillating weight is a semi-circular part used to automatically wind the barrel spring. It is often made from heavy materials that favour oscillation.

This is a circular moving part of the movement that oscillates on its axis of rotation. Its function: to regulate the advance or delay of the movement by oscillating regularly.

The push-piece is a button that is pressed to start the chronograph. On some water-resistant watches, the pushers can be screwed on to ensure that they are not activated by mistake underwater.

PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) is a metallic coating process, a surface treatment applied to the case and bracelet of a steel watch, for a 100% colour finish, usually black. The black RALF TECH models are treated using this process.

An operation carried out by a watchmaker to restore the case and bracelet of a steel watch to their original appearance by erasing all micro-scratches, with a matt or shiny finish. Polishing is also carried out on gold watches.

A quartz movement works thanks to a quartz plate (mineral) which communicates its vibration frequency to the watch circuit. This vibration is made possible by the energy impulse of a battery and not by manual or automatic winding, as is the case with a mechanical watch. The new RALF TECH WRX electric models use an innovative long-range quartz movement that requires no maintenance for 10 years.

Steel, an alloy of iron and carbon, is a material commonly used in watchmaking. There are many types of steel, but the most widely used for watch cases is 316L steel.

At RALF TECH, we use 316L surgical steel to guarantee the strength and durability of our watches, but we also use titanium, bronze or SMC carbon for certain special series.

Sapphire crystals are found on the dials of most recent top-of-the-range watches. Virtually scratch-proof, it is sometimes added to the case back to allow the watch movement to be admired (in which case the water-resistance is reduced).

RALF TECH uses only sapphire crystal. The WRX model’s sapphire crystal is the thickest in the world, measuring 5.9 mm.

The balance-spring is a small spiral-shaped spring (part of the regulating organ) that regulates the movement of a watch. It returns the balance wheel to its initial position to start a new oscillation. Its quality has a major impact on the accuracy of the time given.

The tachymeter scale on a watch is located on the dial flange or on the (fixed) bezel of the watch, most often on car-inspired watches. Its purpose is to help calculate the speed of a moving body over a given distance. The information indicated by the chronograph hand on the tachometric scale can be read to determine the average speed.

to cover a given distance (usually 1000 metres). RALF TECH WRV ‘Tachymeter’ automatic chronographs are equipped with a tachometric bezel graduated up to 400 km/h.

Titanium is a recurring material in watchmaking, particularly in the manufacture of cases. It is appreciated for its resistance to corrosion and for its lightness. There are different types of titanium classified by grade from 1 to 5, each with different aspects and properties.

The RALF TECH WRX Millenium has a Grade 1 T35 titanium case. This titanium cannot be satin-finished or polished and retains its raw, matt appearance. It can, however, develop a patina over time and become darker.

The alternation per hour represents the frequency at which the balance oscillates from one point to another. The balance wheel of a mechanical watch performs between 18,000 vibrations and 36,000 vibrations for the most accurate.

Synonymous with winding. Winding a watch means giving the movement a new impetus, either automatically or manually.