Watch GlossaryAnalogue Watch

What is an analogue watch?

According to the dictionary definition, ‘an analogue watch is one where the hours, minutes, and sometimes seconds are indicated by hands on a dial’. This is the most common images that comes to mind when one thinks of a traditional, round watch, where the time is usually indicated on a dial with the help of classic hours and minutes hands, and where the watch face is usually adorned with numbers and indexes, which allows the user to read the time easily. Also, analogue watches produce the classic ticking sound that we associate with timepieces. Analogue watches are still, perhaps, the most common watches on the market today.

What are the types of analogue watches?

While the traditional meaning of an analogue watch refers to a timepiece with the hours, minutes, and seconds display, this has certainly evolved with time, mostly in the design domain. So, the most obvious question would be: what are the different types of analogue watches? Or what are the different movements inside analogue watches?

The mechanism driving an analogue watch can either be quartz or mechanical (automatic or manual-winding). The former is a battery-powered movement that is known for its incredibly high accuracy. Mechanical movements are more high-maintenance since they require winding (easier in automatic watches, more attention needed for manual-winding watches), and this entirely depends on the wearer’s discretion, preference, and personal style.

But most analogue watches usually exhibit a more classical or dress watch-type design aesthetic. One can also set the time on an analogue watch is easy steps:

Step 1: Pull out the crown (unscrew the crown first if necessary) to set the time.

Step 2: Turn the crown towards you and you will see the watch hand turn clockwise.

Step 3: Press the crown back to its original position to run the watch.