Watch GlossaryBezel

What Is A Bezel On A Watch?

The first inference to the term ‘bezel’ can be traced back to 1605-15, from the old French word besel (biseau in modern-day French), which means bevel or chamfer. It is the grooved ring, like a vertical extension of the case, which holds in place the glass protecting the dial of your watch. Bezels fall under two broad categories: decorative and functional. A decorative bezel can be smooth, textured, made from precious metals or studded with precious stones, mostly diamonds. On the other hand, a functional bezel is often one that rotates. It can be unidirectional rotation or bidirectional. A unidirectional bezel is a vital requirement on dive watches, as it fulfils the crucial requirement of measuring elapsed minutes underwater, for the safety of the wearer. Bidirectional bezels rotate both clockwise and anti-clockwise, and can measure events from elapsed time or shifting time zones. Bezels could also feature scales for additional measurement on a watch, beyond basic timekeeping, such as a tachymeter scale.