Repairs/Maintenance A watch is a mechanical precision instrument. As such, your watch deserves attention once in a while. We recommend to have it serviced every 3 years through your Marcello C. authorized reseller. Only than you can be sure it will end up with the experienced watchmakers at Marcello C. The watchmaker will test, thoroughly clean and lubricate the movement.  The watchmaker will check the whole watch, adjust the timing if needed and will test both timekeeping and water resistance. The timekeeping is checked in a number of positions and temperatures on a modern watch timer that simulates the movement of a wrist. Case, bracelet and buckle are also thoroughly cleaned prior to sending the watch back to you. A thorough service can easily take 2-3 weeks and is invaluable to maintain the performance of your trusted timepiece for decades. Should your Marcello C. watch  need service, you can trust us to get it fixed right from the experts and master watchmakers at Marcello C. in Würselen, Germany. If you did not purchase your Marcello C. watch directly from us and need assistance, please contact your dealer or reseller first for any service related issue! Please contact us at the email address below for all your watch service needs, RMA numbers etc. Service@MarcelloC-Watches.com Used/Pre-owned Marcello C. watches You purchased your home pending an inspection by a professional. You probably opened up the hood to look at the engine, check the oil and maybe even have your mechanic check the transmission and other important parts before you bought that used car. But do you really know what the previous owner may have done to the used watch you just purchased? Has the watch been serviced regularly and are the gaskets still intact, maintaining water resistance? Why not let the professionals at Marcello C. inspect that pre-owned Marcello C. watch you just purchased? NEW!!! For a small fee, we will inspect your pre-owned watch, check it out on a modern digital watch timer and test the water resistance to make sure your used-watch purchase won't result in a bad (and potentially costly) surprise later. For peace of mind, contact us at Service@MarcelloC-Watches.com  for more details.

Dictionary of horological terms:

A dictionary of watch related expressions, why? We’d like to explain a few basic expressions to the watch collector which will hopefully result in curiosity and the desire to get to know mechanical watches even better. This dictionary obviously can’t ( nor does it strive to) be complete. It is simply meant as a contribution to help our visitors better understand mechanical watches.

Appliqué: From the French “appliquer”, to "put on". Markers or numerals from metal or other material that are attached (glued or riveted) to the surface of the dial.

Winding crown: Button of potentially different shapes and sizes, knurled or with grooves and held between the fingers to wind the movement, set or correct time or date.

Automatic: Typically used to describe a watch with automatic winding capability. The natural movement of the arm or wrist causes an auto-rotor (weight) inside the watch to rotate and consequently wind the mainspring of the movement.

Bridge: Metal part, often providing the bearings for the pinion of a moving part. Bridges are usually named after the moving parts they support or provide the bearings for.

Chronometer: Precision watch with a seconds hand; the movement was tested for accuracy for 15 days and in different positions by an official, neutral body (COSC). Movements in compliance with ISO 3159 standard receive a chronometer certificate.

Chronograph: (more correctly “chronoscope”) A watch with chronograph hands and registers besides hour, minute and second hands. A special mechanism controls the chronograph hands. By pressing a pusher, these hands for the stop watch function can get started, stopped or reset to zero. One chronograph hand might perform one rotation per minute while another registers the number of rotations of the first hand, thus counting the minutes, often up to 30 minutes.

Pusher: Pushbutton to activate a certain function. Pusher to start or stop a chronograph complication etc.

ETA: ETA SA, Grenchen, largest Swiss manufacturer of watch movements. ETA movements are found in many well known and respected Swiss watch brands.

Barrel: A hollow cylinder on the toothed main wheel containing the main spring and closed on top by the barrel cover. The barrel arbor in its center is connected to inner end of the mainspring, while the outer end of the mainspring is connected to the barrel. The main wheel interfaces with the center wheel of the gear train.

Window: Cut-out in the dial to allow for the display of information like date, day, month, day of the week etc. (date window).

Flyback: A flyback mechanism for chronographs is rooted in the early days of aviation. The chronograph can reset to zero at the push of a button and immediately commence a new measurement of elapsed time, assisting with navigational tasks.

Power reserve: Visual representation and display of the mechanical movement’s power reserve in days or hours on the dial or inside a window.

Geneva stripes: Often used as decoration on bridges and other parts of higher grade watch movements. A graining of the metal surface with parallel stripes of arcs, applied prior to galvanic plating. Geneva stripes are usually only found in high grade movements and watches.

Blued hands or screws: »Blueing«. To oxidize the surface of steel at great heat (290°C–310°C) to a dark blue color.

Gear train: Mechanism that transmits the power from the mainspring through multiple toothed gears.

GMT: Watch with an independently adjustable second time zone. See also world time.

Manual wind: A watch that requires regular manual winding of the movement’s mainspring by turning the crown.

Beats: Usually regular movements, it defines the back and forth oscillation of the balance.

Escapement: Mechanism in between the gear train and the balance that transfers the force from the mainspring onto the balance while stopping and releasing the gear train in regular intervals.

Caliber: Synonymous for dimensions. In watchmaking, Sully used the expression in 1715 to define the location and dimensions of various parts of the movement such as barrel, wheels etc. Later, the expression was used to define the shape of the movement, its bridges, the origin or the name of its creator.

Bezel: A ring on top of the case surrounding the crystal.

Moon phase: Displays the phases of the moon (New moon, waxing, full moon, waning)

Plate: In clocks and watches; Plate that carries the bridges and other parts of the movement.

Wheel: Round object rotating around its axle while transmitting a force or movement.

Gear train: Combination of wheels in which the movement of a single wheel affects the movement of all others.

Regulator: De-centralized location of the hour hand as used for precision timekeeping in celestial observatories. The unusual design of the dial and indication of time had the benefit of avoiding the hour hand potentially covering up the second hand on multiple occasions during the day.

Ruby: A deep red, translucent variety of the hard mineral corundum (aluminum oxide), valued as a precious stone. Also used as a bearing for the various pinions inside a watch movement. Synthetic rubies are typically used for watch movements today.

Rotor: In automatic movements a segment of heavy metal which can rotate around an axle. This rotation is used to wind the mainspring.

Savonnette: Also known as „hunting case”, a watch with solid covers on both sides.

Skeleton watch: Case and movement of this watch are designed to allow an open view of the parts and their function.

Hair spring: Small, coiled spring attached to the balance wheel and the balance stud. The hairspring together with the balance wheel forms the balance which regulates a modern watch. Accuracy and consistency in part depend on the hairspring.

Jump hour: Unlike the hour hand of a regular watch, which continuously moves, the jump hour display inside a window “jumps” and instantly displays the next digit.

Swiss Made: A designation of origin on the dial or movement of a Swiss wristwatch. Not the same as "Made in Switzerland".

Tachymeter: Instrument to measure speed. A chronograph with a special bezel that allows indication of speed based on elapsed time.

Balance wheel: Oscillating wheel responsible for the regular progression and movement of the hands through the gear train.

World time: Also known as Universal Time (UT). Introduced in 1926 to replace Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Based on astrological observations, it refers to time kept on the Greenwich meridian (longitude zero). Earth is divided in 24 time zones and their relation to GMT. For example New York GMT -5, Sydney GMT +8.

Dial: Display with various markings to indicate hour, minute and seconds on watches and clocks.