When shopping for a watch, most people focus on things like the band, dial, case, and even bezel. The overall design of the watch also tends to take precedence over the smaller details. Thus, small parts like the watch crown are easy to overlook.
However, watch crowns actually play a vital role in both the aesthetic appeal and the function of a watch. Therefore, it is important to understand how they work, how they look, how to use them, and the different types of watch crowns at your disposal.
In today’s guide, we will provide you will all the information you need to know about watch crowns to make an educated decision the next time you’re ready to purchase a new watch!
What Is a Watch Crown?
If you’re unfamiliar with the term “watch crown,” you’re definitely not alone. Watches contain many different parts with unique names and keeping track of them all is usually reserved for watch manufacturers. In any case, a watch crown is a protruding mechanism that almost always appears at the 3 o’clock position on a watch. However, the exact position of the crown can vary based on the watch design. You can even get a left crown watch to help make your watch more comfortable to wear during physical activities (more on that later).
A watch crown, sometimes simply known as a winding crown, can be turned in a circular motion for setting watch times. For example, if your watch is running a little slow or you have recently traveled to a different time zone, you can use the watch crown of a wristwatch to move the hands to the correct time. Obviously, this only applies to analog watches; digital watches do not require a watch crown.
While you don’t really need to know all of the complicated mechanisms of timekeeping, it is good to know how a watch crown works. Why? Because it is the one piece of a watch that you are expected to physically move on your own! Fortunately, it is not overly complex. Most watch crowns consist of just three parts: the watch crown, a crown seal, and a watch stem.
The crown is the part that you actually see and touch when you are ready to change the time. Alternatively, the crown seal ensures that the movement of the crown does not cause damage to the casing. Finally, the crown stem is the internal mechanism that allows the turning of the crown to actually change the direction of the watch hands.
Types Of Watch Crowns
There are various types of watch crowns based on their position, size, and design. The easiest way to differentiate certain types of watch crowns is their position on the watch casing. As previously mentioned, the “traditional” watch crown protrudes from the casing on the right side of the watch (at the 3 o’clock position). Alternatively, a left crown appears on the opposite side of the casing (at the 9 o’clock position).
So, why do left crown watches exist? This comes down to a combination of factors. First and foremost, the vast majority of the planet is right-handed and traditionally watches have been worn on the wrist of the non-dominant hand. This means that most people wear their watches on their left wrist.
Since a watch crown protrudes from the right side, this means that it could end up scratching the back of your hand during some physical activities like swimming, rock climbing, or even general exercise. As a result, left crown watches were invented to allow more physically active people to continue wearing their watch on their left wrist without being uncomfortable.
However, the position is definitely not the only way to identify different types of watch crowns. Size can also be a factor. Though watch crown sizes can vary drastically, they typically match the size of the watch face. Therefore, small watches tend to have smaller watch crowns (usually 4mm to 5.5mm in diameter), while larger watches have larger watch crowns (usually 6mm to 7mm in diameter).
Finally, there are a few ways to tell watch crowns apart by how they look and function. If you plan to take your watch into water or hazardous climates, then you may opt for a screw-down crown. As the name implies, this type of watch crown winds down very tightly against the watch casing, increasing its water resistance. This feature also ensures that dust and other particles cannot get into the watch’s internal mechanisms.
Another distinct type of watch crown is the recessed crown. Though not as popular or common as other types of crowns, the recessed crown is embedded further into the casing of the watch. Not only does this help increase water resistance, but it can also be more visually appealing for people who do not wish to have a large, protruding crown. As an added bonus, recessed crowns eliminate the issue of having the crown scratch or dig into the skin during physical activity. However, recessed crowns are not very common because they are more difficult to grasp.
Finally, there are push and pull crowns. Technically, the aforementioned crown types can also be push and pull crowns. Therefore, the push and pull mechanism is more of an additional feature than a type of crown in its own right. In any case, a push and pull crown allows you to literally push the crown inward or pull it outward to manage different tasks.
For example, most watch crowns allow you to change the time by pulling the crown out and rotating it. Once you’ve set the time to your satisfaction, you push the crown back in to resume normal function. Some push and pull crowns have multiple “levels” that allow for different functionality. If you pull the crown until it clicks once, you can change the time. Pull it until it clicks twice and you can change the date. Assuming that your watch has additional functions, you may be able to make even more changes (like bezel movement) based on exactly how many times you pull the crown outward.
Dual Crown Watches
Up to this point, we have only discussed timepieces with exactly one watch crown. However, many specialized watches have more than one. For example, dual crown watches generally feature a crown at the 2 o’clock position and another at the 4 o’clock position. This allows you to use each for its own features, rather than having to pull your crown to a different position to accomplish different tasks. Dual crown watches are especially common among divers and people who spend a lot of time near water.
However, you don’t have to be the seafaring type to make use of a dual crown watch. Some people simply prefer the look of a watch with more than one crown. It also makes it easier to know exactly which function you’re changing. One watch crown can manage the time of the day, while the other can manage the date.
Triple Crown Watches
Finally, a triple crown watch (also known as a three crown watch) steps it up a notch by including one more crown than a dual crown watch. As you can imagine, this allows for even more versatility and control over your watch’s features. Traditionally, three crown watches have all three watch crowns on the right side of the casing; they are almost always placed at the 2 o’clock, 3 o’clock, and 4 o’clock positions. Not only can this make your watch stand out, but it can also give you even more freedom to control how your timepiece functions!
We hope you found our watch crown guide useful! If you’d like to learn more about buying a luxury watch, feel free to contact the experts at Ashford today!
