Figure 1 shows features and functions of common small scale dial used on the watch dial to help you quickly understand the function and use of small scale dial (arc-shaped scale ring) and small pointer. Functional schematic diagrams indicated in Figure 1.3-1.10 may not be exactly the same as the actual model.
Figure 1 Small scale dial elucidation sheet | |||
Small dial name | Scale (value) and feature | Small dial function | Schematic diagram |
24-hour small dial(or24-hour scale ring)
Dual time zone24-hour dial | It has the scale of 24 evenly spaced lines and the numeral 24. As shown in Figure 1.3, 24-hour indicating scale ring is at 6 o’clock position, dual time zone second time zone hour dial is at 9 o’clock position. 3 o’clock position 24-hour indicating dial and central dual time zone 24-hour dial are shown in Figure 1.8. | 24-hour dial facilitates to differentiate forenoon and afternoon, small hand synchronizes with hour hand and it is not adjustable. Second time zone hour dial (each ring of 12 hours) displays second time zone hour, small hand is adjustable. As shown in Figure 1.3, the watch is concurrently equipped with 24-hour dual time zone function and 24-hour indicating (ring). | Pointer display calendar and 24-hour dual time zone watch |
Date small scale dial (ring) | It has the scale of 31 evenly spaced lines and numeral 31. See small dial (ring) at 12 o’clock position in Figure 1.3 and Figure 1.4. | The adjustable pointer displays the date and it moves one spaced line per day. | Pointer display date, week, monthly calendar moon phase watch |
Week small scale dial (ring) | It has the scale of seven evenly spaced lines and generally has English abbreviation of the week, See small dial located 9 o’clock position in Figure 1.4. | The adjustable pointer displays the week and it moves one spaced line per day. | |
Month small scale dial | It has the scale of 12 evenly spaced lines, generally has English abbreviation of the month; See small dial located at 3 o’clock position in Figure 1.4. | The adjustable pointer displays the month and it moves one spaced line per month. | |
Moon phase dial | It has the pattern of the moon and starry sky.See Figure1.4。 | It daily moves along with the moon phase, the astronomical moon phase period is29.5days,and subtle adjustment is required after a few months. | |
Small second hand dial of three-hand watch | It has the scale of 60 evenly spaced lines, with or without the numeral 60, or with English abbreviation SEC, it is generally located at 4 o’clock and 6 o’clock position. It is occasionally located at other positions. See second-hand scale dial located at 6 o’clock position in Figure 1.5 and half-round second hand scale dial located at 4 o’clock position in Figure 1.10. | Second hand of common mechanical or quartz watch is frequently used in relatively-flat watches. | Figure1.5 Common three-hand watch(small second hand) |
1/10(1/20s)precise time-keeping watch1/10(1/20s)second hand dial | It has the scale of10or20evenly spaced lines,or has1/10(1/20)index,see Figure1.6at2o’clock position in small dial located. | Precise time-keeping watch1/10(1/20s)scale dial,displays precise number of seconds. | Figure1.6 Precise time-keeping quartz watch Figure1.7 Mechanical time-keeping watch Figure1.8 Dual time zone time-keeping quartz watch |
Small second hand dial of timeslot time-keeping watch(the working second hand dial) | It has the scale of 60 evenly spaced lines. It generally has the numeral 60 or English abbreviation SEC (see small dial located at 6 o’clock position in Figure 1.6, small dial located at 9 o’clock position in Figure 1.7. | Central second hand of timeslot time-keeping watch is generally time-keeping second hand, it moves after the start of time-keeping; small second hand is (working)second hand, it continuously moves (mechanical watch needs to be winded).There occasionally exists a different model. The differentiation lies in whether it moves by means of pressing the button or continuously moves. | |
Minute dial of pointer-type timeslot time-keeping quartz watch | Maximum time-keeping time of precise quartz time-keeping watch has two categories, 30 or 60 minutes. Minute dial has the scale of 30 or 60 evenly spaced lines, the numeral 30 or 60, or English abbreviation MIN. See small dial located at 10 o’clock position in Figure 1.6. | Cumulative minute scale dial of pointer-type timeslot time-keeping quartz watch. Central second hand moves 60 seconds, time-keeping minute hand moves an evenly spaced line. The precision of precise quartz time-keeping watch can attain 1s or 1/20s, the longest time-keeping time is less than one hour, without the hour dial. The longest time-keeping time of common quartz time-keeping watch is 12 hour or 24 hours. | |
Minute dial of common quartz time-keeping watch has the scale of evenly spaced lines, the numeral 60 or English abbreviation MIN; See small dial located at 9 o’clock position in Figure 1.8. | |||
Minute dial of timeslot time-keeping mechanical watch | It has the scale of 30 evenly spaced lines and the numeral 30, or English abbreviation MIN. One circle indicates 30 minutes and two circles indicate a total of 60 minutes.See small dial located 12 o’clock position in Figure 1.7. | t is cumulative minute scale dial of timeslot time-keeping mechanical watch.When central second hand moves foracircle,time-keeping minute hand moves a halved spaced line,When central second hand moves fortwocircles,time-keeping minute moves a spaced line. | |
Hour dial of timeslot time-keeping watch | It has 1 hour or half an hour scale marks, with the maximum time-keeping duration 12 or 24(hours) or English HOUR; time-keeping time of precise time-keeping quartz watch is less than one hour, without the hour dial. See small dial (12 hours) located at 6 o’clock position in Figure1.7 and small dial (24-hour) located at 3 o’clock position in Figure 1.8. See power reserve ring located at 12 o’clock position in Figure 1.9. | It is time-keeping watch hour scale dial. When time-keeping minute hand moves60minutes,time-keeping hour hand movesaspaced line which equals to an hour. | |
Power reserve ring of mechanical watch | Arch-shaped ring generally has the English letters of power reserve. | It indicates power reserve of the spring. When the power is reduced, the pointer moves to the left. | ![]() |
Day and night dial | It has the pattern of the luminous sun and starry sky. See the day and night dial located at 6 o'clock position in Figure 1.9. | It displays daily shift of day and night and daily moves along with the time. | |
Half-round inner/outer ring scale dial | Inner and outer ring of half-round scale dial respectively indicates half of the total scale. As shown in Figure 1.10, 24-hour dial is located at 9 o’clock position, inner ring 0~12 hours, outer ring 12~24 hours; Small second hand dial is located at four o’clock position, inner ring 0~30s, outer ring 31~60s. | The short end of pointer indicates inner ring scale, the long end indicates outer ring scale. Two half-round scale dials present a complete display of360°scale dial, which allows the dial to leave a large hollowed-out frame to show agile motion of escapement device of mechanical movement. | Figure1.10 Inner/outer half-round24-hour scale dial、half-round small second hand dial watch. |