Glossary

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Main Plate
Base plate on which all the other parts of a watch movement are mounted (part of the "ébauche").

Manufacture d'horlogerie
French term for a watch factory which itself produces the components (particularly the «ébauches») needed for the manufacture of its products (watches, alarm and desk clocks, etc).

Marine Chronometer
Highly accurate mechanical or electronic timekeeper enclosed in a box (hence the term box chronometer), used for determining the longitude on board ship.Marine chronometers with mechanical movements are mounted on gimbals so that they remain in the horizontal position is necessary for their precision.

Movement
Assembly consisting of the principal elements and mechanisms of a watch or clock: the winding and setting mechanism, the mainspring, the train, the escapement, the regulating elements. «Anatomically», the movement consists of the «ébauche», the regulating elements and the other components.