Glossary

The bezel,  is the rotating ring located on the outer part of the watch's dial. It can serve as a decorative element in some watches, but its classic function is to mark time intervals using a scale similar to a timer. The rotating or ring-shaped bezel on the watch's dial can be used to quickly and easily track elapsed time.

Yacht Mater ii Ring Command Bezel

Rolex fluted bezel

For example, in sports watches or diving watches, the bezel may have markers or numbers that are used to measure elapsed time for activities such as diving or distance covered. The bezel is rotated to set the starting point and the endpoint for the measured time.

The bezel can be fixed in some watches, where it does not move and primarily serves as a decorative element. In other watches, the bezel can be rotatable in one direction or bidirectional, depending on the design and intended use of the watch.