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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Glossary · Mechanism

Jewel count

The number of jewelled bearings and functional jewels in a movement.

Explanation

A seven-jewel watch typically jewels the balance and escapement only; fifteen jewels adds the train; seventeen, nineteen, twenty-one and twenty-three jewel counts add barrel arbor, centre wheel and further cap jewels. High counts do not by themselves mean high quality — some counts were padded with non-functional jewels for marketing.