Many watch enthusiasts pay attention to a timepiece’s movement. They think this is the only essential part of the watch, and it affects its perpetual functionality. The truth is other vital watch parts are often overlooked, such as the crown.

All watches have a crown for several purposes. While a bezel is sometimes present in a timepiece for aesthetics, the crown is a central part of the timepiece. Without it, a timepiece cannot function properly.

What is a crown?

A watch’s crown does not look like a monarch’s crown at all. Most of the time, it is like a push pin mounted on the case engraved with the watch’s logo. It differs from one timepiece to another, especially if it is a tool watch like the dive or pilot watches.

A crown is a small knob on the right side of the watch and is usually made of metal. It is a tiny part of the timepiece, but without it, consider your watch useless.

Functions of a Crown

Technically, the crown is the connector between the inner part of the watch to the outside. Depending on the type of watch and its features, it has varied functions such as the following:

Setting the Time

The crown’s primary purpose is to set the time. By pulling it out in a specific position, you can easily adjust the watch’s time accordingly.

Winding the Watch

Another important use of the crown is for watch winding. This is needed for automatic and mechanical timepieces, especially if there is no watch winder available.

Stopwatch Timer

If your watch has this feature, then the crown is the only option for you to adjust the timer setting.

Adjusting Other Settings

Other settings in a timepiece can include the date and the moon phases (for watches with complications). The crown is used for adjusting the date on the window following the specific instructions on the timepiece. The same process is applicable as well for changing the correct moon phase on the dial.

Water Protection

Another remarkable use of the crown is to prevent water from penetrating the watch (especially for diving watches). Although the watch’s case is good enough to protect the watch, the crown provides additional protection by preventing the water from seeping deep into the movement.

Types of Crowns: Screw-down or Pull/Push

A screw-down or thread crown is quite common in water-resistant watches. This type of crown screws tightly in the case to prevent water and dust from entering the watch. For diving watches, this is useful for divers to enjoy time underwater without worrying about their watches.

Some of its advantages are it makes watches waterproof, secured, and cannot be operated accidentally (since one must screw it down or loosen it first). For the disadvantages, unlike the pull/push crown, one needs to unscrew it first to make manual winding, and time or date adjustments.

The pull/push crown is standard in most casual watches. As its name suggests, you need to pull it at different positions (based on your watch manual) to perform certain functions such as manual winding and date or time adjustments.

But, does it make a watch water-resistant too? Definitely. A pull/push crown can secure a watch up to 200 meters, so just like the screw-down crown, it prevents the water from entering the watch.

Among its notable advantages is that it lasts longer than a screw-down crown since the latter is subjected to wear and tear, can be used for manual winding even in pushed-in position, and can be used to adjust time and date with just one pull.

However, it poses high risks if you forget to push the crown back in since it can make the water enter and damage the movement. It also easily gets tangled, so you need to be extra cautious to make sure it is always pushed.

Why is a screw-down crown perfect for Aquinus?

In general, a screw-down crown seals the watch from water penetration when it locks down with the case’s thread and gasket. This makes the timepiece entirely water-resistant, making it the best type of crown to use for Aquinus dive watches.

However, divers must always ensure that the crown is screwed back into its default position before getting underwater. Moreover, the crown should be checked if the wearer has recently reset the time or date to prevent damaging the movement.

For detailed instructions on how to reset the time and date of your Aquinus watch using the crown, check it here.