What does “Bezel” mean?

The bezel is the ring that surrounds the dial and holds the crystal in place. It can be fixed or rotating. Fixed bezels may be plain, fluted, gem-set or engraved with a scale such as a tachymeter; rotating bezels usually carry a timing scale, such as minutes on a dive watch or 24 hours on a GMT. Dive bezels normally turn only anticlockwise, so an accidental knock can only make the elapsed time look longer, never shorter.

The bezel is one of the most important parts for identifying and valuing a watch. Its material (steel, gold, an aluminium insert or ceramic), colour and condition all matter, and Rolex even encodes bezel colours in reference suffixes such as LN or BLRO. Inserts can be swapped, so check that the bezel or insert is correct and original for the reference. Look for chips on ceramic, fading or scratches on aluminium, and whether a rotating bezel clicks crisply and lines up correctly.

Example: 'Bezel turns cleanly, original insert with a light fade.'