• "timepiece prime time clock closeup watch" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: zoutedrop (Bart Hiddink) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
  
  

Face

• The face (or dial) of a clock is the medium for displaying all numerals and markings. A clock's face lies on top of its motor and springs and underneath the clear protective crystal. A clock's face can be made from materials such as metal, plastic, wood or even ivory. The face of a clock should always remain unmoving and securely fixed in place.
  
  

Crystal

• The crystal part of a clock denotes the clear protective covering directly over and surrounding the clock's face. Although the crystal can be derived from synthetic sapphire crystals, most clock crystals are in fact made with plastic or other cost-effective compounds similar to the clarity of glass. Smudging and small scratches to a clock's crystal won't necessarily mean the clock itself is ruined, but keeping the crystal free from damage and corrosive liquids will help increase the aesthetic longevity of the timepiece as a whole.
  
  

Movements

• The movement of a clock refers to the square mechanical box directly underneath the center of the face which literally controls the movements of the clock's hands. Clock movements are synchronized to shift the hands according to their given time intervals. Highly sophisticated clock movements involve remote synchronization via radio waves which result in the most accurate representation of time possible. The only part of the clock movement remotely visible to the eye (when the clock is fully assembled) is the small piece protruding from the center of the face to which the hands are attached.
  
  

Hands

• The three hands of a standard clock (hour, minute, second) each point to a corresponding number or second marking. The hands can be identified depending upon their length and/or thickness; hour hands are usually shorter than minute hands, while second hands are thinner than either of the previous two. All hands of a clock are affixed to the center of the face and rotate in clockwise motion.
  
  

Numerals and Markings

• The numerals of a clock specify the classic Arabic 1-12 numeration listed in a clockwise fashion on the face of a classic analog (or nondigital) clock face. The number 12 will always lie at the upper center of the clock face, with the next numbers following in chronological order from 1-11 until the 12 again. A common variation on classic Arabic number markings is the use of Roman numerals in place of them. Many clocks also include a total of 60 second markings to make the timepiece even more exact.