Wristwatch with rotating bezel

Rotating bezel

— the rotating bezel is a swivel ring around the dial, with marks applied to it (ring).

Usually the bezel scale is similar to the minute/second scale of the dial, it is marked from 0 to 60, most often with marks every 5 or every 10 minutes (seconds). In such cases, this function is a somewhat simplified analogue of the timer or stopwatch / chronograph used in watches with analogue dials. To work in the stopwatch mode, you need to align the zero on the bezel with the position of the second or minute hand (depending on how long the period needs to be detected), and at the end of the measurement, look at what division on the bezel this hand has reached. To work in the timer mode, zero on the rotary scale is set at the end of the countdown, and the user can only monitor whether the arrow has reached zero. Thus, you can turn the watch into a timer or stopwatch mode with just one turn of the ring — it's faster and more convenient than digging into the settings. Such features are appreciated, in particular, by scuba divers who use a timer to control air supplies; at the same time, in diving watches, the rotation mechanism is often made one-way, so that the bezel cannot be accidentally turned in the direction of increasing the remaining time.

There are other types of rotating bezels — for example, in the form of a scale with cardinal points used in watches with a compass.