zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

: What's the difference between the amount of
: jewels in an automatic movement?...would it
: mean that the second hand would have a
: smoother sweeping motion?

The following is from the zOwie Wristwatch FAQ on this site:

Jewels - are elements used in mechanical watches. Usually a very inexpensive form of synthetic ruby, these are used for virtually frictionless pivots or hubs at certain critical places in the watch mechanism. These jewels are worth only pennies and do not add any monetary value to a watch. It is also important to understand that more jewels does not necessarily make a better watch. While too few can certainly be a problem, the exact number needed for optimal performance depends on the specific design and features of the movement. Overall, 17 jewels is the lowest number needed for most standard mechanical watch movements. Others movements that implement different designs, or complications such a chronographs, may use more. But a novice cannot derive useful basis of evaluation or comparison from whether a watch has 17, 21, 25 or more jewels.