Glossary

The language of luxury is precise. A house will name a leather, a hardware finish or a movement exactly, and those names tell you how a piece will look, feel and age. This glossary defines the terms you will meet in our listings and guides. Some have their own pages where there is more to say; the rest are explained briefly here.

Leathers

• Togo: Hermès grained calfskin. Scratch-resistant, with a soft but structured hand. The most widely seen Birkin leather.
• Epsom: Hermès embossed calf. Light, rigid and crisp-edged, and it holds colour well.
• Clémence: Hermès bull calf with a flatter, heavier grain than Togo. Slouches gracefully with use.
• Swift: smooth, fine-grained Hermès calf with rich colour. Shows marks more readily.
• Chèvre: goatskin. Fine-grained and very durable. Hermès names include Chèvre Mysore and Chèvre Chamkila.
• Box calf: smooth, glazed calf that develops a deep patina over time. Sensitive to water.
• Caviar: Chanel's pebbled, grained calfskin, known for durability.
• Lambskin: soft, fine leather with a gentle sheen. Delicate, and prone to scuffs.
• Matelassé: quilted, as on the Chanel Classic Flap and the Gucci GG Marmont.
• Intrecciato: Bottega Veneta's woven leather technique.
• Vachetta: untreated cowhide used on Louis Vuitton trim. It darkens to honey with age.

Hardware and construction

• Saddle stitch: hand stitching with two needles, as used by Hermès.
• Palladium hardware: silver-toned plating from a platinum-group metal.
• Clochette: the leather bell that holds the keys on a Birkin or Kelly.
• Turn-lock: a clasp that rotates to close, such as the Chanel CC or Kelly lock.
• Heat stamp: a house name pressed into leather with heat.
• Blindstamp: an uncoloured stamp, used by Hermès to mark year and craftsman.
• Date code: Louis Vuitton's letters-and-numbers manufacturing code, used until microchips arrived.

Metals and stones

• 18k gold: 75% pure gold, hallmarked 750.
• PT950: platinum at 95% purity.
• Pavé: small stones set closely to create a surface of diamonds.
• VS1: a diamond clarity grade meaning inclusions are very slightly visible under 10× magnification.
• Hallmark: an official mark confirming metal purity. In the UK it is applied by an assay office.

Watches

• Calibre: a watch movement's reference.
• Automatic: a mechanical movement wound by the motion of the wrist.
• Cyclops: the magnifying lens over the date on many Rolex models.
• Oyster / Jubilee: Rolex bracelet styles, with three-piece and five-piece links respectively.
• COSC: the Swiss chronometer-testing body.

New terms are added regularly.