Rehaut/Chapter Ring..They're Not The Same Thing..

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We're pretty flexible on The Rolex Forum...and we generally know what the members are talking about.. But horologically speaking, we think that the members should always have as much knowledge as possible..

Rehaut is defined as a "flange". Chapter Ring is a "segmented circle".

In horology, le rehaut can be:

1) a rotating internal bezel (lunette intérieure rotative) as we find in this reference: "Une couronne rotative pour le réhaut d'orientation et du compte à rebours," which translates as: "A [second] crown for adjusting the [internal] elapsed time counter." An example would be the Jaeger-LeCoultre
Master Compressor Dualmatic or the Hamilton Khaki Navy.


2) in a fixed configuration, a flange which raises the crystal above the dial and hands. On the Rolex Submariner, for example, the rehaut exists in the same plane as the external rotating (elapsed time) bezel.

The area under the crystal is properly referred to as the rehaut, in French. In English the proper term would be a "flange." The flange (or rehaut) is sometime mistakenly referred to as the "chapter ring." However, this area is not the chapter ring, which is the circular ring on a clock or watch dial on which the minutes (and sometimes the hours) are engraved, attached, or painted. In French again, a chaper ring would be "tour d'heures" (hours ring). The particular chaprter ring depicted below is colloqually called chemin de fer (literally "way of iron" or railroad).

Perhaps to put the idea of the flange into some perspective, note that a flange is defined as: a spreading or flaring part; a projecting or protruding rim, edge, rib, or collar used to strengthen an object, hold it in place, or attach it to another object. In a gasketed joint, the flange performs all three functions of strengthening an object, holding it in place, and attaching it to another object.



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