Horology glossaryDefined term / crown-guard
Crown Guard
Shoulders built into the case on either side of the crown to protect it from knocks, first used on tool watches like dive and pilot models.
Authentication note
Why this detail matters.
The shape, thickness, and symmetry of crown guards vary by reference and by production era, and counterfeits often get the guard's proportions, or the gap around the crown, noticeably wrong. Comparing crown guard geometry against genuine photography for the exact reference is one of the more reliable case-level checks available.