Types of Watch Hands by Extropian
Types of Watch Hands
Alpha
Alpha hands have a very characteristic and elegant “spearhead” shape. They emanate from a very thin base at the center of the dial, widen out, and then taper back into a very sharp point at the tip.
Arrow
These are exactly what you’d imagine – hands with arrow shaped tips! They’re designed for easy legibility so are often quite bold and bulky in appearance and are commonly found on sports and technical watches.
Baton
With a distinctive minimalist aesthetic, Baton hands are simple, straight hands, either flat or rounded at the tip. Their subtle, discreet style means they frequently crop up on dress watches.
Dufrane - Divers Watches - The Barton Springs
Breguet
The trademark hands of luxury Swiss watchmaker Breguet, these have an incredibly elegant aesthetic, with slim pointers each featuring a hollowed-out circle with a crescent moon design near the tip. Although Breguet invented them, other watchmakers use them too.
Cathedral
Cathedral hands have a very ornate design, resembling the stained-glass windows found in churches. They often have a thicker hour hand with an orb at the tip and slimmer minute hand which resembles a church tower.
Commando
Commando hands have a very simple and straightforward design – they’re basically two elongated rectangles, flat at either end, with a strip of lume running along the center.
Borealis - Adraga V2 - Stainless Steel Miyota 90S5 White Dial with Flag Pattern Commando Hands No Date
Dauphine
Very elegant and simple, Dauphine hands have an elongated triangle shape with a sharp pint at the tip. They can either be completely flat or have a faceted surface to add dimension.
Leaf
Another elegantly minimalist design, Leaf hands curve out from the base and back in at the tip, so they resemble the organic shape of elongated leaves. Perfect for nature lovers!
Mercedes
These were popularized by Rolex in the 1950s, when they were often used on sports watches like the Submariner. The hour hand has a three-pointed star near the tip (known as the “Rising Star”), which symbolizes land, sea, and air. Although it looks a lot like the Mercedes logo it has no actual connection to the famous car manufacturer!
Borealis - Adraga V2 - Stainless Steel Miyota 90S5 Blue Turquoise Dial with Flag Pattern Mercedes Hands No Date BGW9 Lume
Obelisque
Obelisque hands are shaped like (and named after) the famous ancient Egyptian monuments. They taper outwards from the center and then back in again to form a sharp point at the tip. You’ll often find them on luxury sports watches.
Paddle
Paddle hands are completely straight, with a wider rectangle towards the end, so they look just like (you guessed it!) paddles. They often have a small pointer at the tip.
Zelos - V3 300m Ti Hammerhead Ti-Damascus
Pencil
Pencil hands are a bit like sword hands but completely straight, ending with a small point at the tip – just like a wooden pencil!
Plongeur
These are commonly found on dive watches (“plongeur” is French for diver), so as you might imagine they’re designed for instant legibility underwater. The hour hand is straight and small, while the minute hand stands out thanks to its larger size, sword shape, and bright coloring (which is often orange).
Delta - Limited UK Edition Yydra Pantone 2021
Pontife
Pontife hands are very thin, elegant and completely straight, but the hour hand has a hollowed-out circle near the tip (a bit like a Breguet hand, but without the crescent moon effect).
Selten Watch Co - Serie 00-04 - Aventurine
Skeleton
The term “Skeleton” doesn’t refer to any particular shape, but to the fact that the hands will always be hollowed out in the middle, either fully or partially. They’re not nearly as creepy as they sound!
Feynman Timekeepers - 2022 One
Snowflake
The trademark hands of Tudor watches, Snowflake hands are often used on their sports watches. The minute hand has a pointy tip, while the hour hand has a flat tip and a diamond shape just below it. The second hand is narrow, with another diamond shape jutting out near the tip.
Sword
Sword hands taper outwards from the base before coming to a sharp point at the tip – much like the blade of a sword. They’re a classic design and can vary in thickness, giving either a slender, elegant appearance to a dress watch, or something more solid on a dive or military watch.
Conclusion
Who would have thought there was so much to know about watch hands, huh? And now you can consider yourselves experts on the matter!
Created the 2023-07-25
Modified the 2024-03-22