A Primer on Watch Hands

Celine Simon Thursday, July 6th, 2023 4 min. read

The handset of the watch is the most important part of the dial—after all, the watch hands are what tell you the time! Functionality aside, watch hands come in all sorts of designs, which adds to the watch’s style and character. If you’re unsure of the various types of watch hands available, below are some of the most popular types of watch hand styles you’ll find on luxury dials.

Rolex GMT-Master II
Batman 116710BLNR
Rolex GMT-Master IIBatman 116710BLNR

Alpha Hands

Alpha watch hands have wide bases that taper into sharp points. A stem connects the base of the hands to the center of the handset. Alpha hands are sometimes called lance hands.

A. Lange and Sohne Saxonia Annual Calendar Platinum 330.026
A. Lange and Sohne Saxonia Annual Calendar Platinum 330.026

Arrow Hands

Arrow watch hands have arrow-shaped tips. Sometimes both the hour and minute hands have arrow-shaped ends and sometimes, only one of them has it. In French, arrow hands are known as harpon hands.

Omega Seamaster 300 Co Axial Master Chronometer 234.30.41.21.01.001
Omega Seamaster 300 Co Axial Master Chronometer 234.30.41.21.01.001

Baton Hands

Baton watch hands are long and straight and can end in straight, rounded, or sharp points. They are sometimes called stick hands, which are typically much thinner. If baton hands have sharp points, they are sometimes called pencil hands.

Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711
Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711

Breguet Hands

Breguet watch hands are thin with decorative circles near the tips. If you look closely at the circles, they include a thicker side to resemble a crescent moon. Breguet hands are named after famed watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet, who almost always used this handset on his creations. Breguet hands are sometimes called pomme hands after the French word for “apple.”

Breguet Classique 5157
Breguet Classique 5157

Cathedral Hands

Cathedral watch hands are large and ornate with segments that resemble church glass-stained windows. Cathedral hands are typically found on vintage-inspired pilot watches.

Dauphine Hands

Dauphine watch hands have wide bases that taper into sharp points. They are typically faceted but you’ll sometimes see flat ones too.

Patek Philippe Complications Annual Calendar Watch 5205R-010
Patek Philippe Complications Annual Calendar Watch 5205R-010

Leaf Hands

Leaf watch hands have wide centers and thin bases and points—like a leaf. Leaf hands are sometimes referred to by their French translation, feuille hands.

H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Ref 1341-0101
H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Ref 1341-0101

Mercedes Hands

Mercedes watch hands have a three-point star on the hour hand, similar to the Mercedes Benz logo. Mercedes hands are most associated with Rolex professional models.

Rolex Red Submariner Tiffany & Co Ref. 1680
Rolex Red Submariner Tiffany & Co Ref. 1680

Related Content: The Most Popular Rolex Watches

Skeleton Hands

Skeleton watch hands have see-through components. Skeleton hands are also known as squelette hands in French, and can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

Ulysse Nardin Big Date GMT Perpetual Calendar Watch 329-80
Ulysse Nardin Big Date GMT Perpetual Calendar Watch 329-80

Snowflake Hands

Snowflake watch hands have diamond-shaped accents near the tips. They were created by Tudor in the mid-20th Century for military commissions. It was collectors that coined the name “snowflake” hands and Tudor now uses that name officially. 

TUDOR Black Bay Automatic Chronometer M7941A1A0RU-0002
Tudor Black Bay Automatic Chronometer M7941A1A0RU-0002

Spade Hands

Spade watch hands have decorative spade-shaped (like the playing card suit) accents. Spade hands are sometimes called poire hands, which is French for “pear.”

Ulysse Nardin Limited Edition Christopher Columbus Set 1846 Marine Chronometer (Ref. 263-22)
Ulysse Nardin Limited Edition Christopher Columbus Set 1846 Marine Chronometer (Ref. 263-22)

Sword Hands

Sword watch hands flare out into broader ends with sharp pointy tips, similar to a sword. Cartier is known for its blue sword-shaped hands. Sword hands are also known by their French name, glaive hands.

Cartier Santos Skeleton Ref. WHSA0015
Cartier Santos Skeleton Ref. WHSA0015

Syringe Hands

Syringe watch hands have barrels in the center and long needle-like tips, which results in shapes that resemble syringes.

Patek Philippe Chronograph 5070P
Patek Philippe Chronograph 5070P

Now that you are familiar with the most common types of watch hands, you may start to notice the big impact they have on the style of a timepiece. Certain handsets add a touch of vintage flair to a watch, some dress up the face, and others keep it sleek and modern.

More Watch Basics from Grey Market Magazine:
The Ultimate Watch Glossary
A Primer on Watch Case Shapes
A Primer on Watch Hour Markers
A Primer on Watch Movement Types
A Primer on the Different Types of Watch Bands, Straps and Bracelets
A Primer on Common Materials Used in Watchmaking

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