A Primer on Watch Hands
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
Syringe Hands
Syringe watch hands have barrels in the center and long needle-like tips, which results in shapes that resemble syringes.
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
Leave a Reply