One single dial feature you love best?...

We all have seen amazing watches here on XMT but I am curious if anyone has his own peculiar love of a particular design feature. For me, it is the Omega hand set on my X-33. The minute hand thin, pointed shape and how it extends into the minute marker, the large hour hand trianular pointer....visually 'turns me on' haha! Reading time quickly is perfect with this design IMO. I have many stick hands styled watches, classic Seiko arrowhead handsets, Omega Bond skeleton hands........but the X-33 is my favorite.......how about you guys??! Any one watch feature you subconsciously look for in your watches?


dial view by thianwong1, on Flickr

This Seiko 2000 Landtrek model's minute hand is also 'very pointy' and makes me feel good when I view it haha!


landtrekBeaded bracelet wristview 002 by thianwong1, on Flickr

This amazing 1960s Japanese RICOH homage to Rolex president shows a very pointed handset, which I like......but the reflecting BLING detracts abit from fast, exact time reading hehehe!


large dialview by thianwong1, on Flickr

Really TERRIFIC question Thian ! ..Let's see, I REALLY look at the hands too by the way.
However, let me go with number, or marker style. Many times that is one of the first dial
features that catches my eye, and that I enjoy sir. Especially if it's a little different looking,
and stands out from other designs. At the same time I like the classic looking markers,
along with numbers come to think of it also.

As far as hand sets, the Sinn U1 by far is my favorite I-don't-have-yet watch. Unique, one of a kind, cool as hell!

I look for the lume and a clean dial in my watches I buy.
great Seiko you have!

I like the dials to be simple and not "busy". Too many of the TV brands have dials that have all sorts of styling and fancy stuff on the dial....definitely not my style!

I like texture or pattern, like on my LW 3-Timer:

I like a clean simple dial and good contrast between dial and hands for readability. A little color to make sweep second hand stand out.

Probably too many peeves to mention - very picky about dial features. But I'll try...I love the following:

• Extra/fine sub-minute index markers
  
• Metallic hands
  
• Domed crystal
  
• Thin second hand with proportional counter weight
  
• Sharp needle pointed hands with distinct shape difference between hour and minute
  
• Simple sans-serif number font (no italics)
  
• Matte finish dials with/without subtle/tasteful etching
  
• Reverse white on black date wheel (red Sunday if day present)
  
• Busy is ok, as long as it's functional with sufficient attention to legibility contrast
  

Probably why I like my PO so much, as it has most of these features.

3-hand, date, nothing else needed...

Appliqué markers

I like my dials clean, with applied markers, framed date window. Just like this one!!

Seems you guys have chosen every dial feature to enjoy and prefer...from texture to specific number font (sans serif, for instance).
There is no one element pleasing all! No one mentioned dial size, however.
My watch collection ranges all over the design map! I just bought a vintage Zodiac GMT from tne 90s and it represents, to me, the Rolex vintage 60s/70s GMT. One of the main elements attracting me was the pepsi colored bezel, the clean dial and the toolish sense.
Thanks for all your posts!


ziodiac views by thianwong1, on Flickr

thianwong wrote:

Seems you guys have chosen every dial feature to enjoy and prefer...from texture to specific number font (sans serif, for instance).
There is no one element pleasing all! No one mentioned dial size, however.
My watch collection ranges all over the design map! I just bought a vintage Zodiac GMT from tne 90s and it represents, to me, the Rolex vintage 60s/70s GMT. One of the main elements attracting me was the pepsi colored bezel, the clean dial and the toolish sense.
Thanks for all your posts!


ziodiac views by thianwong1, on Flickr

Oh WOW Thian, what a beautiful Zodiac there ! ..There is something very special about
that GMT look like you mentioned sir, and the pepsi dial is TOO GOOD ! Extremely cool looking
markers here also. Congratulations !!!!

By the way, just wanted to add in another dial feature that often gets my attention, which would
be the color of it. Many times dial color is a feature that draws me in. Especially if I don't have many
of a particular color, have too many of a certain color, or just enjoy a color, or see something a
little different.

Hands and indices...........I think they go together as one item.

Northwestguy wrote:

Hands and indices...........I think they go together as one item.

Thats a great point john, I agree with that 100%

Rolex style Day/Date configuration, and large dial openings with thin bezels.....

Tom, yes indeed, we often overlook the importance of dial color and that is or can be culturally biased. For instance, Japanese have a wider color palette often drawing upon the myriad colors of flowers which Japan loves! Thus, we see this in the G Shock dials! Diver watches tend to be black or orange. Dress watch dials can range the gamut from white to black and all shades in between!

thianwong wrote:

Tom, yes indeed, we often overlook the importance of dial color and that is or can be culturally biased. For instance, Japanese have a wider color palette often drawing upon the myriad colors of flowers which Japan loves! Thus, we see this in the G Shock dials! Diver watches tend to be black or orange. Dress watch dials can range the gamut from white to black and all shades in between!

What a great observation Thian. Honestly never thought of it like that, and you are definitely
right about the G-Shocks as well. There are so many different looks, along with colors that
people can choose from it's amazing. You also really put into perspective the whole black,
along with orange theme with dive watches. ..Not to mention dress watches often being
either white, or black so often. It's really interesting stuff ! ..Thank you !

for me it would have to be the cut-out dial numbers... i'm a big fan of the "sandwich dial"...