Crown at the 4? Dial at the 4? Would you, or wouldn't you?

I did a double take looking at that. This is madness…

I'm too bored, aren't I? Lol

Seiko did something similar in the 80's when they hired Giugiaro to design a range of models that included the famous "Alien" watches. This also included the Rider chronograph that was slanted to let a racing driver look at it straight on while his hands were on the steering wheel.

This was the period when Seiko was still willing to innovate instead of settling into the comfortable zone of re-selling us the same same, but they did made a re-issue a few years back of some of the Giugiaro watches, including the Rider.

On that topic, I agree that Seiko needs to open it's creative brains and come out with something unique and new.

I think it works. VC 1921 and some Vostok 581xxx have the same with crown at 2. Crown at 4 also makes sense.

I've wondered about recasing this (below) with a standard case, so you'd get the dial at an angle and the crown at 3.

Looking at this gave me an aneurysm.

🤪

until you put it on wrist :)

Crown at the 4: np. Dial at the 4: not for me. Both at the four

Google up this idea on reddit. Their have been a couple of Seiko SKX builds like this. If there are any hurdles they will have covered it.

Biggest issue is date wheel alignment..same reason why once I actually get around to it, my left hand or destro mods I plan to do with several of my collection are non date dials.

These variants, IMO, are the best Vostoks.

Nope.

Not a chance in hell. It looks like it would give me a headache.

Hard pass.

People are still making this simple movement/case mismatch? This was never ever done intentionally and is always the result of incompetence. There are lots of fakakta urban myth stories about this and that, but it was always just built wrong. This certainly includes that stupid VC which is built on lies. Nobody was ever so stupid as to need a cockeyed watch dial or to deliberately build one so.

Someone bought a dial with the wrong pin orientation I see.....

I’d wear it.

I've never understood the tilted watch face. There is a vocabulary in watch design that your brain wraps itself around and makes quick adjustments for context/environment. Were there really car drivers that couldn't tell the time quickly on their watch when racing? And was the time that important?

You're familiar with the Thatcher effect? Our brains can fix lots of things out of context. Like this:

There's no reason to "fix" a watch dial because it's out of orientation. The strap and position on your wrist is all your brain needs to adjust. When you do the adjustments, it might be alright for a specific few seconds when you're driving, but the rest of the time it will be ugly as f. and disorienting and, truth be told, your brain can make the adjustments you're making in the watch anyway, and faster too.

The only thing I'm aware of is the driver/pilot style for old school, handwind, wrist mounted pocket watches.

They had a tilt, so it was easier to read them when worn on the underside of the wrist, with your hand on the wheel or the stick. Far as I can tell.

Visually it brings a different aesthetic and for a dressier style watch, to me, adds some personality. That VC white dial variant is quite popular amongst enthusiasts.

For 99% of the rest of us, there is the Vostok Retro Prestige.

Ha! funny you mention Vostok and "popular amongst enthusiasts." I've found in the world of watch collecting there's often a hive mind attitude towards certain things. Like Vostok. I've owned a couple. I owned them precisely because of the hype on various forums and what better way to legitimately add numbers to your collection in an affordable manner than to order a couple of wacky Vostoks? Then the wobbly crown (yes, by design, I know) and the friction bezels and the relatively poor build quality (even if they reportedly last for decades) all turned me off and I sold both in short order. I found myself reaching for my nicer watches every time.

The white dial VC being popular amongst enthusiasts? I believe that statement as well, but most of us don't have that kind of money ($40,000US) to throw at a quirky piece to round out our collection. I'm not doubting its horological significance, or its build quality. I'm sure it's an excellent watch through and through. The movement is a thing of beauty. What I find disturbing about the VC is the dial is cocked 45 degrees but the seconds are still aligned with the watch in a traditional manner. Make up your mind? At least Vostok tilted their seconds subdial as well.

Anyway, I would never tell anyone they were wrong for liking a Vostok, or a VC Historiques American 1921. Both are interesting watches in their own right. But I still don't buy the cocking of the dial.

It does make it to where you can raise your hand and not your elbow and see the dial straight. I get that it's unorthodox, but it's not crazy IMO.

That really is not a new concept. Plenty of past examples spanning many types of watches from dress to special forces. Mostly, I would assume, for people who have sustained shoulder, elbow or wrist injuries due to checking the time frequently and can no longer articulate their arm fully, or just lazy people. 😜

If you tilt the dial to have 12 at the 11. I would be in favor 💯. Would require flipping the case round, crown at 10 would look choice along with that dial layout.

Thanks for being creative!

Boss: You’re over an hour late for the 3rd time this week

Me: What do you mean, it’s only [looks at watch]… oh.

one more data point....I love it 💪