Alternative ways of displaying a date
Date complications can sometimes be a point of contention within the watch community. Mostly because a standard date window can often be intrusive and take away from the design of a watch. While very useful, if not well integrated, date complications stick out like a sour thumb.
There are other ways of displaying a date that are quite common like the big date, pointer date or even as a subdial most often combined with a moonphase. But these are not the only ways.
Lately I've been interested in alternative ways of displaying a date, ways that integrate more fluidly into the design of a watch. So here are three watches with less than conventional date complications.
First up, the Nomos Tangente Neometik 41 Update. The outer ring of the dial consists of alternating holes and date numbers. The holes in the dial are used, so two bright lines appear around the date.
Moritz Grossmann also have an adaptation of the pointer date. Instead of a hand reaching out from the middle of the dial to indicate the date, a bracket shaped date marker moves around the outer edge of the dial.
Last but not least, the Ressence Type 3. Instead of a marker or hand moving to indicate the date, the whole date wheel moves to line up with the marker. This in combination with the oil filled dial completes the display like look.
To me, a date complication that is integrated into the watch design shows real care and consideration from the watch maker. Do you know of any other watches with interesting or novel date complications? What are your favourites?
I never notice the alternative ways to show the date before. Well done, thx for this useful info 🙌
A date at the 6 with a color matched window is pretty damn good, especially when it is sized appropriately with the other indices.
Pointer dates are also quite good.
Ressence makes some very cool stuff.
A date at the 6 with a color matched window is pretty damn good, especially when it is sized appropriately with the other indices.
Pointer dates are also quite good.
Certainly the best configuration of a standard date, even just colour matched goes a long way.
Personally I’m not a big fan of the moon arrow thingy on a lot of pointer dates, but when done well they look amazing and unique.
Two of my favorite watches have non traditional dates; the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date and the new Longines Flagship Heritage Moonphase.
Two of my favorite watches have non traditional dates; the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date and the new Longines Flagship Heritage Moonphase.
Those are beautiful watches for sure, I'm a bit bias towards the Flagship Heritage because I have the small seconds version myself.
Ochs Und Junior are a really interesting brand, most of their watches have unusual date displays, this is their perpetual calendar...
https://www.ochsundjunior.swiss/watches/perpetual-calendar/
They also have the "Settimana" with an unusual day display
Ochs Und Junior are a really interesting brand, most of their watches have unusual date displays, this is their perpetual calendar...
https://www.ochsundjunior.swiss/watches/perpetual-calendar/
They also have the "Settimana" with an unusual day display
Those are incredibly, what they are able to do with a module consisting of just a few parts and a standard ETA 2824-2 is insane. I have to look into these a bit more, thank you for bringing them to my attention.
Those are incredibly, what they are able to do with a module consisting of just a few parts and a standard ETA 2824-2 is insane. I have to look into these a bit more, thank you for bringing them to my attention.
Agreed - the perpetual calendar is genius - all controlled from the crown, 42mm x 12.5mm and designed to be a 100m water resistant, shock resistant, everyday titanium watch - and significantly lower cost than other high-horology PPs.
Always liked the nomos way. I also like the pointer dates or the date subdials.
I love the pointer date complication Oris uses. Very nice.
Two of my favorite watches have non traditional dates; the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date and the new Longines Flagship Heritage Moonphase.
I've already posted before I read through all of them. Yes, please to that Oris. Love that date complication.
Those are beautiful watches for sure, I'm a bit bias towards the Flagship Heritage because I have the small seconds version myself.
I love that one too
This is one of the more interesting ones I’ve see as it has a “fly back” motion when it reaches the end of the week for day and the end of month.
It has to be my grail the RW Smith series 4, with its rotating date wheel 👌🏻💙
I’ve tried that Nomos on and it’s a gorgeous watch in the metal. A bit bigger at 40.5mm but a manageable lug to lug of 47.5 (FYI this is the Metro; the Tangente version is 49.5 L2L).
The date quickset is cool too in that it can go forward or backward.
On a calendar on the wall,on my phone but not ony wrist. I've not got a great memory but honestly rarely need to check it more than once per day..
I guess to play along I find the pointer date the most elegant, or a subdial a feature. A colour matched date wheel at 6 would be tolerable and 3 just grinds my gears (fortunately small enough to ignore with bad eyes on my Willard's)
On a calendar on the wall,on my phone but not ony wrist. I've not got a great memory but honestly rarely need to check it more than once per day..
I guess to play along I find the pointer date the most elegant, or a subdial a feature. A colour matched date wheel at 6 would be tolerable and 3 just grinds my gears (fortunately small enough to ignore with bad eyes on my Willard's)
Retrograde Date with an independant indicator.
This is one of the more interesting ones I’ve see as it has a “fly back” motion when it reaches the end of the week for day and the end of month.
That's a very cool way of going about it, Vacheron also has watches with a retrograde date complication like that but seeing it in an affordable watch makes it even cooler.
It has to be my grail the RW Smith series 4, with its rotating date wheel 👌🏻💙
Beautiful watch, layering the dial like that so the marker doesn't overlap with the rest of the dial is very clean.
Very nice! I really like the date being more inward on the dial like that instead of along the edge.
That's a very cool way of going about it, Vacheron also has watches with a retrograde date complication like that but seeing it in an affordable watch makes it even cooler.
And this Seiko has an Urushi lacquer dial which is beautiful. If it just had a decent movement.
The Aquis Great Barrier Reef III uses a date ring, similar in concept to a pointer date, but without the extra hand. Harder to read at a glance than the typical date window, but a nice way to provide a date without impacting the symmetry of the dial.
The date window on Orient's multi-year calendar watch is perfectly conventional, but its method for correlating that date with the day, month, and year is unique and, to me, very charming and interesting.
...basically there's a calendar wheel that you align the current year against the current month, and then the table at the bottom will tell you what day of the week the date window corresponds with. It does almost the same job as a perpetual calendar, except it needs to be re-adjusted by the user every month and the calendar wheel itself needs to be replaced every 23 years, which I'm guessing Orient will get a pretty low % of requests for.
Not a watch for those who prefer clear and uncluttered dials, however.
I’ve never been a fan of the date on the outer part of the dial but that MG watch executed it well with the date marker. Pretty genius.
Always liked this Skagen day/date on separate sundials.
The MMI Turret also displays the date using the "block of color that travels around the dial" method.