Destro watches... what's the big deal?!
I was browsing Serica's website last night and realized they make all their watches with both a 6:00 and 9:00 crown. With a the click of a button you can order it either way with no additional cost. Is it really that trivial to mass produce both ways? Why are we so impressed when Rolex or anyone else makes a LHD watch?
As a watch enthusiast who wears a watch on the "wrong" wrist, it's something I think about often. But until now I never felt so hoodwinked about it all.
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Kevin Stahl
Professor of Music. Composer for Film, TV, and Games. Music Producer. Drummer. Bandleader. Synthesist. Watch Collector.
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Member since
Last active: 17 hrs ago
6.50” / 16.51 cm
No man, there shouldn’t be additional coasts as in this particular model, there are no complications nor antisymmetry. So what they do is, instead of assembling the watch with the crown in the 3pm position, they literally rotate the dial 180 degrees and assemble.
So for that picture above, hold your phone upside down and it will be a usual watch with the dial rotated.
Destro/LHD at 9, 8, 10 is my preferred, though usually not available in the affordable area without doing it yourself.
Then 4, 2.
Then traditional 3.
And I wear my watch on my left hand. It's doesn't seem to bother as much with digital watches, but traditional analog occasionally I will get a nice crown bite when doing certain movements.
For example, off hand/injured hand reloads, power cleans/pull ups, putting on gear/rucks, push ups, and other wrist movements in an active environment.
From my limited understanding, most watches can be destro'd, but depending on dial feet location, day/date wheel, etc, stuff might not line up correctly. So a non day/date dial will usually always work.
For examples...
A watchmaker told me that a watch should be worn crown down, because that way is the neutral position of the balance and thus the movement runs more precisely. He didn't say if it was the case for all movements, though.
If there was no negative influence, there would be more destros, because there are more right-handed people... or no, because large crowns have been a thing for only a few decades and only for tool watches.
And we were not impressed with the desRolex, be were confused by it.
It depends on the movement and dial feet architecture. If they were designed with the dial feet to hit in the exact same spot in both orientations, then it's no big deal.
But if the movement has any variation on where the dial feet land in the two orientations, now at minimum you need a different dial feet layout.
While moving the feet isn't a huge deal, it would require orderingmaking a certain percentage in that LHD configuration.
If you've got a date window, it's even more complicated.
It depends on the movement and dial feet architecture. If they were designed with the dial feet to hit in the exact same spot in both orientations, then it's no big deal.
But if the movement has any variation on where the dial feet land in the two orientations, now at minimum you need a different dial feet layout.
While moving the feet isn't a huge deal, it would require orderingmaking a certain percentage in that LHD configuration.
If you've got a date window, it's even more complicated.
I see... so you're saying that the "feature" of the watch being reversible would need to be considered from the onset of dial & movement conception? That might explain why more established brands using older, proven movements don't offer this as a simple option.
I know I’m hijacking the thread but I don’t suppose anyone can explain this bezel to me, why is the colour shift not central to the bezel also?
I know I’m hijacking the thread but I don’t suppose anyone can explain this bezel to me, why is the colour shift not central to the bezel also?
Most "flyer" GMT's have this dual color. Helps with determining the time zone your are tracking is either AM or PM. Or you can track time one with the main handset, time two with the GMT hand + minute hand, and time zone 3 with the bezel.
Looks like Serica just chose to do 0530/1730 vs more traditional options.
Most "flyer" GMT's have this dual color. Helps with determining the time zone your are tracking is either AM or PM. Or you can track time one with the main handset, time two with the GMT hand + minute hand, and time zone 3 with the bezel.
Looks like Serica just chose to do 0530/1730 vs more traditional options.
Seems a strange place to do the colour change to me
I'm a lefty who wears watch on my right, and I gotta say... I love that the crown doesn't even have a chance to dig into my wrist. So to that effect, lefty watches or destros aren't for me - a lefty.
I see... so you're saying that the "feature" of the watch being reversible would need to be considered from the onset of dial & movement conception? That might explain why more established brands using older, proven movements don't offer this as a simple option.
Pretty much, yeah
nice colorway
Seems a strange place to do the colour change to me
I'd guess because making the numbers half one color & half the other would add some complexity to manufacturing & therefore cost.
However, I would prefer it be 12 hours, 530 - 1730, not 530 - 1830
Also, I guess a date complication would mess this up pretty badly, huh?
If 90% of the watch community wear on their left wrist, wouldn’t Destro already be popular?
If 90% of the watch community wear on their left wrist, wouldn’t Destro already be popular?
Destro refers to a watch whose crown is operated with the left hand. I.e. crown on the 9:00 side.
Destro refers to a watch whose crown is operated with the left hand. I.e. crown on the 9:00 side.
I understand. My point is most people are (a) right handed and use the crown with their right hand or (b) left handed and use the crown with their right hand (like me). Destro just feels weird, right?
If it's off your wrist, then yes.