Timepiece Treasures: 10 Types of Watch Hands Every Collector Should Know About

Watch hands do not just indicate time, but they are also an important part of watchmaking history. With the evolution of the wristwatch, its hands too have undergone design transformations over the decades. A true-blue watch enthusiast should know all about the shapes and types of hands that tell the time. Earlier this year, we looked at 10 unique watch hands. Here are the other types that are intriguing as well. Needless to say, this GMT India guide is bound to come in handy when you start building or expanding your timepiece collection. 

Broad Arrow Hands

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The broad arrow hands are most commonly associated with Omega, especially with some of its vintage models. Omega released a trifecta of sports watches in 1957 — the Speedmaster, the Seamaster, and the Railmaster. These watches featured distinctive wide arrow-pointed hour hands. The minute hand also sported a sharper and longer pin-pointed design. 

Alpha Hands

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Alpha hands do resemble the Greek letter Alpha and the English letter A. Alpha hands are thin and taper towards the base, close to the axis. A. Lange & Söhne often uses Alpha-shaped hands for many of its watches.  

Sword-shaped Hands

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Sword-shaped hands are among the most commonly used ones. Their sleek design has straight edges and a sharp, triangular tip, resembling a sword, hence, the name. There are many versions of the classic sword shape; they can be elongated and slender or short and wide, and they can be partly or fully skeletonised.

Cathedral Hands

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As the name suggests, this shape resembles the punctuated arches of a Gothic cathedral. Their ornate style was popularised during WWI; the wide, lume-covered design was highly legible for soldiers. 

Lollipop Hands

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The lollipop hand style is often used to differentiate the seconds hand in a chronograph or a divers’ watch. Lollipop hands have a round or circular shape, either at or near the tip of a thin hand, resembling the sweet treat. 

Skeleton Hands 

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Skeleton hands are cut in a way that allows certain parts to be seen through their transparent areas. Watch hands like these are typically used on skeleton watches and other pieces with transparent dials.

Dagger Hands

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Dagger hands closely resemble baton hands but have a sharper edge; these resemble knife blades. Watches with a sporty or ultra-modern design often feature such hands.

Rolex Milgauss Lightning Bolt

While the Rolex Milgauss collection was discontinued in 2023, the lightning bolt-shaped seconds hands became quite a fan favourite. Their quirky design adds a certain kind of playfulness to a watch. 

Omega Little Rocket Hand

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The Omega Speedmaster model, released in 2024, has a fun detail for watch enthusiasts ― it features a unique hand on one of its subdials, represented by a tiny replica of the Saturn V rocket. 

Alain Silberstein Squiggly Hands

Alain Silberstein is an architect and designer who started his brand in 1990, along with his wife Sylvie. The company specialises in watches with modern, extravagant, and colourful designs, inspired by the German Bauhaus movement. Alain Silberstein is also a frequent watch collaborator with brands like Louis Erard. The watches usually feature quirky hands shaped as huge arrows and a squiggly seconds hand. A large circular hand can also be spotted on their watches. 

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