Why Do Some Watches Have Large Hands and Markers?
Large markers, hands, and the accompanyin
Why Do Some Watches Have Large Hands and Markers?
Large markers, hands, and the accompanying luminosity are designed to facilitate time reading in poorly lit environments. These scenarios might include diving (where underwater lighting is indeed poor), cave exploration (obvious reasons), polar expeditions (think polar nights), or inside a cockpit, among others. The ability to quickly and accurately read the time in dim light conditions is not just for aesthetics but is critical and can even be life-saving, marking the hallmark of a professional watch.
Moreover, it’s important to note that modern watches’ luminosity, except for Ball watches with their self-luminous tritium tubes, requires exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light to glow brightly for a couple of hours. This is because modern watches, including Ball’s tritium tubes, are designed to ensure that the luminous material’s radiation levels do not adversely affect the wearer’s health.
The phrase “Swiss-T＜25” found at the 6 o’clock position on Rolex watches before 2000 is a historical trace. This indicated that the radiation levels were below 25, which became an industry standard in Swiss watchmaking. Rolex eventually stopped adding this inscription, switching to “Swiss Made” instead. This change has inadvertently become an important clue for dating vintage Rolex watches (especially when the certificate of authenticity is missing) in today’s secondary market.
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