Watch Crown Design: Innovation and Aesthetics

Alkiro1 · 2017-09-20T11:15:05Z

Explore innovative watch crown designs, from Romain Gauthier's back winder to Ulysse Nardin's bezel crown. Community shares favorite crown aesthetics.

Alkiro1

WPS member · Horological Meandering forum

62 replies20475 views15 photos

Alkiro1 initiates a fascinating discussion on watch crowns, moving beyond typical components to highlight their diverse shapes, positions, and innovative functionalities. His curated selection showcases crowns that are not only essential for a watch's operation but also integral to its design and user experience. This article invites collectors to share their favorite crown designs, emphasizing originality and thoughtful engineering.

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Hi all,

We already talked about lugs, rotors and hands. So now, it's time to talk about crowns (only! Nothing about pushers) 😉

We all know that a crown is an essential component of a watch. Small or not, with very different shapes and positioning but essential to make our beloved tick-tock alive.

Below is a small selection of all the crowns that I love and which have an originality.

Among them or coming from your own collection/selection, please share your thought about them 🤔 Our comments are most welcome 😉

The Romain Gauthier Prestige HMS and its back winder (I tried it few years ago and it is really efficient and easy to manipulate)
Credit: Monochrome-watches

Romain Gauthier Logical One with, for the first time in history (at least to my knowledge) a crown which is not a "crown" but a pusher you have to press several times in order to wind this incredible watch.
Credit: Timetransformed

Jaeger LeCoultre Futurematic. Again a back winder but this one only helps to set the time and not wind the watch as this one always keep several hours of power reserve (around 5 hours). Yes! You never need to wind this so well thought watch.
Credit: Hodinkee

Panerai Luminor and its so distinctive and emblematic crown guard.
Credit: Time and Watches

Cartier and its lovely "cabochon bleu".
Credit: Wrist Flatter

A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk. A Crown which is unusually positionned at 2 o'clock.
Credit: Escapement Magazine

Ulysse Nardin Freak Diavolo. No crown because the crown is... the bezel 😳 You have to turn it to wind this timepiece. My favourite watch in the UN collection. So incredible!
Credit: Hautetime

The amazing Audemars Piguet 25643 which is the smallest automatic Tourbillon watch ever made. Here, the back winder is directly fixed on the main plate (look at the jewels) because you have no case back in order to obtain a thinner timepiece.
Credit: Hodinkee

The Chanel J12 Retrograde Mystérieuse. Here the crown is on the dial and can go down and be at the same level than the glass when you don't need to wind this timepiece.
Credit: Timing watches

Another similar example with the David Candaux 1740 First 8 and its moving crown located at 6.
Credit: DonCorson

The incredible Longines Avigation Oversize Crown which really has an appropriate name.
Credit: Luxurious Magazine

Chronoswiss Timemaster onion crown (everything is explained in its name 😊).
Credit: Timescapeusa

Omega Seamaster Bullhead and its crown at twelve.
Credit: Nilo

Edox Hydro Sub. Can you find a better protection for a crown?
Credit: Times and Watches

To conclude the Azimuth Roulette Watch and its "die" crown.
Credit: Timetapestry.blogspot.ch

Best wishes

Alkiro

Key Points from the Discussion

The JLC Duometre crowns are highly refined with their recessed logos, a design detail also seen in Grand Seiko and Credor Eichi II, indicating a focus on subtle elegance.
Vianney Halter crowns are noted for their exceptional attention to detail, while FP Journe's onion crowns create a 'spiral' illusion through light reflection.
Some crowns, like those on certain Alain Silberstein and Gerald Genta models, are criticized for being impractical, requiring tools or being too tiny and slippery for easy use.
The Ulysse Nardin Freak's crown functionality is uniquely integrated, with the bezel used for winding and the case back for setting the time in earlier versions.
The Romain Gauthier Logical One features an innovative 'pusher' mechanism for winding, which, while technically challenging, is debated for its practicality compared to traditional winding.
Some watches, like certain Harry Winston Opus models, feature highly complex and unusual crown mechanisms that are intriguing to observe but challenging to operate.

The Discussion

skyeriding

Sep 20, 2017

The JLC Duometre crowns are very refined with the recessed logo. Grand Seiko also has nice recessed logos. Same goes for Credor (Eichi II). Onion crowns of FPJs are also visually interesting with the way the light reflects off it to give an illusion of a "spiral". For sheer attention to detail? Vianney Halter crowns with the little "rivets" are some incredible attention to detail. Not so much about aesthetics, but functionally the Habring COS "Crown Operation System" makes for some of the stea

Freccero

Sep 20, 2017

I think it is extremely charming and elegant. Credits: Davide Parmegiani Best.

Watchonthewrist

Sep 20, 2017

I will also contribute one . The Ressence type one . (Pic from Fratello watches )

Alex83

Sep 20, 2017

And great examples, looks pretty much covered to me! A note on the UN Freak, at least for the first version. Here the typical crown uses, ie winding and setting time, are divided between the bezel and the case back; the latter one used to wind and the bezel to set the time. Cheers! Alex

Freccero

Sep 20, 2017

Thank you for this really interesting thread. Best.

ztirual

Sep 20, 2017

What about ONE crown that can at the same time: wind the watch set the time, by moving the hours and the minutes start the chrono stop the chrono restart the chrono reset the chronographs to zero arm/ activate a flyback function ? Work in progress... Best Z'

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Watch Crown Design: Innovation and Aesthetics

Key Points from the Discussion

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