Horological Meandering

Hi All, There are some famous watches which hve a crosshair dial: Some of them are Chronometers, such as the Omega Constellation, or the Jaeger Lecoultre Geophysic, others aren't, such as the Girard Perregaux, Gyromatic, a Longines, a Tissot, a Jaeger Lec...  

. . . is called a crosshair , from the intersection of two wires about as thin as human hair. Just as the crosshair allows a marksman to precisely place a shot, my guess is the dial pattern is a symbolic representation of the precision inherent in the wat...  

1/ Some Chronometers had crosshair and not crosshair dials: Geophysic / Constellation, for example, while both being chronometers. So, what is the purpose of the Crosshair? 2/ The era during the appearance of crosshair dials is quite reduced: End Fifties ... 

['60 Constellation Calendar] . . . had crosshairs, Nicolas, even during the period they're most closely associated with. My '67 SM ref 166.0002 has crosshairs on the dial, but it's not a chronometer. I don't think there's an established reason guiding the...  

... this crosshair also from the "peripheral little second indication" at six o ' clock on watch dial. in my feeling it is for a fast(er) (intuitive) decision what the hand/hands indicate. Also we find it in more modern watches later, for example IWC Pors... 

I think for marine or astronomy, this has been an explanation. I never saw something factual about watches. Damn! Thanks for your help, Stephan, Nicolas

that it optimized a faster orintation on displays ... not my BMW Stephan ...  

...i don't know where from the cockpit instruments are. i only wanted to show a example, that - in my opinion - it is used generelly on dispays (also a watch dial) for a faster orientation. i don't belive in a N, E, S, W compass theorie. regards Stephan

...the dials came from VDO. So for this era, a link with IWC :-)

... with precision nor with the fact a watch is a chronometer, because as you well said, some cross hair dials belong to non chronometer grade watches. I firmly think it is just a cosmetic resource of design. The use of a cross on the dial not only is a n... 

At least this is the most " cartesian " one. Except if we are missing something. Un abrazo, Amigo! Nicolas

It makes time reading easier and has a graphic quality of adding something to an empty dial which looks meaningful or look technical. Since it is also rare it will make a watch more “special”. I don’t think there is a solid technical reason. It seems too ... 

It is an explanation in addition of the usual one about the improvement of the legibility. Fx

Such as the Tru Beat, for example, why, if this is the meaning of this " distinction ", the GMT Master never received one, while it was announced as a compass Watch? The Tru Beat and the GMT Master were, for a while, contemporary.... Best, Nicolas

... just decoration and quarters marking. Abrazos! Abel.

I recensed: Omega, Rolex, JLC ( on at least three of their watches! ), Tissot, UG, GP, Longines and Seiko. There must be others! The strange thing is that the crosshair dial was used, most of all, during what, 10 years? Best, Nicolas

I think some of the rotating bezels with "N" and other directions or even degrees make sense with the compass. So I'm not sure how the crosshair dial would help, unless the cross hair could be rotated. Along those lines, we could just use a memovox and se... 

For me, this symbol of N-E-S-W is even more obvious on the GP, look at the shape of the indexes: Don't you have the feeling to see a kind of representation of the cardinal points? Fx ...  

But it can make you think about that, for sure! Best, Nicolas

I'm amazed! I already examined several watches with this cross hair without thinking: Why? I'm with the compass theory. I go to test this theory as soon my, much expected, Geophysic is delivered!!!!! Cheers, Nilo

Congrats, my friend. You should be the JLC Moderator, as a true JLC fan you are! Best, Nicolas

The International Geophysic Year, when I was a boy and that watch brings me back to those moments. Sputnik, Explorer, Vanguard ignited my young mind at that time. About JLC moderator, impossible. Can we replace the Eiffel Tower? No way. To keep the balanc... 

. . . is in Arizona . . . . . . but it's just not the same. Nilo has a good point. :-) ...  

Could be to just segment time in 3-hours chunks, beyond and besides the customary 1-h unit? Its the only sense it makes to me. Some usefulness could be argued, especially for some types of activities. It is generally accepted that we can hardly manage mor... 

It was a time when air travel was "taking off" (so to speak), and so, I have always associated this feature with a compass rose. The "Pole Router" reinforces this association for me, as does the Breitling Transocean, which was introduced in the late 50's,...