One quality that makes me such a fake watch freak is my earnest enthusiasm for minor details with as much deep, complicated lore as the Dune sandworms. So I’ve always had a steamy romance with watch hands, which combine exacting design and important history with cutesy nicknames. Nothing excites me more than innovation in the watch-hand space. You can keep your new calibres and ultra-thin watches – I want to obsess over how perfect replica Omega put a man on the moon a sweet little baby rocket on its newest Speedmaster. Here, I present a field guide to the vast array of hands you’ll see in the wild – from important historical shapes to some of my more obscure favourites.

Mercedes
The Mercedes – named for its three-pointed star that resembles the automaker’s logo – is luxury fake Rolex’s signature hand. The Crown uses it most famously on the cheap replica Rolex Submariner, but it also shows up on many of the brand’s “professional” (meaning sport) models like the Explorer and GMT. Friend of GQ and Wind Vintage owner Eric Wind argues that these hands are in a class of their own. “It’s hard to beat the Mercedes hands: so distinctive and legible,” he said. “Iconic and relevant for 70 years.”

Broad Arrow
This cartoonishly large arrow represents one of the great moments in watch-hand history. What I appreciate about hand design is how they can often be used to trace back to the birth of a landmark timepiece or become the distinguishing detail on a coveted vintage copy watch. The Broad Arrow combines both of those elements.

“The Broad Arrow hands, referring principally to the large radium luminous arrow-shaped hour hand, are most closely associated with the trilogy of sports models released by aaa quality replica Omega in 1957,” said Sacha Davidoff, an expert on all things Speedies and one half of beloved vintage shop Roy & Sacha Davidoff. “They released the Speedmaster CK2915, Railmaster CK2914, and Seamaster 300 CK2913 the same year, which are often called the ‘holy trinity.’ Today, we most often associate the term Broad Arrow with the 1:1 fake Omega Speedmaster. Before its association with NASA in 1964, the Speedmaster stood alone as the first chronograph wristwatch with a tachymeter scale on its bezel. Previously, this feature was printed on the periphery of dials. This hand design is not only a nickname for the first series of Speedmasters but also symbolises the birth of one of the most iconic wristwatches in the world. In practice, these hands were not useful for legibility, were complicated to craft, and massive compared to any other hand on the market. They were quickly phased out by Swiss movement fake Omega towards the end of 1959. However, aesthetically, they are bold and impressive, and symbolically they represent one the most significant events for Omega collectors.”

Although they might not have lasted long in high quality replica Omega’s lineup, takes on the chunky arrow are seen on other recognisable top quality fake watches like the Longines Comet or some versions of Rolex’s Explorer II.