Glossary/Hand
Hand
Hands, for both clocks and watches, come in a wide variety of styles and sizes. Their function is to indicate the time, or other measure such as the date, temperature, or power reserve, by pointing to the appropriate position on the dial or other surface that they operate over. Most watches have three hands, one each for the hours, minutes and seconds.
History
Early watches had only one hand, to indicate the hours. The English watchmaker Daniel Quare is said to have introduced the minute hand in around 1691. The minute hand came into widespread use in the early 18th century. Early hands had to be thick and robust as the dial had yet to be protected by a glass, and because the only way to set the time was to physically move the hand. Towards the middle of the 18th century, hands adopted a slimmer, more elegant style. They were made by hand and finished with a fine file or chisel; holes were fashioned with a bow. Circa 1764, watchmakers began using a hammer and punch to stamp hands from a sheet of metal. Later, at the turn of the 19th century, they were formed using a press and were sometimes decorated with precious stones.
Common Styles
- Baton
- Dauphine
- Feuille
- Sword
- Spade
- Poire
- Breguet
- Skeleton