Are you someone who likes to have a date complication in their watch but feels like the cut-out window ruins the overall symmetry of the dial? Do you ever feel like having a watch that can go well with your dresses but needs to have a pointer date?
Do not worry, in this article I have listed out the best pointer date watches that are available in the market today. But first, let’s know about pointer date wristwatches a little and how they came into existence.
Quick navigation:
- What Is A Pointer Date Wrist Watch & Its History?
- Best Watches With Pointer Date
- Should You Buy A Pointer Date Watch?
- FAQs
What Is A Pointer Date Wrist Watch & Its History?
Pointer date watches are the watches that have dates written on the outer or inner rim and have an extra hand just to show the date of the month.
Basically, they were pilot watches and were first made for the use of pilots. At the starting of the 20th century, pilots needed a watch that could show them the date and it had to be easy and quick to read. So the pointer date calendar watches were made. Like pilot watches these watches have Arabic numbers with a big dark-colored dial to improve their readability.
But unfortunately, they lost their charm and today not many companies are making them. The only well-known watch manufacturer that seems to be making the watches with date pointer today is Oris. For those who do not already know about the company, Oris is a well renowned Swiss watch company. And it first launched these kinds of watches in the year 1938 with big crowns.
As pilots wear gloves so they need a bigger crown which they can easily grab and adjust the time and date. And to solve this problem Oris started making the pilot watches with bigger crowns. Later this big crown became the company’s signature. And even today you can buy these big crown watches.
Nowadays these watches are mainly bought by people who like to have a vintage appeal to their watches. And also by the people that do not like the cutout date window in a watch.
So now that we know a little about the watches with pointer dates, let’s start looking at the options that are available in the market today.
Best Watches With Pointer Date
1) ORIS Big Crown Pointer Date Red Dial
This is one of the watches from the Oris Big Crown series. The dates are placed in a circle around the outer rim of the dial. It comes with a red dial, leather strap, and a domed sapphire crystal. All these things combined together give it a very elegant and vintage look. The fluted bezel also adds an aesthetic appeal to the overall look of the watch.
The sapphire crystal is coated with an anti-reflective coating from the inside. As a result, you can watch the time easily in the bright sunlight and also do not have to worry about the scratches on the anti-reflective coating. Because it is the outer anti-reflective coating that becomes prone to scratches.
This timepiece comes with a 50M water-resistant rating and therefore is suitable for swimming. But we will not advise that, as it comes with a leather strap. And if you will go swimming wearing the watch then the leather strap can get damaged.
The watch also comes with the swiss-automatic movement. For those who do not know yet, the first automatic watch was invented by a Swiss watchmaker in the 1770s. So the swiss automatic movement is considered to be the best in the world. And what an automatic movement does is that it gets charged by the movement of the wrist. Also, once fully charged there is a 38 hours power reserve available in this watch, therefore you do not have to worry about it getting discharged.
This timepiece has luminous hands and markers as well. Therefore it is extremely easy to watch the time even in dark places. The date hand also has a red tip to make the date reading easier.
2) Oris Big Crown Automatic Blue Dial
This watch also belongs to the Oris Big Crown Series.
And the differences between this and the previous watch are as follow:
- This comes with a blue dial as compared to the red dial of the previous watch
- There is a metal strap in this watch as compared to the leather strap in the previous one
Since it comes with a metal strap hence it is more suitable for swimming than the one with a leather strap. So if you want a vintage pointer date watch with a metal strap and also like to go swimming then this should be your pick of the two.
3) Oris Artelier Pointer Date Black Dial
Another date pointer watch on our list is from the Oris Artelier series. And unlike other watches that have the dates circled on the outer rim, this timepiece features them on the inner rim.
One more difference that is clearly visible in this watch is that it has markers instead of the big Arabic numerals to show the time. The markers are silver in color and the dial on this timepiece is black. This makes it look more modern and sophisticated as compared to the Oris Big Crown series. So if you are not a big fan of the vintage appeal and are looking for a modern-day watch with a date pointer then you can go ahead and grab this timepiece right away.
Another thing to notice in this watch is that it does not have a center hand for seconds. But it has a small subsidiary seconds dial at 9 hours. This adds an aesthetic appeal to the watch but you really need to get used to it and that takes some time. The dial-in this watch is 42mm which is bigger than the 40mm dial of the big crown series. So if you have small wrists then you might not like its bigger dial.
The watch also comes with sapphire crystal glass that has an anti-reflective coating on the inside. And therefore you neither have to worry about the scratches nor about the visibility in the sunlight. This timepiece is powered by the Swiss automatic movement too. And with a 50M water-resistant rating, this watch is suitable for swimming activities as well.
There are 28 jewels at work in this watch, so you do not have to worry about its accuracy and longevity. However, this is not a perfect timepiece and there are some shortcomings too. Firstly, its weight is on the heavier side. Secondly, at this price point, its water-resistant rating could have been better. Thirdly, it only comes with luminous hands so watching time in the dark could be a little challenging.
Should You Buy A Pointer Date Watch?
When it comes to Pointer date watches, there aren’t many options available in the market today. And they also seem to have lost the charm. But they are masterpieces in themselves, combining the vintage appeal with the modern-day charm. And if you are someone who likes their watch faces to be clean, minimalistic, and symmetrical, then buying a pointer date calendar watch definitely makes sense.
These watches from Oris offer you two options. One for people who like the vintage appeal and one for people who like the modern touches. So at the end, which one to buy depends totally on your taste and liking.
FAQs
Is Oris Big Crown Pointer Date Worth It?
Yes. if you like their clean and minimalistic design and vintage appeal.
Is The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date a Field Watch?
Yes, you can use it as a field watch. It comes with a sapphire crystal glass, anti-reflective coating, 50M water-resistant, swiss-automatic movement, luminous hands and markers, and stainless steel case. So it has all the features that you could ask for in a field watch.
What Type Of Movement Does Oris Big Crown Has?
Oris Big Crown watches come with a swiss-automatic self-winding movement.
Is Oris Big Crown A Pilot Watch?
Yes, it was originally developed for the use of pilots only, in 1938.
Is Oris Big Crown a Good Watch?
Yes, it is a great watch for everyday usability. And it also goes well with dresses as well.
