Only a handful of men and women with a refined taste like you know their watches. You know that there are different factors like types of watch hands, glasses, movements, cases, and more that make a watch unique.
One such factor that can give your watch a sophisticated and distinguished look is Cathedral watch hands. The design of these watch hands takes inspiration from Vintage stained glasses designs. It is commonly found in religious buildings like churches and medieval European architecture.
The hour hand in cathedral watch hands is also known as “bee hand” by some watch enthusiasts. However, finding a good watch with cathedral hands is no easy task. That doesn’t mean they don’t exist, they are just simply hard to find. To make it easier for you, I have already done the research and have listed the 7 best watches with cathedral hands available on Amazon.
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Best Watches With Cathedral Hands Comparison Table
IMAGE | PRODUCT | SPECIFICATIONS | VIEW ON AMAZON |
Best Hamilton Watch With Cathedral Hands  | Hamilton Khaki Field Watch |
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Best Seiko Cathedral Hand Watch  | Seiko Men’s Stainless Steel Automatic SARB017 |
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Most Affordable Watch With Cathedral Hands  | Tesla Watch |
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Best Cathedral Hand Watches
1. Hamilton Khaki Field Watch
Without a doubt, Hamilton is one of the most well-known Swiss brands of all time. They have been around and making watches since 1892. In fact, they were the official watch supplier of watches for US armed forces in both World War I & II. Not just for the army, Hamilton has made various well-received timepieces like this one since its inception.
This Hamilton Khaki field automatic watch comes with H-10 caliber movement which offers 80hr power reserve on full wind. So even if you don’t wear the watch, a single wind would last you at least 3 days.
The case housing the movement is 42mm in diameter which isn’t too big for a men’s watch in my opinion. Similarly, the watch uses a 22mm wide leather strap which is a comfortable strap size for daily use. The only shortcoming of the leather strap is that it doesn’t react well to water and frequent exposure to water can spoil the texture.
While leather may not react well to water but it won’t be an issue for the watch as it is water-resistant up to 100m. Coming on to the looks, the watch features golden Arabic numerals that go very well with a black dial. You also get gorgeous cathedral watch hands with the watch that adds to the beauty of the watch.
One interesting fact about the watch is that this is the same watch used by main character Murph in the movie Interstellar. To conclude I would say that this is the best affordable Hamilton watch with cathedral hands. For the price, you are getting high-quality watch movement as well as iconic pop culture memorabilia.
2. Seiko Prospex Alpinist
The next watch on my list is from Seiko, a brand which is known for making reliable timepieces at reasonable prices. And, this Seiko Prospex Alpinist watch is no different as you will get a superb performance with the watch.
Seiko Prospex Alpinist comes with Caliber 6R35 automatic watch movement which ensures 70 hours of power reserve on a full wind. Moreover, this watch movement sports 24 jewel movements which ensure accurate timekeeping on it.
Most automatic watches don’t have a hacking movement which leads to the movement of the second hand while setting the time. However, you won’t face that issue with the watch as it comes with hacking movement which stops the movement while setting the time.
Talking about the looks, the watch features a beautiful green dial with golden hour markings. In addition to that, it sports golden cathedral hands that give the watch a stunning look.
Besides good looks, you also get a date window with a cyclops lens at the 3 o’clock position of the dial. It allows you to read the small numbers on the date window without putting stress on your eyes. The dial of the watch is protected by Sapphire glass which is the best type of glass that can be used on a watch. It is highly scratch-resistant and can easily withstand daily abuse.
Despite so many features, the watch case is only 39.5mm in diameter making it the perfect watch for men who prefer small watches. You also get a 20mm brown leather strap with a beautiful alligator pattern on it. If you don’t fancy leather then you can install any other strap of your choice. There are plenty of good third-party options available like silicon, bracelet, and NATO strap supported by the watch.
3. Oris Big Crown Pointer
Oris is one of the distinguished Swiss watchmakers which is known for its unique watches with pointer date function. As you can see this cathedral watch comes with 1 extra hand. This extra hand sports a red pointer at the tip which points to the date markings on the dial. This along with the big crown is one of the iconic design quirks of Oris watches. Originally, the big crown design was incorporated to make the watch easier to operate for a pilot wearing a glove. However, today it has become a part of Oris watch’s character or personality.
This is the most clean-looking watch on my list. It features a red color dial with white cathedral watch hands and hour markings giving the watch a simple yet distinguished look.
Moreover, reading the time on the watch would be a breeze as the sapphire glass that protects the dial comes with an anti-reflective coating on both sides. Therefore, the glare of the sun or bright environments won’t be a hindrance for reading the time.
Oris Big Crown Pointer is also a great option for men who are looking for a bracelet watch with cathedral hands. The bracelet strap you get with the watch is 20mm wide which is perfect if you don’t like bulky straps. While it might be a little expensive but that’s the price you have to pay for a Swiss automatic watch.
4. Seiko Men’s Stainless Steel Automatic SARB017
The next Seiko watch on my list is a limited edition watch and was made in limited quantities. So if you are looking for a Seiko watch with cathedral hands then you better hurry as the price of this watch will only increase in the future.
The watch comes with a 6R15 caliber automatic watch movement that has 23 jewel movements. However, what’s special about this watch movement is that it comes with Seiko Diashock protection. Meaning, this watch can survive hits, bumps, shock, and impacts that most automatic watches simply can’t.
Seiko cathedral watch also sports a rotating compass on the bezel. It is important to note that this is a manual compass that rotates using a dedicated crown at the 4 0’clock position. So it is useful for those who know how to find the correct direction using the sun’s location. Nevertheless, it’s still a great tool watch for explorers.
Moreover, the screw-down crown on the watch also offers better protection against water and dust damage. And, that’s why water won’t be an issue for the watch as it is water-resistant up to 200m.
Talking about the dimensions, the watch sports a small 39.5mm case that houses the gorgeous green sunburst dial. The brown leather strap that you get with the watch is 20mm wide. According to many user reviews, the quality of the leather strap is subpar but thankfully you can replace it with 3rd party straps.
5. Montblanc 1858 Automatic Dual Time
Montblanc makes some of the best swiss made watches and has really upped its game since its acquisition of Swiss watchmaker Minerva. One fine example of that is this Montblanc 1858 automatic watch.
This watch comes with Montblanc’s in-house developed MB 29.19 automatic mechanical movement. Unlike previous automatic watches, this sports a 34 jewel in the movement for accurate timekeeping. This very movement also powers the dedicated second sub-dial, date, and GMT function on the watch.
Using the GMT function, you can track the time of another location with the help of an extra hour hand. Despite so many complications, a single full wind would offer a 42-hour reserve. For the protection of the dial, the watch sports a highly scratch and shatter-resistant sapphire glass.
Moreover, if you like watches with big dials then you are gonna love the fact that the watch sports a 44mm case. So time on the watch would be easy to read and it will be comfortable to wear for users who have big wrist sizes. All in all, a good build quality, multiple features, and swiss made movement make it one of the best cathedral watches you can buy right now on Amazon.
6. Tesla Watch
If previous watches were expensive for you then I am gonna recommend this affordable Tesla watch from Think Geek. This watch comes with skeletonized cathedral watch hands that give this watch a vintage look.
This watch features two dials, the bigger one keeps track of hours and minutes whereas the smaller one is a dedicated sub-dial for seconds. There are also two led lights on the top which suits the name of the watch as it gives a nerdy look.
The entire watch face excluding the light is 1.6″ inches in diameter which might be big for some users. Likewise, the strap of the watch is 30mm wide at the 6 o’clock position making it a pretty big watch.
While the image of the watch might suggest that this is an automatic watch but in fact, it’s a Japanese quartz watch. The winding key located at the side is purely for ornamental purposes and can be removed.
While this might be the best watch with cathedral watch hands under $100 but it’s made for users who like unique watches. That’s why the watch doesn’t come with any water-resistant capability as it isn’t supposed to be worn every day. If you are into collecting watches then you can get this cathedral or unique looking watch at a reasonable price for your collection.
7. Montblanc 1858 Automatic Black Men’s Watch
The final watch on the list is the Montblanc 1858 automatic watch which is also one of the best Montblanc watches under $1500. Despite the low price, the watch comes with Montblanc’s in-house developed MB24.15 movement. It features 26 jewels in the movement which reduces wear and tear. And, a single full wind offers a 38-hour power reserve which ensures that you won’t need to wind the watch until the next day.
Besides that, the biggest thing going for the watch is its simplistic yet graceful looks. The watch case is 40mm in diameter and houses a beautiful black dial with beige Arabic numeral markings. Sapphire glass on the front of the dial helps in preserving the looks of the watch.
While this is definitely a dress watch but still it is water-resistant up to 100m so you can wear the watch on the beach. However, I would suggest replacing the 20mm leather strap first as it won’t react well to water.
Given the brand name and prestige Montblanc carries, I would suggest considering this Montblanc watch with cathedral hands. It comes with high-quality movement, premium looks, and is Swiss-made. All these combinations, at this price point, are very hard to find so give this watch a look.
FAQs
What Are Cathedral Hands?
Cathedral watches are one of many types of watch hand-design used by watchmakers on watches. This particular watch hand-design sports an onion dome type design on the hour hand. And, it is inspired by the medieval church & European architecture.
Which Is The Most Affordable Watch With Cathedral Hands?
Tesla watch is the most affordable watch with cathedral hands available on Amazon. It comes with a unique geeky design with two LEDs at the top. Moreover, it has a dedicated sub-dial for a seconds hand which only adds to the nerdy look.
Which Is The Best Watch With Cathedral Hands?
Hamilton khaki field is the ideal candidate for the job as not only is it iconic pop-culture memorabilia but also delivers good performance. A single wind would offer you an 80hr power reserve, so a single full wind would last 3 days. Moreover, it gets a stylish look from its black dial accompanied by Golden Arabic numerals.
Does Any Seiko Watch Come With Cathedral Watch Hands?
Seiko Prospex Alpinist & Seiko Men’s SARB017 both come with golden Cathedral watch hands.
