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Жизнь часовых стрелок: от создания до наших дней 48/5000 Zhizn' chasovykh strelok: ot sozdaniya do nashikh dney

Life of clock hands: from creation to the present day

 

Modern watch movements are real works of art created by experienced craftsmen. They are admired by everyone without exception, and all because their design carefully thought out and selected even the smallest details. And the hands of the clock are no exception. This at first glance it may seem that they do not constitute anything supernatural - ordinary pieces of metal showing time. But in fact, the creation of clock hands is a separate industry, and there are entire enterprises engaged exclusively in their manufacture.

 

A brief excursion into the history of the creation of arrows

A few hundred years ago, all watch movements had only one hand. But at the end of the 17th century, one British watchmaker managed to arrange an arrow on the same axis as the hour hand showing the minutes.

 

At that time, everyone used a pocket watch on which there was no protective glass, so the arrows made coarse and massive. Yes, they were resistant to damage, but they lacked the very refinement that we are all able to see today. After some time, the watchmakers still managed to make a pocket watch with glass, as a result of which new varieties of hands began to appear. They became more elegant, acquired refined forms, and many of them reached our time.

 

Varieties of Time Hands

Have you noticed that the hands of different models of watches are radically different from each other? Moreover, each of their forms has its own name and its own history. In this article we have collected for you the most common types of hands, which can be seen on modern wristwatches.

 

Baton


In French, the word translates as a stick or a stick. Indeed, the long and narrow arrows with a blunt end very much resemble sticks. Due to their very concise form, they are most often used in classic models of watch movements. Such hands do not attract too much attention, but complement the dial well and make it restrained and elegant.

 

Dauphine


This arrow in the form of a blade attracts rave views with its sophistication, although at first glance it seems a bit coarse. Yes, it is wide at the base, but gradually narrowing turns into a thin edge. On the opposite side of the arrow has the same shape only smaller. Along the center, it is divided by a slightly rising edge, from which two identical faces roll down. Dauphine hands can be seen in both classic and trendy models of watches. They are universal and their original look perfectly complement any dial.

 

Alpha


These arrows have a rather wide flat panel and a narrow base, which is attached to the axis. They are very easily confused with the arrows of the Dauphine form, but if you look closely, it becomes clear that the Alpha arrows do not have a continuation from the opposite side. This design is also considered universal and is used in all models of modern watches.

 

Sword


From the name it is clear that the shape of the arrow resembles a sword: it expands from the base to the end, and then narrows again, taking the shape of an isosceles triangle at the end. This type of hands is most often used in watch movements made in the form of casual and military. Very effectively the hands of swords look on the dials with light accumulating coating.

 

Skeleton


Arrows-skeletons are used in conjunction with the same dials. In such accessories the center of attention is the clockwork itself, which is open to the human eye. That is why the watchmakers make the hands light and airy, leaving only a thin metal frame. This is an excellent example of how important it is in watchmaking to pay attention to details and correctly complement the overall design without overloading it..

 

Breguet


This form of arrows is often called “apple”. The thing is that it resembles a thin spear, on which the fruit of contention, as it were, was strung. Now you can find many variations on this topic, close and distant from the classics, but it is important to understand that the circle located at the end of the arrow determines its belonging to the Breguet type. The hands of this form perfectly complement the classic models of watches and make them even more luxurious.

 

Fleur de lys

 

The arrows with the magnificent name “Lily Flower” at the end are decorated with coats of arms borrowed from heraldry. These emblems are indeed remotely reminiscent of lily flowers and are associated with the French nobility. Wrist watches with hands of this form have a special refinement and are perfectly combined with Roman numerals on the dial.

 

Syringe


Syringe arrows are so named because of the similarity with the medical instrument. They are made in the form of a barrel and topped with a sharp tip-needle. Their minimalistic design is perfectly combined with the same restrained dial in its expression. An excellent example of what strength really lies in simplicity.

 

Cathedral


Cathedral, or cathedral, hands are traditionally used in watches, made in the style of military. They are named so because of the fact that they are made a special pattern, echoing in texture with the stained-glass windows of the cathedrals of the Middle Ages. Such hands are quite massive, and they are perfectly combined with small minute tick marks on the dial.

 

Feuille


Translating the name from French, these arrows are often called leaf-shaped, and all because they are really very similar to the thin long leaves of some plants. These narrow at the ends and at the base and wide in the middle of the hands perfectly complement the discreet design of classic watches.

 

Here is a far from complete list of types of clock hands. The fact is that the development of modern dials and new models of watches initiates the creation of exclusive hands, which will be beneficial to complement accessories. Therefore, from time to time, watch manufacturers delight their customers not only with classic and long-loved options of hands, but also with their new original forms.

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