Asymmetric Aces: the Best Off-Centre Dials

These timepieces are perfectly imbalanced! While the traditional watch face features the hours and minutes in their classical positions around the circumference of the dial, a number of novelties at Baselworld 2014 shook things up with off-centre dials. Here are a few of our favorites:

Arnold & Son DSTB

Housed in a 43.5mm 18K red gold case, the DSTB is a tribute to Arnold & Son’s 250th anniversary. Part of the manufacture’s Instrument Collection, the DSTB features an off-centered white lacquer subdial with hours and minutes at 4 o’clock. The subdial features a ‘250th Anniversary’ engraving. The dial plate, which is finished with Côtes de Genève rayonnantes, also features a seconds chronograph with visible mechanism (comprised of a lever, wheels and three rose-gold treated bridges) at 11 o’clock. In a nod to the manufacture’s maritime heritage, the seconds lever is shaped like an anchor. Only 50 pieces of this limited edition will be produced.

Breguet Classique 5377PT

Part of the manufacture’s Classique Complications collection, this piece is housed in a 42mm platinum case. The 18K gold dial, which is silvered and engine-turned in four different patterns, features a subtly off-centre dial with hours and minutes. The chapter ring features Roman numerals and Breguet’s signature blued-steel open-tipped hands. The dial is completed by a tourbillon between 3 and 6 o’clock with small seconds on the axis, and a 90-hour power reserve indicator between 8 and 9 o’clock. The extra-thin self-winding Caliber 581DR movement, which is numbered and signed Breguet, is visible through the sapphire crystal caseback.

Girard-Perregaux Tri-Axial Tourbillon

Housed in a 48mm pink gold case, this limited edition timepiece features a multi-level dial. It begins with a silver subdial between 12 and 3 o’clock, with numerals on the Clous de Paris motif for the hours, and an encircling black flange with white numerals for the minutes. Below this subdial, a 52-hour power reserve indicator curves across the dial plate’s lower half, ending at 6 o’clock. Finally, a high-speed tri-axial tourbillon with a regulator on three separate axes is featured at 9 o’clock. The cage of the tourbillon rotates once a minute, its second axis rotates in 30 seconds, and its third axis rotates in 2 minutes. The mechanical Caliber GP09300 with manual winding, which is visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, features an eagle (the symbol of the manufacture) and an arrow-shaped numbered plaque. Only 10 pieces will be produced. Reference 99815-52-251-BA6A

Glashütte Original PanoMaticInverse

Housed in a 42mm case stainless steel case, this dial of this piece is styled to look like the view one would normally get via the sapphire crystal caseback (thus the ‘Inverse’). The rhodium dial plate, with Glashütte ribbing and blued screws and rubies, features two subdials: one for hours and minutes, and another smaller one for the seconds. There is also a date display (one of Glashütte Original’s signature features) at 2 o’clock, while the movement’s balance wheel and escapement, with a double swan-neck fine adjustment system, are visible on the lower right-hand side of the dial. It is also available in a red gold version. The automatic-winding Calibre 91-02 movement boasts a 42-hour power reserve.

Ulysse Nardin Stranger 6900-125

This uniquely musical model is housed in a 45mm 18K white gold case. The bottom half of the silverized dial plate features a subdial with hours, minutes, seconds, date and a function indicator for the pusher in the crown (‘T’ for setting or correcting the time, ‘D’ for the date and ‘W’ for winding the movement). However, it’s what the off-centre subdial makes room for that is really noteworthy (pun intended). The top half of the dial plate showcases this model’s chiming mechanism, which plays Frank Sinatra’s famous hit “Strangers in the Night”. The melody is played on the hour, and can also be activated on-demand via the pushpiece at 10 o’clock, with an On/Off indicator featured on the subdial. It is limited to an edition of 99 pieces.

Photo credit: Haute Time.