I am left-handed

The song "Left-Handed" by Panic, A group formed by Lee Juck and Kim Jin-pyo, Talks about society's perspective on left-handers and, More broadly, The uncomfortable gaze toward those who are different. In reality, Being left-handed is inconvenient in many ways. This is because most things are made for the majority, Who are right-handed. Just look around and you will see things inseparable from our hands, Such as the mouse, Subway turnstiles, And various musical instruments. Watches are also made assuming they will be worn by right-handed people.

ⓒ watchbandit

Normally, People wear watches on their left wrist. Since the right hand is busier, The watch is worn on the less busy left hand. Some watch companies, Who had a fair perspective toward left-handers, Have created watches specifically for them. In this article, We will look at watches made for the minority of left-handers.

Southpaw, Lefty, Destro

Although being left-handed is often inconvenient and disadvantageous in daily life, There are fields where left-handers are favored. In sports, Especially baseball, Left-handers are highly valued. There is even a saying, "A left-handed pitcher who throws fastballs is worth bringing back from hell, " which refers to the high value of left-handed pitchers who can throw fast. It also metaphorically means that batters find it very difficult to face a left-handed pitcher who throws fastballs. Left-handed pitchers' balls appear differently to right-handed batters, Making it hard for them to predict and hit the ball. Such pitchers are called southpaws, A term also used in boxing.

ⓒ pixabay

Unlike southpaw, Which is focused on certain sports, "lefty" simply refers to left-handed people. It is a relatively neutral term without positive or negative connotations. In watches, Left-handed models are sometimes called "lefty" or "left handed, " with the latter being more neutral and polite. "Destro, " which has the same meaning, Is an Italian word. It became familiar when Panerai released watches for left-handers. Interestingly, "destro" means "right" or "right hand" in Italian, But in this context, It refers to the hand on which the watch is worn. Since left-handers usually wear watches on their right wrist, The term is used accordingly.

Panerai

Panerai, Which made the term "destro" familiar, Is very active in producing watches for left-handers. Considering the proportion of their entire product line, A significant number of their watches are made as destro models. For Panerai, Which has many base models that only display hours and minutes, The process of making destro models is not particularly difficult.

PAM01655 - Luminor Destro Otto Giorni ⓒ panerai

Since there is no change to the dial, The same dial can be used as for right-handed models. All that needs to be done is to rotate the case and movement 180 degrees. Conversely, If you consider the dial as the reference, You could just rotate the dial 180 degrees, So it is not a particularly difficult task. Of course, If there is a second hand, Date, Or power reserve indicator, A separate dial must be made, Which adds some extra work. Although such models are less common these days, There are still plenty of left-handed options among previously released watches.

Luminor 1950 Marina Militare Steel
Black Dial Limited Edition 47mm ⓒ wristcheck

Looking back, The Marina Militare Luminor Ref. 6152-1, Released in the early 1950s, Is considered the origin of Panerai's left-handed watches. The crown guard of the Luminor is a signature Panerai design, But because it protrudes quite a bit, It can restrict wrist movement or press against the skin if worn tightly. For this reason, Some right-handed people even choose destro models on purpose.

Rolex

Rolex is as passionate about left-handed watches as Panerai. In the 1940s, A left-crown Oyster was made for Charlie Chaplin, Who was left-handed, And was sold at an Antiquorum auction in 2013 for just over $50, 000.

Rolex Oyster Ref. 4453 ⓒ antiquorum

The Day-Date and Sea-Dweller Ref. 16600, Produced in the 1960s, Were also made for left-handers. After not making left-handed models for some time, Rolex reintroduced a left-handed watch with the GMT Master-II Ref. 126720VTNR (2022), Also known as the "Sprite."

ROLEX GMT Master2 126720VTNR ⓒ ablogtowatch

Unlike previous left-handed models, This watch with a black and green bezel moved the date window from the 3 o'clock to the 9 o'clock position, Making it even more suitable for left-handers. Rather than simply rotating the case and movement 180 degrees while keeping the dial the same, It shows a more "lefty" approach. Among the many variations of the GMT Master-II, Which has produced many derivatives with different bezel color combinations, This model stands out as the most unique. As a result, Even right-handed people can wear the GMT Master-II Ref. 126720VTNR as usual without any discomfort. Even if worn in reverse, The cyclops lens for the date remains at the 3 o'clock position, Just like a right-handed model, Making it hard to notice unless you look closely.

GMT-Master 2 126720VTNR

40mm, Black, Oyster

GMT-Master 2 126720VTNR

40mm, Black, Jubilee

Omega

Panerai's Destro, Rolex's left-handed Ref. 16600, And others. The reason why there are many left-handed diver watches is believed to be because left-handed divers, Who wore watches on their right wrist, Found it inconvenient to operate them as tool watches in the past. The Omega Ploprof, Designed for professional divers, Also appears to have placed the crown on the left side of the case for similar reasons.

1970 Ploprof, 2016 Ploprof ⓒ omegawatches

However, To prevent the bezel from rotating clockwise (for diver safety), The structure requires pressing the red (now orange or blue) button on the right side of the case while turning the bezel. As a result, The Ploprof unintentionally became a left-handed design. The crown guard protrudes significantly, So if it were on the right, It might have been uncomfortable to use.

Patek Philippe and Others

At Patek Philippe, Left-handed watches are even rarer than stainless steel dress watches. Some watch companies do not make left-handed watches at all, But Patek Philippe occasionally produces them in very limited numbers.

 Patek Philippe 5373P ⓒ monochrome-watches

A recent example is the Grand Complication Ref. 5373. It is a watch that implements a perpetual calendar and split-seconds chronograph with a monopusher. Compared to the right-handed version, The Grand Complication Ref. 5372, The entire watch is rotated 180 degrees. Naturally, The brand name and indices on the dial have been rearranged accordingly. The position of the pushers has changed, Which can be a bit confusing, But it has its own charm. A watch with such rare functions released as a left-handed model becomes an even more collectible piece due to its rarity.

Serena Williams wearing a gold Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
at the 2016 French Open ⓒ AFP PHOTO

Besides the above, There is also a left-handed Royal Oak Offshore, Produced in small quantities for tennis player Serena Williams. She was even seen wearing it during matches. Interestingly, Although it is a left-handed model, She wore it on her left wrist. It seems she wore it on her left wrist to prevent the crown from pressing against her wrist. In the early days of Caliber 11, Which was completed by combining the movement and chronograph module, The crown was on the left side of the case, While the pushers were on the right.

The TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 11 ⓒ ethoswatches

The TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 11 is also sometimes classified as a left-handed model. However, Unlike the crown, The pushers are on the right, So it is not a complete left-handed watch.