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Round-UpJazz Hands! A Few Of The Most Intriguing Regulator Displays In Wristwatches

When the hours, minutes, and seconds hands of a timepiece all display time from different points on the dial, it opens up a world of mechanical and aesthetic possibilities. Let’s take a look at some of the best regulator dials

Amol Ahlawat February 26, 2024

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A regulator watch is where all the timekeeping hands—for the hours, minutes, and seconds—display time from different points on the dial, with the minute’s hand centrally located, and with the biggest length. Not only do these watches require mechanical prowess to execute, but they also add personality to the timepiece right at the outset.

Regulator display watches hours minutes seconds swiss watchmaking Chronoswiss — A regulator watch is where all the timekeeping hands—for the hours, minutes, and seconds—display time from different points on the dial, with the minute’s hand centrally located, and with the biggest length. Seen here is a flying regulator display from Chronoswiss

This simple—well, not that simple—inclusion in a timepiece adds a plethora of possibilities. A retrograde hand, perhaps? Sub-dials that look like eyes? Maybe even a saw-mouthed Cyclops on your wrist? Today, let’s take a look at some of the best regulator display watches.

The innovative regulator display

The Chronoswiss Delphis And More

Of course, Chronoswiss had to top the list. Since its inception, the brand have pretty much been synonymous with regulator displays. Back in 1987, they launched the world’s first serially-manufactured hand-wound wristwatch with a dial in knurled finish that displays a large minute hand, placing the hours, and the running seconds in two separate sub-dials. To this day, they’ve got a repertoire of incredible regulator watches, including our favourite—the Open Gear Resec Voodoo.

This watch is the perfect example of what was mentioned earlier: giving a watch added personality. Not only does it excellently occupy a regulator dial, employing the colour associated with magic and mystery (violet) with black, but that in itself gives it enough personality to be the wristwatch equivalent of Tony Stark at a party.

The 42-part dial showcases the retrograde small seconds sub-dial at six, the hour sub-dial at 12, and a centrally located minute hand. At 44mm, the watch offers a beautiful view of the movement from the remaining portion of the dial.

If you’re interested in regulator displays, read more about Chronoswiss’s other offerings here

The whimsical regulator display

The Louis Erard X Konstantin Chaykin Excellence Le Régulateur

What do you get when you combine an almost century-old independent Swiss watchmaking brand (Louis Erard) with an eccentric master watchmaker from Russia (Konstantin Chaykin)? You get a saw-mouthed cyclops on your wrist, manufactured to perfection.

This watch has wit; it has a personality, charm, a collaborative backstory, displays mechanical prowess, and is among the best regulators out there. The Excellence Le Régulateur watches are available in 39mm and 42mm in purple and green, respectively.

This, by the way, isn’t the only excellent regulator Louis Erard have produced. Just like Chronoswiss, they dabble in a lot of artistic expression of time, including gorgeous minimalistic watches such as the Olivier Mosset collaboration.

The sporty regulator display

The Alpina Alpiner Extreme Regulator Automatic

Out of all the watches listed in this article, perhaps the Alpiner Extreme Regulator watches are the sportiest of the lot. For those acquainted with the brand, that probably comes as no surprise. Alpina have a legacy of making watches that are resistant to water, rust, and impact.

Out of all the watches listed in this article, perhaps the Alpiner Extreme Regulator watches are the sportiest of the lot
For those acquainted with the brand, that probably comes as no surprise. Alpina have a legacy of making watches that are resistant to water, rust, and impact
hese watches feature bracelets and straps integrated with the cases and, most notably, a triangle pattern that adorns the dial—a design inspired by the Matterhorn mountain in the Alps
The watches are water-resistant to 200m, allow a power reserve of 38 hours, and even look like they’re capable of withstanding quite a lot
The markers and hands have adequate luminosity

Alpina Alpiner

These watches feature bracelets integrated with the cases and, most notably, a triangle pattern that adorns the dial—a design inspired by the Matterhorn mountain in the Alps. The watches are water-resistant to 200m, allow a power reserve of 38 hours, and even look like they’re capable of withstanding quite a lot.

The regulator display within a cushion shape

Laurent Ferrier Galet Square Régulateur Black

Independent watchmakers Laurent Ferrier have quite a connection to their iconic square-shaped cases, but rarely do we see them including regulator displays into their wristwatches. The one you see here, the Galet Square Régulateur Black, was only the second time the brand included a regulator display in their watches, with the first belonging to the ‘Classic’ collection.

‘While regulators suggest the utilitarian and the functional, we are incapable of releasing a watch that is prosaic,’ the brand had stated about this timepiece. The watch features a micro-rotor movement, which, as is the case with any other micro-rotor Laurent Ferrier watch, results in a running seconds sub-dial at six o’clock. The hands are quite interesting as well—leaf-shaped for hours, an assegai-shaped for minutes (assegai is a type of spear), and baton-shaped for the seconds.

Regulator display watches hours minutes seconds swiss watchmaking Laurent Ferrier gold watches — The one you see here, the Galet Square Régulateur Black, was only the second time the brand included a regulator display in their watches, with the first belonging to the ‘Classic’ collection

When one thinks of regulator watches, your mind probably wouldn’t go to a Laurent Ferrier. However, within the short span of time they’ve been active, they’ve made it pretty clear—especially considering the number of awards they’ve received—that the brand can pretty much ace whatever they set their eyes to.

The Classical regulator display

IWC Portuguese Regulateur

The Portuguese collection from watchmakers IWC Schaffhausen was introduced in the 1930s, when two Portuguese businessmen requested the brand make them a reliable, legible watch. More recently, rechristened as ‘Portugieser’, these watches have been among the most recognisable offerings from the brand throughout, since the line’s inception. And the Régulateur editions of the watches are just as distinctive, even if the regulator display itself is hardly seen from the haus. Born from the modification of the movement of a pocket watch, these watches are powered by a hand-wound movement with a power reserve of 46 hours. They were created in white gold, steel, rose gold, and platinum—the latter limited to just 500 pieces.

Regulator display watches hours minutes seconds swiss watchmaking IWC Portuguese gold watches — The Régulateur editions of the Portuguese line are just as distinctive. Born from the modification of the movement of a pocket watch, these watches are powered by a hand-wound movement with a power reserve of 46 hours. They were created in white gold, steel, rose gold, and platinum

When it comes to regulator watches with an aura of classical sophistication around them, perhaps the Portugieser Regulateur tops the list.

Within the world of horology, there are many subset niches. Exploring these niches feels like you’re getting a PhD in nerd talk, yet going down that rabbit hole can be extremely satisfying. You emerge from it with the knowledge that there exists a wristwatch that resembles a cyclops on your wrist. Or, a watch that was born because two Portuguese businessmen simply asked for it. It’s a vast, unique world, and the watches listed above make such subsets worth exploring.