There is no shortage of watches out there for the right hand part of our wonderful watch loving community but sometimes for the lefties out there the search is a bit more challenging. These timepieces are perhaps not always designed with the left hand user in mind but instead with the intention of extra watch protection. These pieces are few and far between and today we look at the five best pieces in this category.
Sinn Pilot Watch EZM 3F
The Sinn pilot is an undecorated, rugged pilot’s watch. The matte black dial is plain and decorated only with the Sinn logo at the top and the Ar print at the bottom. The minute watch hand is syringe style with the hour hand more closely resembling a sword hand. The date window is placed between the 3 o’clock and 4 o’clock. The Ar stamp refers to the dehumidifying technology that keeps the piece from fogging up to maintain pristine visibility. There is also strong magnetic field protection to keep the piece as accurate as possible regardless of varying degrees of magnetism. The bezel has a ratcheting functionality and a countdown timer function counting from 60 downwards. There is a sapphire crystal placed on the top of this piece which comes together with the rest to make this piece pressure resistant to 20 bar. The case is bead blasted and the back is screwed down to give this left handed pilot watch a water resistant rating of 200m. The case back is also nickel-free which assists in avoiding possible allergies or skin irritations. At 41mm the Sinn is a perfect fit to most wrists and the black leather strap gives it a classic look. The favourite ETA 2824-2 mechanical movement is powering this piece. There are 25 jewels and it runs at 28,800 vph making this piece adept at keeping accurate time, roughly to about +6 seconds per day.
Panerai Luminor Marina
The all black Luminor Marina is the epitome of class. The stainless steel bezel has a black PVD coating that gives the piece a solid look and feel. At 44mm the case is quite large but it is so well weighted and also made from carbon so that you won’t feel weighed down. The flat crown on the left, specifically placed here for left-handed users, is protected by a curved adage that secures and protects the crown. The genuine calfskin strap is finished with some tasteful needlework and has a buckle clasp. The black dial has white indexes etched into it with the 6, 9 and 12 o’clock using Arabic numerals. At 3 o’clock is the seconds dial with a smart leaf watch hand ticking away. The Luminor uses the internally made Panerai OP II handwind movement based off the ETA 6497-2 with 17 jewels. The frequency is 21,600 and the higher quality version of the ETA 6497 is a quiet and smooth movement. The 56 hour power reserve is generous and means that your time will be kept up to date a while with no winding. There aren’t any new models of the Luminor available as only 1000 were initially released so you will be paying quite a high premium to get your hands on this timepiece. The screw down case back means the piece can boast an impressive 300m water resistant rating.
Tudor Pelagos
The Tudor Pelagos isn’t new to the watch world but would be commonly known with the crown on the right hand side. The design team have decided to introduce the watch with the left-hand crown so that they are able to appeal to their left-handed customer base and at the same time will appeal to the more functional divers who are right handed. The case is 42mm and made out of titanium. Titanium is comparatively rare in watches and this lightweight but tough as nails metal is the sign of a watch that is made to be used. The satin finish on the case gives that soft touch to an otherwise rugged exterior. The coin-edge bezel is unidirectional with a ceramic disc and a beige luminous coating on it. There is a sleek pointed guard for the screw down crown and a helium release valve at 3 o’clock. The hour markers on the black dial and minute markers on the chapter ring create a textured 3 dimensional look on the dial which is accentuated by the grainy matte style of the dial itself. The date window, displayed in red, is at 3 o’clock and there are some smart snowflake hands with a decent blue lume lighting your way. The bracelet features the uniquely Tudor clasp but also includes a rubber strap if you don’t like the stainless steel bracelet. The self-winding mechanical movement has a bidirectional rotor system with a huge 70 hour power reserve. The 500m waterproof rating means that you would be able to wear this timepiece pretty much everywhere.
Dievas Vortex Tactical
This timepiece has military precision written all over it so it should come as no surprise that tactical team members were consulted in the design process. The German engineering influence is evident in the overall shape and style. The matte black dial has a defined and cut appearance with excellent readability. At 3 and 9 o’clock are two line markers dividing the dial in two with the rest of the indexes being large white Arabic numerals. The watch hands and Arabic numerals are coated with SuperLumiNova for crisp, quick time-reading. The sapphire crystal is 4mm thick and coated with anti-reflective layer which keeps the view of the dial clear at all times. The combination of high grade titanium and a quality crystal means that there are no blemishes I have picked up, keeping in mind that I am not quite using it for its true purpose. The case is manufactured using grade 5 titanium and sits 44mm in size and 14mm thick. The crown is at 8 o’clock and has a guard for some extra protection. The NATO strap I am sure will keep well for rugged and regular use. The price point for this timepiece is extremely competitive and if you have a larger wrist it would be good to spend some time learning more about the Vortex. As if there wasn’t enough on offer here the ETA 2824-2 is driving this piece, so over and above the German design you have reliable Swiss movement in the background keeping your time accurately.
Tag Heuer Monaco Calibre 11
The Monaco started up its engine for the first time many decades ago and in this re-edition the vintage racer looks to cross the finish line in style yet again. The case is a square 39mm x 39mm finely brushed stainless steel with some polished trappings here and there. The steel screw crown and steel push-buttons that operate the chronograph are pristinely polished to contrast the brushed case. The crown sits at 9 o’clock and also has the raised Heuer logo on top. There is a sapphire crystal protecting your view of the exquisitely designed dial and also a sapphire on the caseback so that you can have a look into the pioneering Calibre 11 movement, the first water-resistant square case and the first automatic chronograph. The Calibre 11 is Swiss made, runs at 28,800 vph and has an incredible 59 rubies protecting this piece for a long time to come. The dial is matte blue with a minute chronograph counter at 9 o’clock and the running second counter at 3 o’clock. The indexes are placed horizontally which gives a look that matches the square aesthetic of the piece. There are luminous dots around the dial at every hour as well as on the red marked watch hands. The chronograph second hand is completely marked in red. The black calfskin strap finishes off the vintage look as expected and it is closed by a steel folding clasp. The Monaco isn’t going to be cheap to get your hands on but you would be getting one of the most iconic pieces on the market. It also doesn’t hurt that it is a genuinely high quality timepiece.
Final Thoughts
There is a reasonable degree of use for left hand pieces that goes further than just left-handed functionality. They are useful if you are active and expect to be bending your left wrist often as a right handed wearer which often is useful for divers and the use of a firearm. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend these pieces for adventurous use because they are of the luxurious persuasion but if you just can’t help yourself I’m sure they will keep up. The clear display of master craftsmanship with the pieces above also shows that the left-hand side of the watch collector spectrum can’t say that nobody thinks about them because there is true quality to be found when looking for it even though the right-hand variety dominates on the lower cost variety of the watch making industry.
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