Date wheels

Discuss Christopher Ward watches
User avatar
missF
CW Forum Poet Laureate
CW Forum Poet Laureate
Posts: 11866
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2014 2:59 pm
CW-watches: 3
Location: Edinburgh

Re: Date wheels

Post by missF »

when i first joined the forum and read around a bit i thought that being vehement about white date wheels on black dials must be a WIS thing that i just didn't get yet!
perhaps it was just a forum meme for a while?
watching you fail in your quest for a “one watch” has been great entertainment
Watchaholic

‘Imprudently spendy’
Thomcat00
User avatar
gaf1958
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 12431
Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2012 6:24 am
CW-watches: 24
Location: ɐᴉlɐɹʇsn∀ 'ʇsɐoƆ ǝuᴉɥsunS

Re: Date wheels

Post by gaf1958 »

Without actually going to have a look at my collection, I'd be hard pressed to remember which watches have specific colour date wheels. I must admit that for me it's mostly a matter of take it as it is.

Now a cyclops over the date window is a different matter to me. Definitely a show stopper! But there are many people who love them...

The only watch I've ever owned with one was an internet purchase with crappy pictures that didn't show the cyclops. Bit of a gamble on a cheapie, but it stayed in my possession exactly long enough to list it on eBay and get it sold - and yes with detailed photos showing the cyclops :)

Different strokes...
CW C1+2xC3+6xC6/60K+C7+C11+3xC60T+2xC65+C90+2xC600
Omega Ω 11xSpeedy+14xSeamaster+4xConnie+DeVille
Cartier+2xPanerai+2xFarer+2xOris+Sinn+11xSeiko+ManyVintage
B&R+Halios+5xVisitor+TagH+6xTissot+2xZelos+4xCertina+more
Family12xCW+2xΩ+Cartier
User avatar
akirk
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 3422
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 9:59 pm
CW-watches: 0

Re: Date wheels

Post by akirk »

rcherryuk wrote:Kip,
Know I've triggered this, so let me try to explain how I feel (it's a gut response, not a conscious thing).

If a watch has a blue dial with white indices then a black on white date wheel looks fine (my OCD self would add that 'as long as the date wheel is at 3 or 6, and is the same shape as the index it replaces, but that's a whole other post).
But, when it is an all black dial , and even more so in an all black watch, the date wheel looks best when it's a white on black date wheel.

See what you think:

Image
Image
For me this is a good example - I prefer the top photo with a white date background...
the second photo has the date merging too well into the overall (cluttered!) content on the watch, with it reversed it pops out more...

The date is a separate layer so can merge or contrast as appropriate - as Richard says - it just has to work as a design... As someone who runs a design company I see every day that fact that a room of a dozen people will have 12 different views on any design :) so I don't think that there is a right answer as such - but there can be a wrong answer in a few cases where it is just laziness - e.g. white text on black for the date with a blue dial - why not white on blue if not contrasting?

Alasdair
Tracking Christopher Ward watch prices on ebay globally at Watchroll
Tracking Bremont watch prices on ebay globally at Watchtrace
User avatar
Kip
The Administrator
The Administrator
Posts: 35171
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2007 8:45 pm
CW-watches: 150
LE-one: yes
LE-two: yes
LE-three: yes
LE-foura: yes
LE-fourb: yes
LE-five: yes
LE-six: yes
LESeven: yes
Location: New Hampshire, USA

Re: Date wheels

Post by Kip »

akirk wrote:.....I see every day that fact that a room of a dozen people will have 12 different views on any design :) Alasdair
I think this sums up the overall view about date wheels. Design, colors, aesthetics etc. are so subjective despite any rules to the contrary.
Kip

"Asylum Administrator"


Visit the CWArchives for everything CW. Historical, specs, manuals and resale. It is all there.
User avatar
ianblyth
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 10940
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2010 10:17 pm
CW-watches: 19
LE-two: yes
LE-three: yes
LE-foura: yes
LE-five: Yes
LE-six: Yes
Location: Wokingham, UK

Re: Date wheels

Post by ianblyth »

Which is what makes collecting (anything - not just watches) so interesting. People have different likes and dislikes and in the end it is all about perception. If we all like the same thing there would be no need for a forum. Post - "Do you like this". All other posts "Yes". And so on. Pretty boring. Vive la différence as the French would say.
"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are." Anais Nin
User avatar
smegwina
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 11771
Joined: Sun May 26, 2013 10:04 am
CW-watches: 11

Re: Date wheels

Post by smegwina »

It is inteteresting to see that some are designed like that.

The prototype alt1-p black had a white on black date wheel.

Image

But after testing and feedback, it was changed to white background for clarity.

Image
User avatar
welshlad
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 11301
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2012 12:33 am
CW-watches: 27
Location: Yorkshire, UK

Re: Date wheels

Post by welshlad »

To my eyes, that is definitely a watch that would have been better off without a date altogether. There is so much going on on the dial that there is no sensible place left to put it. To me it just looks crammed in between the 4 and 5. IMHO of course. :)
Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future. - Niels Bohr
User avatar
gwells
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 7642
Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2012 4:02 am
CW-watches: 1
Location: falls church, va

Re: Date wheels

Post by gwells »

i agree.
the "g" is for Greg...
robinbarke
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 2868
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 7:42 pm
CW-watches: 7
Location: Lower Heyford, Oxon

Re: Date wheels

Post by robinbarke »

I agree too, it would be a deal breaker for me. A big date beneath the logo would be better.

Robin
C9GMT C8 Mk 1 C5 Malvern 2011 C9FLE C50 Malvern COSC C60 FLE2012 2013FLE
Oris Big Crown, Hublot, Rolex Datejust, Nomos Tangomat.


See my book, Aynho Junction, in the News section of http://www.robinbarkerphotography.com
33mgb
Junior
Junior
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2014 9:01 pm

Re: Date wheels

Post by 33mgb »

robinbarke wrote:I agree too, it would be a deal breaker for me. A big date beneath the logo would be better.

Robin
Completely agree with that. I can't say that I had particularly noticed the different colour date windows before but after reading this thread it will now be the first thing I look at!
RichM
Senior Guru
Senior Guru
Posts: 622
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 2:20 pm
CW-watches: 4

Re: Date wheels

Post by RichM »

Oh no! I'd never noticed date wheel colours before or, until I read this post, given it any thought. The least expensive watch of these three here I think has the date wheel that works best. The Bremont mentioned above does look better with the white wheel however so maybe it is just what works best for each watch.

Image
33mgb
Junior
Junior
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2014 9:01 pm

Re: Date wheels

Post by 33mgb »

RichM wrote:Oh no! I'd never noticed date wheel colours before or, until I read this post, given it any thought. The least expensive watch of these three here I think has the date wheel that works best. The Bremont mentioned above does look better with the white wheel however so maybe it is just what works best for each watch.

Image
I think your correct - the date wheel on your Bremont works well due to the colour of the sub-dials.
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post