Display complication
What is a regulator dial?
A dial with the hours, minutes and seconds on separate hands and scales, usually a central minute hand with hours and seconds in subdials.
How it works
On a regulator dial, the long central hand shows only minutes. The hours sit in a subdial, often at 12, and the seconds in another, often at 6. Separating them makes the minutes and seconds easier to read precisely.
History
The layout comes from regulator clocks, the precision clocks watchmakers used to set and adjust other timepieces. Chronoswiss popularised the regulator wristwatch in the late 1980s.
Before you buy
Regulators take a moment to read if you're used to a normal dial, so try one before you buy.
Questions
- Why is it called a regulator?
- Because it copies the dial of the precision clocks watchmakers used as a reference to regulate other watches and clocks.