Although the date display is generally regarded as one of the most popular complications, some purists increasingly choose harmony and symmetry on the dial by choosing watches without a date window. The following are six recent noteworthy examples.
Back in the 1940s: IWC Big Pilot's Watch 43 IWC reduced the case of the Big Pilot's watch from 46 mm to 43 mm, making this watch more wear-resistant. But the most important change occurred on the dial. The manufacturer of Schaffhausen omitted the date display and circular power reserve indicator, making this watch simpler, more symmetrical, and most importantly, more similar to the one from 1940 . These changes also reduced the price from US$12,900 to US$8,400. These savings are likely to persuade potential buyers to accept a shorter power reserve, reduced from the previous 7 days to 60 hours which is still above average. Equipped with automatic winding 82100 in-house movement to provide power and meet the high standards of IWC. The movement can even be seen through the sapphire crystal on the back of the case, while its big sister has a solid steel back. The new pilot's watch is also available with a blue dial and a stainless steel bracelet or rubber strap.
Power meter: Omega De Ville Trésor Power Reserve Omega did not cancel the additional features of this watch, but omitted a window on the dial. The date window will destroy the perfect symmetry created by the vertical arrangement of the two subdials. The upper sub-dial displays the power reserve (up to 72 hours or more), while the lower sub-dial displays the elapsed seconds. These displays are powered by the manufactured Calibre 8935, which also chose not to use automatic winding. However, the basic characteristics of the Master Chronometer movement still exist. The movement travels with an accuracy comparable to that of an chronometer, and due to the use of exclusive antimagnetic components such as silicon hairspring in the movement, it can withstand a magnetic field of at least 15,000 Gauss. The 40mm yellow or Sedna gold watch is priced at $17,500; the stainless steel version is priced at $7,600.
Mechanical minimalism: Hamilton Intra-Matic Chronograph H Hamilton has abandoned common additional functions to create a coherent vintage watch. This 40 mm steel watch not only has no date display, but also does not have an automatic winding device. The ETA that manufactures this movement achieves this simplification by deriving the manual winding Calibre H-51 from the automatic Valjoux Calibre 7753. In this way, Hamilton copied as much as possible the chronographs A and B since 1968. The "version has a dark counter on a light background, while the "B" version uses the opposite color scheme. The new Intra-Matic Chronograph H has two versions; "H" means manual winding. The wristband is also very consistent with the overall concept. Buyers can choose a monochromatic fine-grained leather strap for US$2,045 with the sporty elegance of the late 1960s, or a steel mesh Milanese bracelet for US$2,095.
Material miracle: Rado Captain Cook high-tech ceramics In 2021, RADO radar not only added points to the popular Captain Cook with a ceramic case, but also launched a new movement that closely follows the trend of no date, thus creating a charming symmetry. The R734 automatic movement is a version of ETA's Calibre C07, with a hollow surface, a decorative finish, finer adjustments and a new Nivachron balance spring made of diamagnetic titanium alloy. The movement is an important part of the design, because it can be seen not only through the sapphire crystal glass on the back cover, but also through the colored sapphire crystal dial. Here, the omission of the date display makes a positive contribution: the date window and the fully visible date ring block the view of the partially hollow movement. Rado, following the tradition, placed a small anchor at the 12 o'clock position of the dial to indicate that this watch is equipped with an automatic movement. The freely swinging balance wheel is elegantly adjusted by two weights, swinging behind the anchor symbol. Rado's 80-hour power reserve and 300-meter-deep water resistance add practicality to this new watch. The use of scratch-resistant and hypoallergenic ceramics further enhances practicality. This material is the first material used by Rado when ceramics were first used in watchmaking in the 1980s. The bezel and crown are made of rose gold PVD coated stainless steel, combined with black ceramic, to create a dynamic and elegant two-tone appearance. The eye-catching version of this 43 mm retro dive watch is priced at $3,700.
The elegance of the 1930s: Longines inherits the classic Longines is the pioneer of the retro trend of watches. As early as the 1980s, this Swiss brand successfully brought back pilot watches from the 1920s and 1930s. Today, Longines continues to maintain its heritage series with elegant expertise. But the designers of Longines did not always have the courage to cancel the date display. For a long time, the date display has been considered a necessary condition for the sale of watches. But recently, the retro design of Longines has become more consistent, as shown by this newcomer and several other models inspired by Longines's 1930s models. In those ten years, the watch had no date display. To be honest, if the dial has a window at 3 o'clock or a window on the small dial at 6 o'clock, it will never look as beautiful as here. The 38.5 mm steel case houses the high-performance automatic movement A31. The 501 has a silicon balance spring and a three-day power reserve, exclusively provided by Longines' sister company ETA. In exchange for a purchase price of US$2,150, Heritage Classic brings the wearer's fashion back to the 1930s.
Adventure participants: Rolex Explorer Explorer has no date display, so there is no Rolex Cyclops magnifying glass. But the classic model looks different in 2021, because Rolex reduced its case from 39 mm to 36 mm, which was common a few years ago and equipped it with the latest generation of manufacturing movements. The automatic movement 3230 provides 70 hours of power instead of the previous 48 hours. The Chronergy escapement system is matched with an optimized blue Parachrom hairspring to provide stronger magnetic field protection. The steel version of the new Explorer is priced at US$6,450, while the stainless steel and gold two-tone version is priced at US$10,800. The word Explorer has been repositioned from the 6 o'clock position on the black dial to the 12 o'clock position. The case size is the same as that of the first Explorer in 1953, which was launched in the same year that Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay successfully climbed Mount Everest for the first time. Rolex provided watches worn by climbers who participated in that historic expedition.
A version of this article appeared in the WatchTime 2022 Special Design Issue and is now on sale.
Tags: Chronograph, Hamilton, IWC, Longines, Omega, Pilot Watch, RADO, Rolex
Very good article, there are some excellent watch selections. I hope that more manufacturers can provide undated versions of their watches. I believe that my watch can tell the time, but I never believe in the date. I use a mobile phone with a perpetual calendar to make sure I have the correct date. I hope many other enthusiasts do the same. Therefore, unless the watch has an annual calendar or a perpetual calendar, I think the date window is a negative function and is useless except to disrupt the original balance of the dial. I really admire Longines Heritage Diver, but would not buy it because they discontinued the no-date version, and the date version has lost its symmetry and traditional beauty. I hope that watch manufacturers can save money by having only one movement version, so the date version is standardized, but according to the requirements of luxury watch manufacturers, there is almost no reason not to provide enthusiasts with dateless versions of their popular models.
The calendar is just a white elephant, not needed.
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© 2021 Ebner Publishing International, Inc.
© 2021 Ebner Publishing International, Inc.