While there is no set rule as to which wrist you should wear your watch on, more often than not, you’ll find people donning their wristwatch on their non-dominant hand—righties on their left, and vice versa. With lefties being a rarity—studies suggest that only approximately 10 per cent of the world population are left-handed—it comes as no surprise that most things in the market are designed with the right-handed in mind, watches included.
But what makes a right-handed watch different from a left-handed one? There is one defining distinction: designed to be worn on the right hand, the crown on leftie watches, or destro watches (destro means right in Italian), is placed on the left of the dial as opposed to the traditional 3 o’clock position—this allows the wearer to conveniently access the crown with their left hand when needed.
If you’re a leftie in the market for a destro watch, or perhaps you’re a right-hander who happens to like wearing your watch on the left (like yours truly), here are seven impressive wristwatches encompassing the sky, land, and sea made just for you:
Rolex GMT-Master II
It’s classic with a twist—this mighty timepiece is crafted with a dual-colour Cerachrom bezel insert in black and the distinctive Rolex green ceramic. The hour, minute, and second hands are built on a bidirectional bezel, giving convenience to frequent travellers who often need to reset their watches to match the local time. Ready for dark lighting conditions, the dial is equipped with a chroma light display and time markers that are filled with luminescent material for a lasting glow.
The watch is also built with Rolex’s in-house Oystersteel—a high-technology alloy that is often used in aerospace and chemical industries. This ensures the endurance of the watch against harsh external factors, hence maintaining its quality and beauty.
Omega Seamaster Ploprof 1200M
Built for divers, this timepiece boasts water resistance of up to 4000 feet underwater. The watch, sporting a bold and robust design, is now overhauled with Omega’s Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8912—created with state-of-the-art technology that’s famed for its precision, chronometric and anti-magnetic features. The case is crafted with an electric blue ceramic in homage to the sea, with the numerals, triangles and scale equipped with Super-LumiNova to ease visibility in dark lighting. Designed with the convenience of divers in mind, the case and clasp material of the dial is made with lightweight Grade 5 titanium.
IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Edition ‘Right-Hander’
The latest destro in the game is IWC’s ‘Right-Hander’ (Ref. IW501012), the manufacturer’s first Big Pilot with its crown on the left. Given that an estimation of almost 40 per cent of pilots are left-handed, one could say this is quite a fitting move for this particular line with aviation roots. The sizable 46.2mm stainless steel case houses the in-house automatic 52010 calibre with a seven-day power reserve, fronted by a handsome slate-coloured dial with black counters and luminescent indices and hands. This timepiece is a limited edition of just 250 pieces.
Panerai Luminor Left-Handed
Fun fact: the underwater commandos of the Royal Italian Navy were required to wear their watches on the right wrist because they had the compass or depth gauge on their left. To meet this need, Panerai’s signature crown-protecting device was fitted on the left side of the case for the first time in the 1940s. True to its heritage, the elegant Luminor Left-Handed wears its crown the same way, complemented by a classic clean dial that is synonymous with the brand. Under the hood is the P.3000 calibre with a three-day power reserve.
Sinn Diving Watch U1000 (EZM 6)
Sinn is one of the few watchmakers out there with the most destro models in its lineup. Made to survive extreme conditions, this superlative diving chronograph is crafted entirely out of high-strength seawater-resistant German Submarine Steel, and is pressure-resistant to a 1,000-metre diving depth. The flat, large-format push pieces ensure that the chronograph functions can be triggered effectively even with diving gloves on. It is also equipped with Sinn’s Ar-Dehumidifying Technology, which prevents fogging and enhances functional reliability.
Tudor Pelagos LHD
One can hardly go wrong (or out of style) with a Tudor Pelagos, and the manufacturer has kindly produced one just for lefties. A favourite for its classic appearance and robust build, this model flaunts a sleek black dial with a unidirectional bezel, ceramic matte disc, luminescent numerals and markers—including the famous snowflake design—on a 42mm titanium and steel case. Driven by Tudor’s Manufacture Calibre MT5612-LHD with a 70-hour power reserve, the watch is waterproof down to 500m.
TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 11
Yes, one of the most iconic chronographs out there features its crown on the left. The Monaco Calibre 11 is modelled after the original made famous by Steve McQueen (he wore it in the 1971 film Le Mans), which was first introduced in 1969 to celebrate the Monaco Grand Prix. At the time of release, it held two world firsts, being the first water-resistant timepiece with a square case and the first automatic chronograph. This 2015 reissue—now a mainstay in the brand’s modern collection—comes in a few colour variations; we naturally gravitated to the most-true-to-original edition in mat blue (Ref. CAW211P), complete with sporty red accents.
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