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Depending on just how left-handed you are, even a task as changing the time on a watch can be difficult. It is estimated that between 10 and 12 percent of American adults are left-handed, yet there are not 10-12% left-handed watches on the market.
Being left-handed can sometimes be awkward in life. You will have to make do with things like left-handed scissors, smudging your handwriting, and even opening cans with right-handed implements. Whilst this is certainly not the worst thing in the world, there are ways to make life easier.
In fact, watch brands such as Nixon & Graham regularly make watches that are designed for left-handers. Due to the unique design of such watches, you will often see right-handers wear them for practical reasons.
Overall, wearing a left-handed watch is not 100% necessary for a left-handed person. It is only really recommended for those who want to wear a watch on their right wrist. This makes life much easier since you won’t need to take your watch off to fiddle with the crown.
Table of Contents
What Is A Left Handed Watch?
A left-handed watch is simply a watch that is designed to be worn on your right wrist. By manufacturing the watch so that the crown is on the left-hand side of the dial (rather than the right), this allows left-handers easy access to change the time.
This stops the awkwardness of reaching over to the far side of your wrist to fiddle with the crown. Or having to wear the watch on your left wrist whilst having an uncoordinated right hand.
Within the watch community, left-handed watches are often referred to as “Destro” watches. This simply means a watch worn on your right wrist. The literal translation of destro in Italian is “right”.
What Hand Should A Lefty Wear A Watch?
In an ideal world, you would wear a left-handed watch on your right wrist. This gives you the easiest and most functional way to change the time on your watch.
With that being said, if you are good enough with your right hand, you should be able to wear a regular watch that has a normal crown placement. Often left-hand watches are more based on design than actual functionality.
Why Are So Many Nixon Watches Left Handed?
Part of this is due to practicality and part of this is due to fashion. As mentioned earlier, approximately 10-12% of the world’s population are left-handed. Despite this fact, it is very rare to see a left-handed watch, almost everyone wears a normal right-sided crown watch.
By making left-handed wristwatches, Nixon are able to reach customers who prefer a left-sided crown, but simply cannot find a design they like with this layout.
Secondly, Nixon watches are usually designed in quite an unusual way. Right-handed people often wear Nixon watches purely because they are different. You do not have to be left-handed to buy a watch with a left-sided crown.
The Best Watches For Left Handers
Mens
Nixon
A real statement piece, the Nixon Chrono is a huge oversized gold watch with great functionality for those who are left-handers. In case you were wondering just how big this watch is, the case size is 51mm, which is really gigantic, somewhat 11mm larger than a Rolex Submariner.
Overall, this particular Nixon watch is a little on the expensive side given the specifications, but in fairness, there is not another piece like it. If you are left-handed with big wrists and forearms, this watch would be 100% ideal for you.
Invicta Force
Invicta does not have a huge variety of watches for left-handers, however, the force series does offer the best value-for-money lefty watches you can find.
As Invicta is known for its oversize and flamboyant watches, the force models are toned down a little from their usual garishness. The case size comes in at 46mm, which is still big, but Invicta often makes watches well in excess of 50mm, so this is a considerable downsize for them.
There are various color schemes and dial designs available within the Invicta Force series.
Citizen Aqualand
Although mostly worn as a fashion piece, the Citizen Aqualand is a legitimate divers watch. It offers up to 200 meters water resistance, has a very visible power reserve as well as a rapid descent alarm. Of course, if you buy this watch due to your left-handed requirements, it’s unlikely that you are also a scuba diver.
Overall, the aqualand is one of the best value-for-money left-handed dive watches on the market. It is also unfortunately one of the ONLY left-handed dive watches since no other brand really makes this model. It should also be noted that there are different bezels available if you’re not a fan of the Pepsi coloring.
Undone Popeye
Undone is a relatively unknown brand outside of watch enthusiast circles. This is partly because the brand was only made in 2014 and doesn’t make garish fashion watches. Instead, the brand mostly puts a modern spin on older watches and as you can see – has some very unique dial designs.
In terms of value for money, Undone watches are relatively expensive. This model in particular has a solid Seiko automatic movement, so is certainly not bad quality, but costs quite a lot more than it should. It should also be noted that you can customize undone watches directly through their own website.
Victorinox Airboss
The Airboss is truly a luxury mechanical watch from a brand that usually provides good value for money Swiss-made quartz timepieces. Although far more expensive than any other Victorinox watch, the airboss is built to much higher specifications and uses a solid ETA automatic movement which is both accurate and reliable. This can be viewed from reverse through the exhibition caseback.
In terms of luxury watches for left-handers, this is one of the cheapest options there are. Other choices include the Tudor Pelagos and the Graham Chronofighter – although both of these models retail for around 2.5x the price of the Airboss.
Seiko 5 “Atlas”
The Seiko 5 Atlas (also known as the Landshark) is a unique watch within the Seiko 5 series. There are not many Seiko 5 watches that have a left-handed function (despite the crown being at 5 o clock). As this is an automatic watch, once set you won’t have to worry about it anyway.
Other functions include the day and date in the 3 o clock position as well as a compass around the outer dial. This can easily be changed with your left hand by using the crown in the 9 o clock position. It should go without saying that all Seiko 5 watches are of tremendous value for money.
Welder
Welder is a brand that has been designed by legendary Italian was creator Italo Fontana. If you recognize this name, it is because this is the man that also designed the both loved and hated U-Boat brand.
Welder watches are not horological masterpieces but are solidly built and relatively inexpensive. In reality, with Welder you are paying for the design. The unique point about Welder is not just the left-sided crown, but the dial. The face of each watch has been finished with photochromic paint so it will appear to be different colors under varying degrees of light.
Casio G-Shock
Although the G-Shock was not designed to be a left-handed watch, it is pretty much symmetrical. This means that the watch can be worn on either wrist with no real inconvenience. Granted the chronograph may not be on the side you want, but another function will be.
As a brand, the Casio G-shock doesn’t really need a sales pitch. Everyone is already aware of just how reliable and durable this series of watches are. They are great value for money and last for many years after purchase.
Women
Baby-G
A more feminine version of the masculine G-Shock is the Baby-G. Although equally as tough in its own right, the Baby-G series is generally much more feminine in its coloring and has a significantly smaller case size.
Of course, once again, this watch is not a left-handed watch, but can comfortably be worn on either wrist. There is no benefit or downside to being either left or right-handed with a Baby-G. What’s more is that the watch is super reliable, won’t break, and will never let you down.
Nixon
Nixon has a good range of fashion watches for left-handed women. These are fairly comparable to other brands such as Michael Kors or Tommy Hilfiger. Whilst they are all assembled in China with Japanese movements, they are solid and not poorly made.
The Nixon Chrono is 38mm which is a lot smaller than the men’s 51mm version. Considering that a lot of women’s fashion brands have begun making 40mm dials in the last few years, a 38mm chronograph wears quite nicely and is neither too large nor small.
Apple Watch
Apple are a company that thinks of everything before they design a product. You could forgive them for not bothering to make a reversible watch for both left and right-handers since they could sell so many watches without this feature. Even still, they bothered to this adjustment for consumer convenience.
Available in a variety of colors, the Apple smartwatch is as useful as you want to make it. There are a variety of free and purchasable apps within the Apple store to customize and adapt your watch with your own lifestyle. Granted it is more expensive than other smartwatches, but many of these were designed without left-handers in mind and have inferior operating software.
