Breguet hands are watch hands with long, thin shafts and a hollow ring near the end, with a point beyond the ring. Abraham-Louis Breguet devised them in about 1783. They appear on most Breguet watches. Many other makers have copied them, and the name became a standard watchmaking term.
Where it comes from
Abraham-Louis Breguet introduced this new style of hand in about 1783. He made the first ones in gold or blued steel. People compared the shape to a hollow apple or a crescent moon. That is why the style is also called moon, crescent moon, hollow apple or pomme hands. Pomme is French for apple. Near the end of the 1800s the style fell out of fashion, even at Breguet. It came strongly back into use around 1930. The name honours its inventor. Like the Breguet overcoil, “Breguet hands” became a standard term in watchmaking.
What do Breguet hands look like?
Each hand has a thin, long shaft. Near its end sits an open ring, and a point extends beyond the ring. The hands are usually made from blued steel or gold, the same materials Breguet used for the originals. They look delicate on the dial. Even so, the design is meant to be read quickly and easily, so the slim shape does not come at the cost of telling the time.
Which watches have Breguet hands?
Breguet fits them to most of its watches. They appear on several of its models, including the Classique line. The style has spread well beyond the house that created it. Among the other brands to adopt the style are Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and A. Lange & Söhne. Frederique Constant uses them too. Many other makers have copied the design.
Not to be confused with
Lollipop hands look similar to Breguet hands. A lollipop hand is also a long stick with a circle at the tip. A Breguet hand, too, has a thin, long shaft that ends in a circle. Both styles therefore share the same basic outline: a slender line leading out to a round shape. That shared outline explains the resemblance between them.
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