Pencil hands are watch hands that are long and thin throughout, with a roughly rectangular outline ending in a small triangular point. Time and Tide calls them minimal, effective and easy to read.
What do pencil hands look like?
Pencil hands are named for their look. Like a wooden pencil, each hand is long, slim and straight, with a small point at the end. The outline stays thin along its whole length, then closes into a triangle at the tip. The width of the hand varies from watch to watch, and it shapes how the hand is made. Depending on how wide they are, pencil hands can be solid, or filled with luminous material.
Not to be confused with
Pencil hands are close relatives of baton hands, and the two are easily mixed up. Baton hands are also long and straight, but they have a broader, even shape. Their tips vary, and may be rounded rather than pointed. Pencil hands always end in a small point, and that tip is what sets them apart. In everyday use the line blurs. Some people call baton hands pencil hands when the batons end in sharp points.
Which watches have pencil hands?
Nomos uses pencil hands on Bauhaus-inspired watches, such as the Club Campus. Longines watches have them too. The style goes by other names as well. Index hands and fencepost hands mean the same thing, and pointer hands is a less common term. Whatever the name, the design is plain: a thin, straight line with a clear point.
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