Alpha Hands?

Posts
13,165
Likes
52,300
This is what Sala calls em. Do we agree? Just came up again.
 
Posts
7,786
Likes
27,076
Well, no, given that he also calls lugs "handles". 😁
 
Posts
3,338
Likes
7,864
Good question Larry, my thoughts...

I used to use the term Alpha for those hands, probably because I read it in Sala. Over time and research I believe that is not the preferred nomenclature 😜 (which I think is lozenge)

I don't think we can say that any of these terms are "wrong". I think there are some terms used for hand type within certain brands, and within certain countries, and certain languages. So I think these are more conventions than facts. It could be that in Italy, that hand shape is typically called Alpha by UG collectors.

However in researching hand shape names in general, I don't think most ppl would agree. Having googled many different articles on hand shape names, I believe this is what most people would call Alpha (if I may borrow two of your photos 😉)

I'm curious to hear what other ppl think....
 
Posts
4,440
Likes
11,298
Maybe "Lozenge"? Have seen a few charts reference them like this...

 
Posts
7,786
Likes
27,076
There's no way that I could recall where I saved them from, but this is fairly extensive, and seems accurate as far as I can see. In which case, these would not be Alpha, but perhaps, by inference, Losange squelettes, i.e. Diamond skeleton.



And from OMEGA, somewhere (also confirming not Alpha):


Edited:
 
Posts
5,431
Likes
18,935
This is what Sala calls em. Do we agree? Just came up again.

I will continue to call them sword hands until someone here tells me that I am wrong.
 
Posts
3,338
Likes
7,864
I will continue to call them sword hands until someone here tells me that I am wrong.

these are sword hands IMO. It's less obvious on the hour hand, more so on the minute hand, but the max width of the hand is much further out towards the tip, rather than midway like for lozenge. Some other sword hands are just a full taper, center to point, without an obvious angled flare. But whatever, this stuff is obviously up for interpretation
 
Posts
511
Likes
336
these are sword hands IMO. It's less obvious on the hour hand, more so on the minute hand, but the max width of the hand is much further out towards the tip, rather than midway like for lozenge. Some other sword hands are just a full taper, center to point, without an obvious angled flare. But whatever, this stuff is obviously up for interpretation

I had a titanium Seamaster like that. Definitely called those sword hands.
 
Posts
7,718
Likes
62,301
I believe that this Seamaster has Alpha Lance hands

 
Posts
13,165
Likes
52,300
Great comments and more hand charts! Losange squelettes Or Losange, seems to be the term ….
 
Posts
14,630
Likes
42,488
Donald DeCarle calls this style “lozenge, skeleton”.
 
Posts
312
Likes
576
What I think of when I hear Lozenges...



Always preferred calling them swords instead (despite the great explanation given above why not to).
 
Posts
14,630
Likes
42,488
Of the 60 watch hand styles shown in De Carle’s book Watchmaker’s and Clockmaker’s Encyclopædic Dictionary, he doesn’t list a style he calls sword. “Arrow”, yes, but not sword. The style was also called lozenge by another respondent in this thread. Lozenge works for me!