Pet peeves, when they go too far with Skeleton dials.

I've been looking over many modern watches lately, both low end and high dollar brands. I've found that many modern watches are practically unusable as watches.

Dial that are too busy distracting the eye when trying t actually read the time are bad enough but the proliferation of skeleton dials is getting into the higher quality range watches. In low end products they can be considered novelty items, you probably would not get much in the way of accuracy with them anyway.

Thing is some new high tech watches seem to be geared only towards displaying the new technology and ignore completely the primary purpose of a watch. With some you can barely make out the outline of the hands against the jumble of parts and only because they are moving. Some have no visible numerals or markers at all while others can have markers that are obscured or confusing in shape.
The art studio crafted watches are about the worst in this regard but they are not alone.

I never cared for those blank dialed minimalist designs either for that matter.

Just an old timer venting. But I'd appreciate your thoughts on the matter as well.

I don't see any of those skeleton watches on this board as of yet.

Skeletonized watches have been around over 100 years and they weren't really much more readable back then.

Nice images, and they illustrate exactly the problem. They aren't even watches at that point, just jewelry and display pieces.

If they have a message it is "I don't really care what time it is".

If a person is buying a $50,000-$80,000 watch, they are in a frame of mind beyond caring about what time it is. They have a cell phone for that.

A weaker argument could be made for any of the watches we showcase on this site. And most especially mechanical.

That's pretty much the gripe. If you don't care about the time to any degree or accuracy why wear a watch other than as adornment.
Might as well have a solid case with dial and hands painted on.

As for mechanical watches any halfway decent watch is accurate enough for daily use. A Quartz watch is usually more accurate though I've had a couple that were inexplicably inaccurate or jumped to another day and time for no known reason. They aren't infallible and batteries still run down without warning or leak destroying the innards.
A windup watch may sit in a drawer for years and be ready to go as soon as its wound up and set. You don't have to drive to the store for a battery or look through three or four stores before finding the right battery like I had to do for a friend's older Seiko Quartz. (over 6 bucks for the single one of its type left in the store when the more common 377 costs only four for a dollar)

The quartz watches with blank dials are especially silly. no matter how accurate the movement is you aren't going to tell time with it very easily.

Besides the Skeletonized watches there are a few that have a tiny dial off center in a large case. The dial so small as to make reading it a chore in all but the best light.

Dials with only hour markers are not entirely useless but without minute markers you are still left guessing and timing anything to the second is not feasible. You can't even set these with true accuracy unless you wait till the minutes coincide with the markers in 5 minute increments, such as 1:10 or 1:15.

Not everyone needs a USAF Navigator watch or one accurate enough to calculate speed, but its certainly no onus to have the capability at hand.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that anyone wearing such a watch really doesn't care about timing anything to the second. 😀

Seriously though, I'm personally with you in the "watches are primarily for telling the time" camp, and I like to be able to read my watch at a glance. Hell, coming from a Seamaster to a Speedmaster, I found even the Speedy was optically confusing at first, though I've gotten used to it now.

But I wouldn't say I have a problem with watches that are designed more as jewelry or as a technological showcase; they're just not for me - and conversely, I suspect someone who is likely to wear one would not be seen dead sporting a dive watch.

Horses for courses; each to his own; live and let live. 😀

Ya. Like when Omega does this and sends them to Ukraine...

My Eyes! My Eyes!
Some things you just can't unsee.

Surely Omega had no hand in this.
Likely one of the art studio efforts.
They usually use old pocket watch movements with a purpose made case.
That's probably the worst I've seen yet.

I know I said I have no problem with them, but there's always an exception to every rule!