Roman numerals are just wrong on a wrist watch

Professor · Mar 18, 2021

OllieOnTheRocks
Here's one of mine:

And here's quite possibly the most beautiful Omega I have seen @mac_omega I hope it's okay I used your pic below, but how can you get more beautiful than this? oh and if I didn't already dibs 😁

The lower Omega demonstrates the best way to go if you want Roman numerals on a wristwatch. The minute hand tip should extend past the numeral, if you have center second sweep hand it should also extend past the numerals. Otherwise you can end up trying to separate the tip from the clutter of IIIII's in the way.
Good contrast between hand and numeral colors helps a lot.

PS much as I like a uncluttered dial indices only can be confusing at times. I've found myself setting a watch five minutes ahead or behind because I had held the watch at an angle without noticing it.
The dial I like best is this one. The watch I gravitate towards most these days despite the rather small diameter of its dial its the easiest to read in a hurry.
The deadly accurate 25 jewel movement is also a big plus.

Foo2rama · Mar 18, 2021

If this is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

That being said I normally shy away from Roman numbers... except for California dials which I would guess would blow the OP’s head off.

lindo · Mar 18, 2021

Engee
It's clearly me (and @blufinz52 ). There are several very nice watches here - and thank you for sharing the pictures - but to me they all look like they would be more attractive without roman numerals.

There's something to be said for simplicity...

krogerfoot · Mar 19, 2021

I wonder if @Engee and others reacted the same way I did to the photos posted in rebuttal to his post: Roman numerals look worse on watches than I had previously thought, with the exception of a few classic designs.

This thread is like if someone posted "No offense fellas but I just don't care for US Southern cooking, too much fried stuff, too much starch, just not my thing," with five pages of photos of fried chicken, chicken-fried steak, and fried catfish, all lying atop a mound of mashed potatoes and gravy posted in response. Come on, man, surely this platter of fried bass with mashed potatoes and fried Twinkies will change your mind!

bags1971 · Mar 19, 2021

I quite like them but the wife dosen't

Professor · Mar 19, 2021

bags1971
I quite like them but the wife dosen't

I hate to say it but that particular dial exhibits all the worst features of a dial using Roman numerals. Mainly its the size of the numerals. They cover too much of the space between and reduce the clarity of the indices. the VII and VIII especialy give the dial an unbalanced look.
No doubt once you get used to it you wouldn't notice the difference.

Professor · Mar 19, 2021

lindo
There's something to be said for simplicity...

That sort of dial sends the message, "I couldn't care less what time it is".

pdxleaf · Mar 19, 2021

This is a funny thread. Starts off with I don't like Roman numerals. Then 5 pages of pictures of Roman numerals from people who are trying to show why Roman numerals look good. But all I see are 5 pages proving the OP's contention that Roman numerals are silly and don't look good.

"I don't like Roman numerals."

"What?!! Here's a Roman numerals. Doesn't it look good?"

"No, I don't like Roman numerals. You're proving my point."

"But don't you see. It has Roman numerals. Isn't that great?"

"No, I don't like Roman numerals."

Foo2rama · Mar 19, 2021

krogerfoot
I wonder if @Engee and others reacted the same way I did to the photos posted in rebuttal to his post: Roman numerals look worse on watches than I had previously thought, with the exception of a few classic designs.

This thread is like if someone posted "No offense fellas but I just don't care for US Southern cooking, too much fried stuff, too much starch, just not my thing," with five pages of photos of fried chicken, chicken-fried steak, and fried catfish, all lying atop a mound of mashed potatoes and gravy posted in response. Come on, man, surely this platter of fried bass with mashed potatoes and fried Twinkies will change your mind!

Id argue flavor might be subjective. Good design language is somewhat universal.

NGO1 · Mar 19, 2021

Micro dial AND Roman numeral?
Let’s push if off center too.

oh no yo didn’’n
Snap, snap.

.

.

Engee · Mar 19, 2021

Evitzee
Even though the question was about Romans on wristwatches, here are two of the most famous watches in the world, both sporting Roman numerals and I don't think they could have been improved with Arabics, stick, Breguet or other style numerals.

That’s not a watch, that’s an alethiometer.

Engee · Mar 19, 2021

Foo2rama
If this is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

That being said I normally shy away from Roman numbers... except for California dials which I would guess would blow the OP’s head off.

No, I’m sorry, as others have said more generally about Roman numerals, it’s a nice watch, but the numerals detract from it. As for California dials, they’re a novelty thing and not to be treated as anything but, in my book. I’d have one in a collection just as a talking point.

Engee · Mar 19, 2021

Thanks everyone for participating in this thread. I’ve not been persuaded to change my mind although I’ve enjoyed the pictures and debate. There have been some extraordinary watches shown, but all, to my eye, would look better without Roman numerals. One thing that was interesting to note is that the vintage Omegas are typically the most attractive, confirming why I, and, I guess, almost all of us, are here: even when they used numerals their designers were streets ahead of the competition.

Mark Twain allegedly described golf as “a good walk, ruined”. I think he might just as easily have said the same about wristwatches with Roman numerals.

bradurani · Mar 19, 2021

For anything made in the last 40 years, I agree with you. I can't name one that wouldn't look better with Arabics

p4ul · Mar 19, 2021

bradurani
For anything made in the last 40 years, I agree with you. I can't name one that wouldn't look better with Arabics

.....and better again with indices.

OllieOnTheRocks · Mar 19, 2021

Engee
Thanks everyone for participating in this thread. I’ve not been persuaded to change my mind although I’ve enjoyed the pictures and debate. There have been some extraordinary watches shown, but all, to my eye, would look better without Roman numerals. One thing that was interesting to note is that the vintage Omegas are typically the most attractive, confirming why I, and, I guess, almost all of us, are here: even when they used numerals their designers were streets ahead of the competition.

Mark Twain allegedly described golf as “a good walk, ruined”. I think he might just as easily have said the same about wristwatches with Roman numerals.

It’s interesting - I have posted those two omegas because I think they look nice. However I would agree that outside of 1930/40s watches and particularly those by Omega although not exclusively I would agree with your sentiment I find them kitsch and not of good taste.

Almost all of the other pics only enforced your point in my view but I wouldn’t say it ruins a watch. Those I didn’t like, I probably wouldn’t have liked even if they had Arabic numerals - but I am very particular in my taste.

Here’s an example, I bought one only yesterday that needs a little work (new crown, second hand, hour hand reluming etc) but even this one I would agree would probably look better with Arabic numerals. But becuase I enjoyed the patina and the overall look of the watch I decided to buy it. Roman numerals didn’t put me off but I am a serial flipper so someone who simply buys one perfect watch a year for example might be stricter with themselves.

This by the way is from a product designers opinion.

krogerfoot · Mar 19, 2021

Foo2rama
Id argue flavor might be subjective. Good design language is somewhat universal.

See, that’s just what this thread is making me start to doubt.

bthUK · Mar 19, 2021

I know what you mean, but surely no-one could resist the elegant charms of Versace.

TimeODanaos · Mar 19, 2021

OllieOnTheRocks
It’s interesting - I have posted those two omegas because I think they look nice. However I would agree that outside of 1930/40s watches and particularly those by Omega although not exclusively I would agree with your sentiment I find them kitsch and not of good taste.
...
This by the way is from a product designers opinion.

I'd be interested whether there's a difference between those of us who have grown up in "the West" - all of whom have been influenced by the legacy of Rome, even if we dont know it - and others. My speculation is, people like me can't shake off the connotations, whether it's "classy", or "old fashioned", or "kitsch", even if we want to, and that is why we like or dont like them. But if you're, say, Japanese, maybe Ròman numerals really are no more than just abstract symbols for numbers, and you can judge them better as such. So, if you're e.g. an Asian watch fan, does the OP issue interest/bother you?

Archer · Mar 19, 2021

ngo516
Micro dial AND Roman numeral?
Let’s push if off center too.

oh no yo didn’’n
Snap, snap.

.

.

On this one, the Romans are small enough not to be ugly...

Roman numerals are just wrong on a wrist watch

Professor

Foo2rama

lindo

krogerfoot

bags1971

Professor

Professor

pdxleaf

Foo2rama

NGO1

Engee

Engee

Engee

bradurani

p4ul

OllieOnTheRocks

krogerfoot

bthUK

TimeODanaos

Archer

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