Hands

The hands are the pointers that indicate the time and any complications on the dial.

Hands are commonly replaced during servicing, and on collectible watches original hands matter. Replacement hands often have lume that has aged differently from the dial markers, which is a useful tell.

Compare the hands' shape, finish, and lume with the dial and with verified examples of the reference.

Hands can also be bent or misaligned by careless handling, so check that they clear each other and the dial as they move through a full day. Loose hands can stop a watch or damage the dial, which turns a cosmetic issue into a repair.