The "dial" is, so to speak, the face of a watch.
It is no exaggeration to say that the impression of the dial entirely determines the impression of the watch,
and the choice of dial can reveal the owner's preferences.
Personally, my favorite dial features all-numeric applied Arabic hour markers.
For vintage watches, it's the dial design that most catches my eye, regardless of the brand.
Since we often handle Omega and Seiko watches, this time it happens to be an Omega, but
when sourcing, I find myself drawn to watches with this dial.
Perhaps there's no real reason; it's simply a strong "liking,"
and if asked why I like it, I'd be a little hesitant to answer.
However, in vintage watches, full-numeric dials, whether Arabic or Roman, are not common,
the majority have baton indices.
The reason for this, as I've written in my pickups, is that
Arabic and Roman numerals may not be familiar in all regions,
and baton indices make it easier for anyone around the world to read the time.
Thus, it is said that baton indices became the mainstream for many watches.
While modern watches offer a wide variety of dial designs from diverse products,
vintage watches tend to be limited to a relatively narrow range of designs.
Originally, wristwatches were not for everyone, but for a select few.
In such a case, excluding custom-made items, people naturally wore what brands offered,
and in an era without today's diversity, it's expected that basic designs were preferred.
For Omega, nearly 80% of products have baton indices,
others include printed Roman indices, combinations of numerals and baton indices,
and a very small number of printed Arabic indices, but
applied Arabic indices are not common.
The reason is likely simply a matter of production cost,
creating three-dimensional indices is overwhelmingly suited to baton indices,
and crafting Arabic numerals from metal is time-consuming.
If index surface finishing is also performed, it would likely
incur excessive costs.
These reasons contribute to the scarcity of applied Arabic indices in circulation.
Since the original lineup itself was small, opportunities to encounter them are also rare,
and lining up these reasons might just reveal why I like them so much.
Besides Omega, Seiko's Super and Lord Marvel also feature similar dial designs,
and with slightly more niche brands, I sometimes see applied Arabic indices on Smiths watches, but
considering watch maintenance, Omega and Seiko products offer a bit more peace of mind.
Also, simply put, they are vintage watches that appeal to many people,
so if someone were to give me a gift,
I would be rather happy with a watch with applied Arabic numerals.
However, despite how much I've written about loving them, none of my own watches
have full-numeric applied Arabic numerals...