Bull’s Eye: Zeroing In On Watches With Sector Dials

Characterized by concentric circles that divide a watch dial into multi-toned sections, sector dials were a popular style in the early part of the 20th century. And since everything old is new again, sector dials are making a serious comeback in the luxury watch space as illustrated by these four beauties.

Photo Credit: Jaeger-LeCoultre

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Date

Making its debut in 2017, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Date was the star of SIHH that year. The Master Control Date is a seemingly simple watch with just three hands and a date window housed within the 39mm round steel case. However, the design of the sector dial is striking, combining an opaline finish center with a satin-brushed periphery, divided by black borders and accented with black markings. The vibrant blue details—from the syringe-style hands to the date to the 5-minute markings—add just enough color to make this particular sector dial pop.

Vacheron Constantin FiftySix

Earlier this year, Vacheron Constantin unveiled a brand new collection dubbed FiftySix inspired by the vintage Vacheron Constantin ref. 6073 from (naturally) 1956. The collection includes three models—self-winding, day-date, and complete calendar—all equipped with sector dials. Yet again we see contrasting finishes between the central sector and the outside sector, this time divided by an inner railroad chapter ring. Accentuated with a mix of Arabic numerals and baton indexes, the Vacheron Constantin FiftySix watches are made with 40 mm cases in steel or pink gold.

Laurent Ferrier Galet Square Boréal Micro-Rotor

The Laurent Ferrier Galet Square Boréal Micro-Rotor pairs the familiar slim 41 mm steel cushion-shape case of the collection with an ultra-luminous, yet spectacularly stark, sector dial. The incomplete circle marked with hour indices not only makes way for a snailed small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock, but it’s also filled with SuperLumiNova for strong legibility in the dark. If you look close enough at the richly dark dial, you’ll spot the minute track around the outer edge. The luminescence is available in green or beige, and the Galet Square Boréal Micro-Rotor is fitted with a coordinating leather strap to match the selected lume color.

Photo Credit: Patek Philippe

Patek Philippe Calatrava 5296G 

The modern-day Patek Philippe Calatrava 5296G-001 also draws heavily from the brand’s archives. In fact, the sector dial of the Calatrava Ref. 5296G-001 is remarkably similar to the vintage Ref. 96 SC from the mid-1930s. The white gold 38 mm slim case of the Calatrava Ref. 5296G-001 is home to a beautiful two-tone silvery-gray sector dial with blue transfer printing. Matching the blue markings are the trio of blue center hands, the blue border around the date window, and the handsome blue alligator strap.