The 10 Best Left-Handed Watches For Southpaws
Here’s an interesting tidbit. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, guys who are left-handed earn 15% more money than the rest of us. Moreover, you lefties are in good company: Buzz Aldrin, Keanu Reeves, the Prince of Wales, Ned Flanders—to name a few.
Also called destro watches, timepieces with the crown on the left-hand side of the case allows southpaws to operate their timepieces without having to take it off. Since about 10% of you out there are port-sided, here are 10 of the best left-handed watches on the market now. Different price points and styles are represented, all worthy of Flanders’ Leftorium.
Tudor Pelagos LHD Watch
This Pelagos LHD from Tudor has more design deviations than just the left-handed crown, all of which make it distinct while maintaining the classic diver look. Naturally, the snowflake hands, polygonic indices, and index-sized date are three Tudor signatures that make it a touch more modern and understated than, say, a Sub.
This cool factor is further leaned into with the gunmetal-esque titanium build, dimensional index track, and an overall matte look that hints at its still serious specs. We’re talking 500 meters of water resistance, easy and light wear, and that COSC-certified movement we expect from a Hans Wilsdorf brand.
- Retail Price: $4,925
- Diameter: 42mm
- Movement: COSC Automatic MT5612-LHD
Rolex GMT-Master II Ref 126720VTNR “Sprite”
Considering the rise of left-handed watches after its 2022 release, the destro GMT-Master II has a tastemaker, “I got here first” quality about it. Rolex does something super on-brand with this Sprite 126720VTNR Reference.
First, fans of the crown might know how much Rolex loves using green for special editions, anniversary models, and the like. Second, though it seems no comprehensive collection lacks green watches these days, the impeccable emerald hues here are reserved for the AM portion of the bezel and the GMT hand, essentially as refined accents. It’s unintimidating to green-hesitant folks who still want to own a full watch assembly, and is undeniably tailor-made to become a canonical collector’s item.
- Retail Price: $11,250
- Diameter: 40mm
- Movement: COSC Automatic 3285
Tag Heuer Monaco
Not only is the Tag Heuer Monaco a historical model, the modern reissue of the watch Steve McQueen wore in the 1969 film Le Mans, but it’s an original left-handed watch. Yes, this square chronograph was always equipped with a southern crown, one of several purposely unconventional qualities it’s now famous for. To get stylish gearheads on board with this model, it’s no surprise that Tag Heuer chose the King of Cool to christen it.
As striking as it’s functionally sound, this modern Monaco runs on Calibre 11, a high-frequency chronograph with 59 rubies and impressive rapid date correction capabilities. And proving that this heritage automotive timepiece checks all of the boxes of a real crowd pleaser, this beautiful movement is given an exhibition caseback.
- Retail Price: $7,300
- Diameter: 39mm
- Movement: Automatic Calibre 11
Panerai Luminor Left-Handed Watch
The genius of the left-handed Panerai Luminor is that both lefties and righties can benefit from the switched-up crown. Italy’s neighborhood bigger-is-better watch features several iconic elements. Admirers come for that bloated cushion case and that excellently-lumed sandwich dial, but stay for that industrially massive crown system.
So even if you’re right handed, it won’t dig into your hand the way it might if the crown were on the left. Visually, though large, the rest of the watch is relatively smooth looking, so that stout crown and chunky protector cinches its professional apparatus aesthetic.
Plus, this watch is sprinkled with some fun qualities to go with its pro-level status. The texturing on the dial ups the legibility and classiness, while the hand-winding movement provides you tinkerers with the tactility you love so much.
- Retail Price: $10,000
- Diameter: 47mm
- Movement: Hand-wound Mechanical P.3000
Sinn UX S GSG 9 Mission Timer
Sinn’s unfailing German engineering is handsomely exemplified in the UX GSC 9 Mission Timer’s precision and power. It has that line-forward dial that looks like a radar screen and screams special ops, complete with easy-to-read pops of red.
Most importantly, specs like case’s 12,000 meters of water resistance, a high-precision quartz movement, and a seawater-resistant submarine steel construction take the wow factor far past the finish line. It’s an overall authoritative all-black, perfect for the pragmatists out there.
- Retail Price: $2,650
- Diameter: 44mm
- Movement: Quartz ETA 955.652
Omega Seamaster Ploprof
Made for the card-carrying adventurer, the Seamaster Ploprof is the direct descendant of a late ‘60s design born from Omega’s huge research project with the French diving company, COMEX.
This tank of a diver boasts a hood-lugged, sharp-edged, industrial case, 4,000 meters of water resistance, and a mesh bracelet that’s literally shark-proof, as well as adds a sense of decor to the otherwise brute strength design—the ocean-inspired color palette of the watch face helps with this too. Since it’s made out of Grade 5 titanium though, this Master Chronometer is lighter than it looks, which can possibly make its wearer look stronger than he is.
- Retail Price: $12,600
- Diameter: 55mm x 48mm
- Movement: Automatic Master Chronometer 8912
Sinn EZM 3 Dive Watch
Sinn gives the classic dive watch template the German treatment with this EZM 3. The lugs are sleekly sharper. The second markers are only slightly shorter than the hours serving up a frenetic look while also making timekeeping easy to the very second. And, that H-link bracelet wears like a comfortable cuff.
It’s as if the Submariner and the Speedmaster had a child and raised it in Frankfurt. Still, it wouldn’t be Sinn without topnotch functionalities. To name some of many, this watch runs on a high-frequency Swiss automatic, is professionally antimagnetic, and is even equipped with dehumidifying technology.
- Retail Price: $2,290
- Diameter: 41mm
- Movement: Automatic SW200-1
Seiko 5 Left-Hand Watch
Seiko has an expert grasp at what makes watches fun, and they throw a whole bunch of that into the design of this left-hand Land Shark from their Seiko 5 sport watch collection. It’s an engaging feast of details, on so many levels, and at every angle. Looking at it from the three-fourths position on the left side, you see a knurled crown, matched by the knurled edges of the bezel, wrench-like crown guards, and a marked chapter ring that funnels into the dial.
It’s a veritable gadget of a watch, featuring textures, matte surfaces, shiny surfaces, flat and curved surfaces, all coming together legibly thanks to those sizable yellow arrow hands. And since this is Seiko 5, this watch is waterproof at 200 meters and runs on the brand’s heritage workhorse, the 21-jewel 7S36.
- Retail Price: $249.99
- Diameter: 40mm
- Movement: Automatic 7S36
Citizen Eco-Drive BJ8050-08E Promaster Dive Watch
Citizen tends to care more about making get-r-done watches that are pragmatic and make your life easy. In that sense, this Promaster Dive Watch is definitely no different. It’s powered by the brand’s Eco-Drive movement, which is reliably accurate and powered by light so that you don’t need to replace its batteries.
What makes this BJ8050-08E variant special is how its purposefully brawny design gives it a distinguished and exciting look, on top of the horological chops it’s built on. The layers on the dial and the downright monumental quality of the bezel is sculptural, yet techy. It looks like something out of 2001: A Space Odyssey, especially when the bewitching glow of the lume is activated.
- Retail Price: $460
- Diameter: 48mm
- Movement: Quartz Eco-Drive B873
Nixon 51-30 Chrono
The left-handed set needs statement pieces too. Nixon, with their signature borderline irreverent aesthetic sensibilities that still honor the needs of those with active lifestyles, created the 51-30 Chrono to stand out and stand out loudly. They do this in a more sophisticated way than the standard flashy watch though.
The design of the black colorway, for example, with its gigantic even-numbered indices and 51-millimeter case, is tempered by an all-black, fully matte body. It’s the kind of loudness I’d liken to one athletic lion’s roar versus several hyena’s chattering at the same volume. Basically, this sporty chronograph has an undeniably strong look.
Also, with the racetrack subdials and usage of different levels of black, this multi-textured timepiece gets extra points for being a relatively legible monochromatic watch. And of course, the chrono pushers sit on the left side, along with the crown.
- Retail Price: $500
- Diameter: 51mm
- Movement: Quartz Miyota
In conclusion, left-handed watches offer a practical solution for left-handed individuals who find it difficult to wear traditional watches. These watches are designed to accommodate left-handed wearers by placing the crown and other functional components on the opposite side of the watch face.
Left-handed watches come in various styles and designs, from simple and elegant to complex and sporty. They can be found in both analog and digital formats, and some even feature advanced functions such as chronographs and alarms.
While left-handed watches are primarily designed for left-handed individuals, they can also be worn by right-handed individuals who prefer to wear their watch on their right wrist or who simply appreciate the unique design of left-handed watches.
Furthermore, left-handed watches can be a great conversation starter and a way to express one’s individuality and style. They offer a way to stand out from the crowd and showcase one’s personality and taste.
Overall, left-handed watches are a practical and stylish option for left-handed individuals and anyone who appreciates unique and innovative watch designs. Whether you are looking for a simple and elegant watch for everyday wear or a complex and sporty watch for outdoor activities, there is a left-handed watch out there for you. So why not consider adding one to your watch collection today?
Disclosure: Clicking on these links and making a purchase may earn us a small referral fee, at no extra cost to you. Learn more here.