“The Curious Names of Watch Models”
Countless references, sprawling model families, and long histories: with most heritage brands, remembering the exact names of every edition is a monumental task. Small wonder, then, that the past few decades have produced plenty of memorable nicknames for some of the most famous timepieces. From funny to serious, from colors and shapes to stories – get ready for a fascinating journey through the world of watch names.
The “Panda”: A Favorite Among Watch Names
Unlike Pepsi, Hulk, or Batman, however, the Panda is not a specialty of Rolex: across the entire watch industry, the name of the rare bear is used for black-and-white dials. The most famous is the “Original Panda Dial,” which – as on the Daytona Ref. 6265 – features three black subdials at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, a layout that immediately recalls the face of the bamboo eater. A little further removed from reality is the “Inverted Panda Dial,” where white subdials meet a black background – as on the Breitling Top Time Ref. 810. Other layouts that only partly resemble the bear’s face fall into the “semi-panda” category. They either feature a different arrangement or just two subdials, as the Hamilton American Classic reference H38416711 demonstrates.
When Shape Decides
It’s not only colors, though – distinctive shapes can also give rise to curious watch names. Hardly any model line illustrates this better than the Tissot Banana: its elongated, curved case was first launched more than 100 years ago and is making a comeback in the Swiss brand’s current Heritage series. Opt for a gold-tone version of the Tissot, and the leap to the fruit of the same name really isn’t far. Anything but elongated, by contrast, is the Breitling Navitimer Ref. 816, affectionately known among fans as the “Fried Egg.” To understand this name, you have to look more closely: the large diameter and the orange seconds hand offer the first clues to its origin, but the decisive factor is the domed crystal in profile. Even so, it still takes a good deal of imagination to picture an egg in a pan.
Far more obvious is the name of our next candidate, the Seiko reference 6138-0040: its massive dimensions of roughly 44 x 46 millimeters, its thickness of over 16 millimeters, and its domed crystal earned it the famous name “Bullhead.” The complete opposite of this design can be found in Glashütte, where the angular Nomos Tetra has been turning heads since 1992. Fittingly named after its square case, the slim dress watch wins customers over with timeless modernity and many exotic color variants. Just recently, the Nomos Tetra was expanded with four “Symphony” models in honor of Ludwig van Beethoven – if you’re looking for elegant variety on the wrist, this is the place to be. And these names are interesting too. They are called:
- Ode to Joy
- Immortal Beloved
- Divine Spark
- Fidelio
Bold Colors, Colorful Names: Rolex Leads the Pack
When it comes to the fame and sheer number of original nicknames, the five-pointed crown from Geneva takes first place with ease. What’s special about Rolex: it’s not the collections themselves but individual color variants – usually of the Submariner or GMT-Master – that are distinguished by these memorable pet names. Chief among them is the Submariner Ref. 116610LV, better known as the “Hulk”: named after the furious monster of the Marvel comics, it stands out from the crowd of dive watches thanks to its green bezel and dial. Sticking with superheroes, another Rolex celebrity catches the eye – the “Batman.” This is the GMT-Master II reference 116710BLNR, whose blue-and-black bezel and black dial evoke the nighttime look of Gotham City’s caped crusader.
These two examples are just a small excerpt from the lexicon of nicknames the Rolex fan community has established over the years. It starts with the world-famous “Pepsi” models with their blue-and-red bezel (for example the GMT-Master II Ref. 16710), continues with the blue “Smurf” (Submariner Date reference 116619LB), and ends with the “Fat Lady,” an oversized variant of the GMT-Master II from 1983 (reference 16760). Then there’s the Daytona Ref. 6265, whose black-and-white dial very aptly led to the nickname “Panda.”
Historically Inspired Watch Names
In other cases, historic achievements, traditions, and important events led to the creation of original watch names. No collection illustrates this more clearly than the Omega Speedmaster: while the Speedmaster Professional (current reference 311.30.42.30.01.005) became the “Moonwatch” through its use during the first Moon landing in 1969 and by accompanying all six of NASA’s Apollo missions, the Ref. CK2998 gained fame as the “First Omega In Space” (FOIS) on the wrist of US astronaut Walter Schirra. That’s why it is often simply called the Omega Speedmaster Walter Schirra. Another NASA astronaut, Ed White, inspired the name of Moonwatch reference 105.003: it graced his wrist during the first spacewalk in human history in 1965 and goes by the name of its famous wearer.
At Longines, too – more precisely in the Swiss brand’s Heritage Collection – we find numerous names referencing historic achievements. The Skin Diver dive watch (reference L2.822.4.56), for instance, is named after a particular style of diving in which you temporarily descend to greater depths without a wetsuit or breathing apparatus. When the original Skin Diver appeared in 1959, this type of diving was even more popular than it is today. Other models, such as the “Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch,” are named directly after their historic fathers: Charles Lindbergh designed the forerunner of today’s hour angle watch after returning from his famous transatlantic flight and criticizing the shortcomings of the timepieces available at the time. Equally prominent are the Longines “Weems” editions, named after the American commander Philip van Horn Weems. It was he who, in the 1920s, designed one of the first truly practical navigation watches in horology.
Conclusion: Why Watch Names Matter
Whether curious, funny, or serious: memorable watch names give the industry a lively face and are an indispensable part of many famous timepieces. The variety of nicknames and official names is enormous and extends far beyond our examples. For enthusiasts, it’s well worth taking a closer look at the world of original names – and becoming a true expert along the way.
