Modern watches are many things. Sleek, minimal, and meticulously engineered. But now and then, it’s the dials of the past that catch your eye and don’t let go.

Maybe because the textures were bolder, the layouts were a little braver, and the details often delightfully overthought. This is a look back at the dial styles that don’t just tell time. They tell stories.

9. Crosshair Dial

Up first is a simple enough concept. The crosshair dial, where two fine lines intersect at the centre of the dial to create a quiet cross that draws the eye into the watch. It doesn’t make the watch tell time any better, it just makes it look beautifully orderly. 

This design was a minor trend - you’ll find it on a few mid-century pieces like the Omega Seamaster, but it’s largely vanished from modern watchmaking. Which is exactly why it’s cherished by vintage purists. A crosshair dial gives a watch a bit of extra character that says, “I’m definitely from a different era”. It’s the kind of detail that makes the dial feel considered, as if the designers were having a bit of fun by adding a bullseye on the dial just for style’s sake.

8. Sub-Seconds Dial

Before the sweep seconds hand took over, many watches featured a sub-seconds dial - a little subdial usually at 6 o’clock (sometimes 9) dedicated to tracking the seconds. There’s something undeniably quaint about it. The main dial stays clean for hours and minutes, while the tiny sub-dial ticks away in its own area. 

It’s probably the easiest-to-notice old-school charm on watch dials, and we’ve got some watches which show how elegant this layout can be. The sub-seconds style goes back to an era of regular three-piece suits and pocket watches, when an extra bit of complication on the face was a mark of refinement.

Today, a sub-seconds dial immediately gives a vintage watch vibe, and for many collectors, the little counter is more poetic than a central seconds hand.

7. Linen Dial

Imagine a watch dial that looks like cloth under a microscope - that’s the magic of the linen dial, which looks as if it were cut from a fine fabric. Instead of a smooth paint or metal finish, the dial is textured with a crosshatch pattern resembling linen fabric.

In the 1960s, the big players in Swiss watchmaking played with this look, and the result was pure, understated charm.

Linen dials were crafted using a fine crosshatch engraving technique, where intersecting lines were etched or stamped into the metal dial surface to create a pattern resembling woven fabric. This process adds depth and complexity, by tilting the watch, light shimmers across the tiny “threads” of the dial, to reveal subtle variations in tone. 

Watches like this Seamaster 600 from 1966 show how a simple colour (in this case, a slate grey) can be made so much more intriguing by adding a pattern. This is a style virtually unseen in contemporary models, which makes it all the more special.

Pinstripe Linen Dial

Instead of a woven pattern, pinstripe dials feature ultra-thin vertical lines running across the dial - imagine the fine pinstripes of a tailored suit translated onto a watch face. This style (also known in Omega enthusiast circles as the “slimline ribbon” or originally the "shadow striped" dial) has shallower, more uniform grooves compared to the crosshatch style.

6. Harlequin Dial

Even the name hints that the harlequin dial is something fun and different. On certain vintage watches, the dial finish is divided into sections or exhibits alternating tones, almost like a jester’s costume in muted form. It’s not loud or multi-coloured like a true harlequin pattern, but there’s definitely a whimsical twist.

For instance, this Seamaster De Ville from 1964 (NOW SOLD!) has an original harlequin dial with a mix of finishes you might only notice when the light hits just right. One quadrant might catch a sunburst sheen while another looks matte, creating a subtle checkerboard of reflection. This two-tone dial effect is incredibly rare, and is a little secret for the wearer, since it’s often only visible upon close inspection.

Modern watches never venture here; it’s a style that didn’t survive past the mid-century. But I suppose that’s its charm, a harlequin dial is quietly eccentric. It tells us the watchmakers of the past weren’t afraid to experiment in small ways, adding a dash of personality for those who take the time to notice.

5. Pie-Pan Dial

Perhaps the most famous of forgotten dial styles for Omega specifically, the pie-pan dial still makes seasoned collectors swoon. Take one look at our Omega Constellation collection from the 1960s, and you see how it earned its nickname; the centre of the dial is flat, but the outer edge slopes down all around, like the slanted sides of a pie pan. This creates a wonderful visual depth, as if the dial has multiple layers. Back in the day, this was high-style for dress watches. 

Tilt it one way and the outer ring goes dark, tilt it another and it gleams. It’s soothing and exciting at once, for a design that makes a simple round watch something almost architectural. Modern watchmakers rarely attempt this (it is of course more complex to manufacture than a flat dial), which is why wearing an Omega Constellation pie-pan today feels so special.

4. Honeycomb Dial

If you’ve got a sweet tooth for dial texture, the honeycomb dial is irresistible. Imagine the surface of the dial covered in tiny repeating hexagons, like a beehive’s honeycomb frozen in time.

In the 1950s, high-end pieces featured these intricate guilloché patterns for the first time. 

This Omega Seamaster Calendar from 1959 is a gorgeous example - its warm ivory dial is anything but plain once you catch the light revealing that complex honeycomb mesh. The pattern is subtle, so much so that you might not even notice it. But up close, it’s a feast for the eyes, almost tactile, even though it’s smooth.

This is the kind of detail watchmakers included as a reminder that watches can be playful in the most refined way: decor that doesn’t interfere with function. Today, outside of custom or limited editions, you’d be hard-pressed to find this kind of patterned dial in mainstream collections.  

3. Concentric Dial

Defined by a series of engraved rings radiating out from the centre, concentric dials create a subtle, hypnotic texture that shifts with the light. It’s a detail easily missed at first glance, but once you spot it, it’s hard to look away.

Unlike sunburst dials, which scatter light in all directions, concentric rings give the dial a soft ripple effect - almost like watching sound waves frozen on metal. Most examples are from the mid-1960s and came without a date, which preserved the dial’s symmetry. Typically paired with printed Arabic numerals and simple baton hands, the overall design feels functional yet beautifully considered.

A standout from our current collection is a 1968 Omega Seamaster 600 Arabic Concentric, breaking the mould by featuring both a concentric ring dial and a date window – where this is the only example we’ve ever seen! 

What makes these dials especially intriguing is their rarity. Omega produced very few, and each surviving piece tends to be a little different.

2. Technical Dial

Not every vintage dial is about texture or shimmer, some were built with purpose front and center. Technical dials are all about clarity, precision, and functionality. Think high-contrast layouts, detailed minute tracks, and dial markings that feel more like a scientific instrument than a dress watch.

These dials often included features like crosshairs, oversized minute hashes, and minimal branding to reduce distraction. Some even featured decimal, telemeter, or pulsation scales, though Omega’s take was often cleaner and more stripped-back. 

Our available Omega Seamaster 600 Technical (Ref. 135.011) is a perfect example. It features a matte black dial, bold white outer track, luminous baton indices, and a subtle red crosshair - all working together to enhance legibility. Originally positioned in Omega’s 1960s catalog as a 'Technical' model, it was designed for users who needed accuracy at a glance.

What makes technical dials exciting for collectors today is their relative rarity and clear sense of intention. Unlike flashy chronographs or flashy textures, these watches wear their function with quiet confidence. The Seamaster 600 Technical, in particular, offers the best of both worlds: the clean lines of a vintage dress Omega, paired with tool watch legibility.

1. Patina: When Time Paints Its Own Dial

Finally, we come to something that no manufacturer can replicate - patina.

This is what happens when time paints its own dial, creating a one-of-a-kind work of art that tells a story of the watch’s life, where no two patinated dials are exactly alike. Maybe the original dial was white and has turned to a creamy champagne with age, or a black dial has faded to a tropical chocolate brown. The tritium lume plots might have gone pumpkin orange, or a speck of moisture decades ago might have left subtle freckles on the dial’s surface.

A modern reissue could faux-patina the lume, sure, but it can’t recreate the exact constellation of spots and shades that true ageing provides. To the uninitiated, this sounds like damage, but to collectors, it’s historical beauty.

Patina is perhaps the ultimate vintage dial style; since it’s literally earned over years. Some dials age evenly into a colour that’s even more beautiful than what they started as, and others develop quirky patterns that enthusiasts actually nickname (looking at you, “tropical dials” and “ghost bezels”).

Embracing patina is a rite of passage for many vintage lovers. It teaches us to appreciate imperfections, and to see value in the quirky effects of time. When you wear a watch with a richly patinated dial, you’re wearing history on your wrist, a little piece of artwork crafted unknowingly by the interplay of materials, light, and decades gone by. 

Conclusion

There’s a special joy in discovering a vintage dial style, reminding us that watch design can be imaginative and deeply personal, since each dial is a conversation starter and a tiny time capsule. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or just someone who loves great design, taking a moment to admire these different dials is richly rewarding.

If your curiosity is piqued (and you could see a pie-pan or honeycomb of your own), we invite you to explore our collection here at Watch Vintage.

You just might find that perfect piece of the past to add to your wrist. After all, when it comes to character and charm, these are the watch dials that the world may have forgotten, but we certainly haven’t.