14 of the best left-handed watches for southpaws and serious operators alike

Buffy Acacia

As Time+Tide’s resident southpaw, or mollydooker if you’re a fellow Aussie, I thought I’d take the opportunity to write about the best left-handed watches (although I recently converted wrists…) Ironically, putting the crown on the left-hand side of the case is actually better for right-handed people who don’t want anything digging into their hands, and being unable to wind the watch while it’s on your wrist – which you really shouldn’t be doing anyway – is a small trade-off. So, with these rarities catering to every orientation of the population, let’s have a look at some highlights.

Citizen Promaster Dive Automatic

It’s pretty clear by now that left-hand crowns are coveted by divers, mostly due to the comfort they afford. The Citizen Promaster Dive Automatic’s left-handed option goes a step further with a crown at 8 o’clock, which would even be comfortable on the right wrist of an actual left-hander. With a compact 44mm case, extremely robust build and a near-endless list of colour configurations, the Promaster Dive is a great daily wearer sports watch and the perfect entry point to the world of left-handed watches if your budget doesn’t reach the luxury levels of some of the other watches on this list. Price: US$595

Hamilton Khaki Aviation X-Wind Auto Chrono

Unless you’re willing to drop many thousands of dollars, it can be really tricky to find high-quality left-handed watches. It only gets harder if you want a chronograph, but the Hamilton Khaki Aviation X-Wind Auto Chrono is one of the few more affordable options out there. With complications involving a chronograph, day/date, and a crosswind calculator for pilots, the Khaki Aviation X-Wind is about as genuine as a tool watch can get. If you’re into the highly-detailed cockpit look, the Khaki Aviation X-Wind has got you covered. Price: US$2,095, from the Time+Tide Shop

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf LHD Pro-Diver GMT

These days, Zodiac tends to be associated with vintage-inspired divers or whimsically-bright colours. That characterisation isn’t wrong by any means, but Zodiac is also capable of slick, dark, modernity. The Super Sea Wolf LHD Pro-Diver GMT is murdered-out from top to bottom, leaving its crisp white markers and potent orange highlights extremely visible in contrast. The left-handed crown screws down to lock in 300m of water resistance, protecting the C125 movement which is COSC-certified for chronometer accuracy. A helium escape valve at 2 o’clock on the case gives it some asymmetrical funk, which matches the eccentric set of hands and indices. Price: US$2,295, from the Time+Tide Shop

Sinn EZM 3

A list full of deep-divers with left-handed crowns wouldn’t be complete without the Sinn EZM 3. This is a high-tech watch with a sense of stern Teutonic military precision, backed up by rugged specifications. The 41mm case is rated for depths of 500m, and is bead-blasted for a no-nonsense matte look. In the rare situation that any moisture does make its way inside, it’s also equipped with dehumidifying technology that can clear it up before any damage is done. The black dial with its crisp, white printing and red highlights is easy to read, as well as to love if you’re into the utilitarian vibe. Price: US$2,450

Doxa SUB 300T Aristera

The vast majority of lefties don’t want special treatment, just a taste of equality. That’s exactly what the Doxa SUB 300T Aristera offers, changing essentially nothing about its most iconic model except for the location of the crown. Doxa crowns are recessed to begin with, so you know that it’s intended for people who wear watches on their right wrists rather than those avoiding crowns poking into their hands. The 42.5mm cushion case works its wearable magic thanks to a 44.5mm lug-to-lug length, and you’re treated to the classic Doxa Professional orange colour as favoured by Jacques Cousteau. Doxa still seems to be transitioning between the ETA 2824-2 and the Sellita SW200-1, but either way, you’ll be getting a great and reliable Swiss automatic movement. Price: US$2,490

Micromilspec Milgraph

Speaking of military precision, if you’re looking for a tool watch with a totally unobtrusive crown, the new Micromilspec Milgraph might be the watch for you. Recently released at Geneva Watch Days 2024, this hardy chronograph is one of only a handful of models the Norwegian brand makes available to the public, with the vast majority of their production dedicated to military commissions. Its left-hand-mounted pushers and crown are super-slimline, while its “QuadGrip” bezel is designed to be easy to manipulate while wearing gloves – it’s still got a very mil-spec oriented design. Each of its subdials is explicitly labelled for maximum legibility, while its tough titanium case houses a La Joux-Perret L121 movement. Price: US$3,850

Mühle Glashütte S.A.R. Flieger-Chronograph

Considering current trends in watch fashion, it’s getting more and more difficult to find great behemoths for larger wrists. At 45mm in diameter and 54mm lug-to-lug, the Mühle Glashütte S.A.R. Flieger-Chronograph is proof that affordable luxury watchmaking can still cater to the extremes. Designed for the German Navy’s rescue pilots, the watch allows you to calculate flight speeds thanks to a highlighted 10-second scale, and its oversized start/stop pusher at 8 o’clock can be located with gloves on and without even looking at your wrist. Visible through the sapphire caseback is a Sellita SW500-1, heavily modified to include the characteristic Glashütte three-quarter plate and a patented woodpecker neck regulator. Price: €3,800 (~US$4,000)

Tudor Pelagos LHD

The Pelagos is somewhat of a cult classic when compared to the reverence held for the Tudor Black Bay 58, and the Pelagos LHD has an even more niche appeal. With its matte-black case and bezel, off-white markers and dark titanium case, the watch was clearly intended to walk a sinister path. The crown on the left increases diving comfort for right-handers and just gives the whole picture an element of intrigue. The blend of modern and vintage design cues is powerful in its 42mm guise, leading to it being a strong favourite among left-handed enthusiasts (as well as right-handed peeps who just prefer the LHD’s more vintage vibe). Price: US$5,025

TAG Heuer Monaco

The TAG Heuer Monaco makes its way onto all kinds of all-time lists, but whether you’re discussing square watches or racing chronographs, the Monaco will always be a leftie’s watch at heart. Although many of the modern references have had the crown moved over to the “standard” position between the pushers on the right, the models based on the original from 1969 have retained the left-hand crown. It’s also the configuration made famous by Steve McQueen in the film Le Mans, which is a huge part of the watch’s massive legacy. US$8,100

Panerai Luminor Destro Otto Giorni

Panerai’s history with left-handed watches stretches back to the 1960s, when other wrist-worn diving instruments for Italian navy frogmen necessitated wearing watches on their right wrists. In that vein, the Panerai Luminor Destro Otto Giorni is exactly as it sounds — a pure left-handed conversion of the regular Luminor Otto Giorni reference PAM00915 in a 44mm case. There are a few changes here and there, such as the inclusion of a sapphire caseback for viewing the hand-wound calibre P.5000 and its incredible power reserve of 192 hours, or 8 days. Moving the small seconds to 3 o’clock is simply a result of the movement being rotated to accommodate the 9 o’clock crown, which keeps the watch balanced as a whole. The beige suede strap is also a nice touch, complimenting the tan tones of the luminous sandwich dial and off-white printing. Price: US$8,100

Rolex GMT-Master II “Sprite”

The Rolex GMT-Master II is definitely the most iconic GMT watch of all time (indeed, the GMT-Master defines the genre), and its release in a left-handed configuration was quite a welcome surprise. Nicknamed the “Sprite” for its black and green bi-colour ceramic bezel, the reference 126720 gives left-handers the gift of an interesting colour scheme, rather than the plain blacks and blues we’re used to. The 40mm Oystersteel case is eminently wearable and the ability to keep track of three time zones is fantastic, however, it is clear from the date window at 9 o’clock that Rolex simply flipped the movement around. A little more effort could have been appreciated, but Rolex is Rolex, so it gets away with it. Price: US$11,250

Omega Seamaster Ploprof 1200M

Over-engineering and Omega can occasionally go hand-in-hand, and the Omega Seamaster Proplof 1200m is probably the best example other than the Planet Ocean Ultra Deep. It’s not rated to the same 15,000m depth of the Ultra Deep, but the Proplof 1200m is certainly more dive-capable than anyone could fathom. Plus, it’s still a wearable thickness, measuring up at 15.5mm. The left-handed crown is a necessity given its protruding crown guards and the bezel-lock system on the right, and grants the watch its unique, brutalist silhouette. Price: US$14,300

Gerald Charles Maestro 8.0 GC Sport Squelette

Gerald Charles is a fascinating brand, as the second brainchild of legendary designer Gérald Genta after he sold off his first eponymous brand. The Maestro case is predominantly inspired by baroque architecture rather than anything nautical, giving it an instantly recognisable silhouette unlike anything else on the market. The Maestro 8.0 GC Sport Squelette is a particularly hypnotic left-handed reference thanks to its ultra-slim 8.35mm profile, sandblasted Grade 5 titanium case, and of course the in-house GCA 5482 skeleton calibre that prominently features its gold micro-rotor. Price: US$65,300

Girard-Perregaux Cosmos

So while the Girard-Perregaux Cosmos may not be explicitly left-handed, its lack of traditional crown does make it ambidextrous, and I’m bringing it in on that technicality. Left-handed watches are exceedingly rare in the haute horology world, and the Cosmos illicits a fair amount of drooling from any fan of watchmaking. Aside from the hours and minutes subdial at 12 o’clock telling the time, there’s a terrestrial globe at 3 o’clock which can be considered a day/night indicator. The celestial globe opposite highlights the Zodiac constellations, which rotates slightly faster at one revolution every 23 hours and 56 minutes. That’s tied into Celestial time, which is distinct from the 24 hours of Earth’s rotation around the sun. As if that wasn’t enough, the calibre GP09320 also boasts a tourbillon, and a 57-hour power reserve which is hand-wound from the back of the watch. Price: US$364,000