Why are date windows rectangular?

[drickster]

yeah and that is regardless of shape. (see I'm growing)

That's the problem I have with rectangular windows. They look like they were punched out.

The key is how it fits with the design. As the last two examples show, a little bit of thought put into the integration of the date can go a long way.

[shameless]

Geoff's always spelling that wrong , he meant inciteful of course

actually Geoff's spelling is correct meaning which relates to perception - your version means to incite - quite different but often confused [as it has you]

[DM71]

I don't mind round, square, rectangular or trapezoid. As long as it's functional and well integrated to the dial, I'm fine with it. Some do good jobs with date windows, and others do a terrible job. I use to have 5 Benarus watches (all sold now) and their round date windows were one of the things a didn't like. They're too small and when the date is on double digit, the numbers would be too big for the window, so it's a fail for me. Their's a few example of well done round and square/rectangular windows in this thread, like the B&R or the Movados... The Omega AT date window if very well executed too, IMO.

Date window at 6 O'clock are my favorite for balance. I don't mind the shape of it.

[drickster]

I don't mind round, square, rectangular or trapezoid. As long as it's functional and well integrated to the dial, I'm fine with it. Some do good jobs with date windows, and others do a terrible job. I use to have 5 Benarus watches (all sold now) and their round date windows were one of the things a didn't like. They're too small and when the date is on double digit, the numbers would be too big for the window, so it's a fail for me. Their's a few example of well done round and square/rectangular windows in this thread, like the B&R or the Movados... The Omega AT date window if very well executed too, IMO.

Date window at 6 O'clock are my favorite for balance. I don't mind the shape of it.

I love the Sea Snake, but that date window concerns me....


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[man of kent]

Sometimes having a round window causes the date to be difficult to read. I sold a Steinhart O2 partly because the date was unreadable. The movement was the 2824, which under normal circumstances doesn't suffer from illegible dates. The issue was compounded by having a high contrast shiny frame around the date, and the white on black scheme. If the window had been square, there would have been more room for the eyes to see what was going on.
The size of the date window is affected by the movement, and a bigger movement (ligne/width etc) can accommodate a bigger, easier to read single date wheel (not talking about big dates here). The issue with the O2 was that it was a big watch with a relatively small movement. Check out where the date wheel is in relation to the case; the issue cunningly concealed with a wide flat chapter ring.

[man of kent]

A lot of that is true, but I still sigh when I look at my watch for the date and it's not there.

I tried a watch with no date once, and sold it because I kept looking for the date on it and kept going "dohh, you fool". I'm an old git, and having had a lifetime of looking at the watch to tell me the date, I'm stuck in my ways. Nothing I can do about it now.