This article is from the WatchTime Archives and was originally published in the January / February 2023 Issue.

One thing is clear: Left-handed people have it harder than the rest of us. Although they are no longer forced to write with their weaker right hand (even Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour is said to have trained himself to use his right hand), most everyday objects, like scissors and can openers, are designed for right-handed people. Lefties find them hard to use. Left-handers make up about 10 percent of the population, so it?s a pretty substantial minority. Most tools these days are available in left-handed versions, but there hasn?t been a similar shift in the watch world.

Why do left-handed people have trouble with watches at all" In principle, if you use your left hand more often and want to protect a watch from bumps and scratches, any watch can be worn on the right. But it?s pretty hard to operate the crown (even though a watch should always be taken off for setting, to avoid putting excessive lateral pressure on the winding stem). When you hold a conventional watch with a crown in your hand, you either have to wind it and set it with your right hand or turn the watch upside down, with the 12 o?clock position down, to use your left. And this isn?t ideal for time setting ? especially for a watch with a second time zone, when the local time should be adjusted any time you enter a new time zone.
Photography by Marcus Krüger

Even though bra...