For an industry with such a rich tapestry of history, it’s surprising to realise just how many mysteries remain unanswered in the world of horology: Who really wore the Explorer up Everest? Who bought Paul Newman’s Daytona? And why is the California dial called the California dial? While Tenzing Norgay probably knows the answer to the first question, and Aurel Bacs definitely knows the answer to the second, nobody really knows the answer to that last question. Some theorise that the “California dial”, which splits half the numerals on a watch’s dial between Roman and Arabic, is so-called because that particular design was exceedingly popular in the state of California in the ’30s and ’40s. Others speculate that it’s because of a notable Californian watchmaker dial and refinisher, Kirk Rich, who was churning out this particular design in the 1970s. The truth is, we’re probably never going to know the real answer to this question, but we do know one thing for certain — a watch with a California dial is a good-looking thing, and below are four timepieces you can still purchase with the distinctive design: Panerai Radiomir California – 47MM Panerai has a very long history with the…
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