It’s funny — as popular as the panda dial is among vintage watches, it took a while to catch on again in modern watches. The black-and-white, high-contrast design, named after everyone’s favorite bamboo-eating bear, usually refers to a chronograph with a white main dial and two or three black subdials, usually at three, six and nine o’clock. The reverse is called, well, a “reverse panda,” naturally.
It was a staple on chronographs made during the ’60s and ’70s, perhaps worn most famously on the iconic Rolex Daytona “Paul Newman.” Even for a design that by nature lacks any real use of color, it’s an eye-catching look and a favorite amongst enthusiasts. And as watchmakers have realized the love these classic black-and-white chronographs get from watch geeks, they slowly but surely brought them back to the industry. Here are seven you can buy right now.
Dan Henry 1964 Gran Turismo Chronograph
The panda dial is a look, so there’s no need to spend thousands on a mechanical chronograph watch when you can get it in quartz for a couple hundred bucks. Dan Henry is particularly good at offering classic styles such as this, made with the eye for detail of a vintage collector, at budget prices. Housed in a 38mm case, it comes in a few variations, including versions with two or three subdials and reverse-panda variants as well.
Movement: Seiko VK63 meca-quartz
Size: 38mm
Water resistance: 50m