The 10 Best Low Vision Watches For Men
This wiki has been updated 31 times since it was first published in February of 2017. Just because you have a visual impairment, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a wristwatch that's attractive, functional, or both. These low vision watches make it easy to tell the time, thanks to their large faces, oversized numbers and, in some cases, speaking capabilities. We've ranked them here by their build quality, accuracy, legibility, style, and other functions. When users buy our independently chosen editorial recommendations, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. Zenith Elite Pilot Automatic
2. Laco 1925 Classic Pilot
3. IWC Big Pilot
Editor's Notes
November 23, 2020:
After our last update incorporated a number of fine timepieces, we thought it would be wise to upgrade one of the lesser models to something in the middle range between inexpensive utility and high horology. For that, we turned to the Seiko SNE329. While it isn't noticeably more expensive than the simpler offerings on our list, it does come from a significantly reputable brand that makes the majority of the watch's components in-house. It's one of the few models that still fits into the category even though it doesn't have digits to represent each hour, thanks largely to the massive numbers it does show and the large rectangular hour markers elsewhere.
We also swapped out the Oris BC3 for the Oris Big Crown ProPilot, which is a very similar watch, but the date window of which is a bit more traditionally located. Both watches run on modified versions of the same Sellita SW 220-1 automatic movement, as well. Finally, in our special honors section, we added a minute repeater by one of the finest watchmakers in history. Not many will be able to afford it, but its ability to relay the time via beautiful mechanical chimes is remarkable.
March 14, 2019:
The previous incarnation of this list focused primarily on timepieces designed to help people with disabled vision to keep track of the time. While that demographic might largely be disinterested in finer pieces of contemporary horology, I thought it was a disservice not to include superior offerings that are among the finer watches on the market and are also particularly easy to read, sometimes even more so than the models made for customers with poor eyesight. Pilot watches were the obvious sector of the watch market where one could find a big, bold case with clearly legible numbers. That's mainly because airplane cockpits are susceptible to a lot of vibration, and reading a watch in that kind of motion is easier when it's a bit larger. The IWC Big Pilot it undoubtedly one of the finest of these, but its price is a sticking point that keeps it from the number one slot. More affordable automatic options abound from companies like Zenith and Oris, and after that we get into the quartz-controlled devices that largely populated the previous list. To these was added a Timex Ironman, which has one of the biggest digital readouts of any watch on the market, even if it lacks the talking feature some people with significant vision problems may require. It is for those customers that we left some of the lesser items on our list, which don't bear any real visual charm, but that get the job done.
Special Honors
Patek Philippe Grand Complications 5078G This prohibitively expensive model from one of the world's most renowned watchmakers boasts a minute repeater, a device that, when activated, causes a set of internal hammers to resonate aspects of its case and resound in beautiful tinkling chimes that relay the hour and minutes. Each handcrafted watch to leave the factory is personally tested by the company's president, as well. patek.com
4. Oris Big Crown ProPilot
5. Seiko SNE329
6. Timex Easy Reader
7. Timex Full-Size Ironman
8. Five Senses Atomic Solar
9. Senses Timechant Atomic Talking
10. Reizen Talking Atomic
Daniel Imperiale holds a bachelor’s degree in writing, and proudly fled his graduate program in poetry to pursue a quiet life at a remote Alaskan fishery. After returning to the contiguous states, he took up a position as an editor and photographer of the prestigious geek culture magazine “Unwinnable” before turning his attention to the field of health and wellness. In recent years, he has worked extensively in film and music production, making him something of a know-it-all when it comes to camera equipment, musical instruments, recording devices, and other audio-visual hardware. Daniel’s recent obsessions include horology (making him a pro when it comes to all things timekeeping) and Uranium mining and enrichment (which hasn’t proven useful just yet).