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A regulator is a type of clock or watch designed for precise timekeeping, often featuring separate dials for hours, minutes, and seconds to enhance accuracy.

A regulator watch displays hours, minutes, and seconds on separate, non-coaxial sub-dials rather than sharing a central axis. The large central hand shows minutes, while smaller subsidiary dials display hours and seconds independently. This arrangement—derived from precision regulator clocks used in watchmakers' workshops—eliminates the visual confusion of overlapping hands, improving reading accuracy for fine timekeeping work.
Regulator clocks were the master timekeepers in watchmakers' workshops and observatories, used to set and regulate other timepieces to accurate time. They were engineered purely for precision, eliminating all complications that could introduce error, including separate hour and minute hands sharing an axis. Watchmakers compared their finished pieces against the regulator to verify accuracy. The design's association with precision timekeeping gave regulator-style dials their prestige in modern watches.
Regulator-style dials appear across multiple segments. A. Lange & Söhne's Lange 1 uses an asymmetric sub-dial layout inspired by regulator aesthetics. Nomos Gläshütte produces several regulator models celebrating their German horological heritage. Hamilton, Frederique Constant, and Tissot have offered more accessible regulator-inspired designs. The style has broad appeal for watch enthusiasts who appreciate the historical connection and legibility of the separated display format.

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