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The earliest wristwatches were often converted pocket watches, and as such, they had no need for a bezel in the modern sense. But as watches began to adopt wrist-worn formats in the early 20th century—particularly during military applications in the First World War—the need for greater legibility, dust protection, and eventually functional timing tools led to the bezel becoming a standalone design feature. The first known rotating bezel was patented in the early 1930s by Philip Van Horn Weems, a U.S. Navy officer who worked with Longines to create the Weems Second-Setting Watch. This allowed aviators to synchronise their watches more accurately with radio time signals—a small but vital innovation in timekeeping precision. Notably, the rotating bezel here wasn’t to track elapsed time per se, but to fine-tune the watch’s second hand by moving the entire inner chapter ring.
It was the dive watch that would later transform the bezel into an indispensable timing tool. In 1953, both Blancpain and Rolex introduced dive watches with rotatable bezels: the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and the Rolex Submariner. Blancpain’s was arguably first to market with a unidirectional bezel, a clever safety feature that could only rotate counterclockwise. The thinking was simple: if a diver accidentally knocked the bezel, it could only shorten the remaining dive time, never extend it—a critical precaution when lives depend on accurate decompression stops.
But before we move on, let’s list a few of the primary goals of the varying bezels:
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Tracks elapsed time, especially for diving and safety-critical tasks.
- Counts down to events, ideal for regattas or flight timing.
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Tracks a second time zone using a 24-hour GMT scale.
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Displays global time zones via city-ring bezels.
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Calculates speed with a tachymeter scale over a fixed distance.
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Measures heart rate with a pulsometer bezel.
There are no doubt many more uses for bezels and they are often provide features that are far more than aesthetics. A lot of thought goes into the purposes and the patent landscape around bezels is surprisingly murky. While various improvements were indeed patented—such as the unidirectional ratcheting system or locking mechanisms—the concept of a rotating bezel was not universally protected. This allowed many brands to iterate and interpret the bezel to suit their specific tool watch identities.
Over the decades, we’ve seen a proliferation of variants: bidirectional bezels for GMT watches, slide-rule bezels like those on the Breitling Navitimer, compass bezels, pulsometer bezels for doctors, tachymeter bezels for racing, and even unique digital or mechanical countdown bezels for pilots and regatta timers.
But what makes a bezel truly functional is more than just its rotation—it’s how it engages with the user. The best bezels offer a satisfying tactile resistance: a precise, ratcheting click with no backplay. The engineering behind this involves an interplay of teeth, springs, and notches beneath the bezel ring, often secured with a retaining spring or click ball. It’s deceptively complex, especially when designed to be watertight to depths of 200, 300, or even 1000 metres. A poorly engineered bezel can rotate unintentionally or wear out prematurely, leading to misread timings and a frustrating user experience.
“A bezel isn’t just a ring around the dial—it’s the bridge between form and function, where beauty meets utility in every turn.”
— Kev Green
And then there’s the matter of bezel inserts—the infill materials and markings that lend a watch its purpose and personality. In early dive watches, the insert was often aluminium, chosen for its light weight and ease of printing, but it was prone to fading and scratching over time. These imperfections, ironically, have become beloved by collectors who value the ‘ghost bezel’ patina as a badge of honour. Modern dive watches have moved to ceramic inserts for superior scratch resistance and colour permanence. Others have explored sapphire, hardened steel, or even enamel infills on high-end pieces.
The markers themselves usually follow a convention, especially on dive watches. You’ll often see the first 15 or 20 minutes highlighted in a different colour, or separated by more minute markers. This is because decompression stops and short-term oxygen supply checks typically happen within that first critical segment of a dive. The dual-colour effect—say, red for 0–15 and white for 20–60—enhances legibility and draws the eye exactly where it’s needed most. For GMT bezels, the split is usually at 6am and 6pm to delineate night and day. These aren’t just aesthetic flourishes—they’re visual shortcuts built for clarity under pressure.
From an engineering standpoint, bezels can be mounted in various ways. Some are unidirectional with ratcheting detents, others have friction-fit bidirectional rotation, and a few are internally rotating (like the IWC Aquatimer or vintage Super Compressor cases), operated by a secondary crown to avoid the risk of knocking. Each has its pros and cons. External rotating bezels are intuitive and easy to grip, but more exposed to knocks and grit. Internal bezels are safer but require a waterproof crown and more intricate case architecture. There’s no universally better design—just better execution depending on the use case.
Of course, with complexity comes maintenance. Bezels should be cleaned regularly, especially on dive watches that see actual water use. Salt, sand, and skin oils can collect under the bezel and eventually degrade the mechanism. Some bezels can be removed for cleaning, but others are press-fit or gasket-sealed and best left to professionals. A sticky or loose bezel is often one of the earliest signs a watch needs servicing, and ignoring it can mean wear on other components, especially the case and crystal seat.
For collectors, bezels can also carry emotional and historical weight. A faded “Pepsi” insert on a GMT-Master, a cracked bakelite bezel on an early Blancpain, or a perfectly preserved Doxa diving bezel with depth-to-time tables—these features aren’t just accessories. They’re story-telling devices, bearing the marks of how and why the watch was used. And in some cases, they become the defining characteristic. Just look at the Seiko Turtle or SKX series—beloved almost entirely because of their iconic bezel design and feel.
In the broader picture of horology, the bezel might seem a peripheral detail. But it’s anything but. It’s a tactile interface, an engineering challenge, a design signature, and often the primary means by which a tool watch becomes, well, a tool. It represents one of those rare instances in watchmaking where form and function don’t just meet—they lock into place with a reassuring click. Beyond mere mechanics, the bezel invites interaction, guiding the wearer’s experience while quietly shaping the watch’s entire character. It’s a small detail with outsized impact—an elegant fusion of precision, purpose, and personality all spinning around the dial.
The bezel carries stories too—of early divers timing their oxygen supply, of pilots calculating speed and distance mid-flight, of explorers orienting themselves by the sun. It’s a reminder that watches are never just objects, but instruments tied deeply to human endeavour. Every notch, every graduation on the bezel has a reason, a history, a utility born from real need. And yet, through decades and design evolutions, the bezel remains one of the most expressive and instantly recognisable elements of a watch’s identity.
So, while it may seem like a simple ring framing the dial, the bezel is much more. It’s the practical heart of countless complications, the playground of craftsmanship, and for many collectors, the detail that truly distinguishes one watch from another. It’s where innovation meets heritage, and where every turn tells a story.
