Ideas for a Custom Watch Face

Whatever your gender or age, a must-have accessory is a watch. While there are infinite models and designs available, in stores and online, the trend-setter within, wants something different. Something that sets your watch apart from the crowd of brands and makes.

Changing the strap is just the tip of the iceberg. How about creating your own watch face? The most visible and looked-at part of a watch, is its face.

So to create a custom watch, the best thing to customize would be the watch face. Custom watch faces can change the whole feel and look of a watch, and they help in adding a personal touch to the accessory. Such watches rank among great watch models for men and women.

Customized watch faces are a great way for a company or organization, to show their unity, with a unique item, representing their team spirit. Put the company logo or emblem, as the watch face, to create a memorable token. They also make great retirement or leaving gifts.

Plus just customizing the dial, is a less expensive way, instead of customizing the entire watch. They make for good promotional items as well.

How about a photo dial? Nowadays, you can get photos printed on anything, from T-shirts to mugs, so why not a watch face. Personal snaps of the family, pets or friends, on a dial make great, thoughtful gifts. For Mother's day, a watch with a photo of the kids or grand-kids on the dial, is sure to make any mother happy.

And the photos need not be personal. Celebrities or model's photos can be the ultimate fan statement. If you belong to a "We love Twilight" club, then a watch with a Bella or Edward dial, is a good form of members identification. The possibilities with creating custom watch dials, using photos is endless.

One man's junk is another man's treasure. Apply the same for your watch face. Take the dial or face of an older or unused watch, and attach a different strap to it. Voila! A customized watch. For example, if you have a large dial watch, with a leather strap, take the watch to a watch smith or maker. You can attach the large dial to a metal link strap, for a completely different watch.

Watch faces need not be customized only by design. The mechanism used to work the watch (escapement), a date or day display or even an engraved rotor will be unique. An example of vintage watch mechanics is a tourbillon. Chronographs are also a classy addition to any watch dial.

If you don't want something so complicated, you can make adjustments with the watch hands. Instead of 3 hands (second, minute and hour), how about only an hour hand?

Such watch faces can be based on materials used in the watch as well. How about a glow-in-the-dark dial? Or if the background of the dial lights up for 20 secs and then fades? You can even put precious stones or gems to make an elegant piece, or surround the face with fake diamonds for the "bling" effect. Using rare materials like silicone and wood for the dial, are another way to make a unique watch face.

Customizing a watch face can be a bit expensive, depending on the idea or design, you have in mind. Also the expertise and skill of the watch maker, play a hand in the finished product.

Photo watches are usually the least costly and easiest option, but if you accessorize with a fancy strap or clasp, then the price could increase. But if you want a one-of-a-kind watch, then custom watch faces are the main step, in getting a unique timekeeper piece.