A time display where the current hour is shown by a numbered disc that rotates into position beneath a fixed arc marking the minutes, rather than by conventional hour and minute hands.
In a wandering hours display, the hour is shown by a number printed on one of several rotating discs, which passes beneath a fixed minute scale, usually a curved arc at the top of the dial. As each hour approaches its end, the disc carrying that number rotates out of view while the next disc rotates into place, and the position of the number along the fixed minute arc indicates how far through the hour the time has progressed.
The mechanism dates back to 17th-century pocket watches and was largely a historical curiosity until independent watchmakers revived it in recent decades as a distinctive alternative to conventional hands. It requires no hands at all for the hour and minute display, which is the main draw for brands using it as a design signature.
The current hour appears as a number on a rotating disc, and that number's position along a fixed minute arc (usually at the top of the dial) shows how far through the hour the time is.
The mechanism dates back to 17th-century pocket watches, but it was largely dormant until independent watchmakers revived it in recent decades as a distinctive design signature.
No, that's the point of the display. The hour is shown by rotating numbered discs rather than a conventional hand, with only the minutes indicated via a fixed arc.