Retrograde, or fuel-gauge-style, indicators have been a part of fine watchmaking for a century or more. Today's top brands put these counters to work in traditional and groundbreaking uses that add a dose of high octane to your style quotient.

HYT SOONOW TIMEPIECE
Edgy Swiss watchmaker HYT uses microbellows inspired by aerospace technology to push a luminous fluid through a thin capillary tube, in this case in the shape of a skull, to indicate the time. When the fluid reaches 6 o’clock, the process goes into rewind mode to start over again, making the entire time-telling process a retrograde function. Limited to 25 pieces, $75,000, Geneva Seal Fine Jewelry & Timepieces; hytwatches.com

VACHERON CONSTANTIN PATRIMONY RETROGRADE DAY-DATE

If one retrograde indicator is a point of fascination on a watch dial, how about two? This exquisite Patrimony timepiece from Vacheron Constantin employs a sweeping retrograde date indicator up top and an elegant spelled out day indicator at the bottom. $42,500, Marshall Pierce & Company; vacheron-constantin.com

RESERVOIR GT TOUR
Born from the influences of instrumentation gauging (from military to aviation to automotive and beyond) with innovative Reservoir watches, this entire time-keeping function is delivered in a dramatic retrograde fashion. The hour hand of the 43 mm GT Tour indicates the time up to 6 o’clock and then resets back to zero so fast you can barely tell if the hand jumps forward or backward. $4,050, reservoir-watch.com

IWC BIG PILOT’S WATCH CONSTANT-FORCE TOURBILLON EDITION LE PETIT PRINCE
This tribute to author and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry employs a constant-force tourbillon. But the eye is drawn to the elegant retrograde indicator at 4 o’clock that doles out a 96-hour power reserve. Limited to 10 pieces each in platinum, $255,000, and hard gold, $240,000, iwc.com