Feature‘Hues’ Line Is It Anyway: Timepieces With Coloured Dials Are Here To Stay

The art of watchmaking has definitely come a long way from its origins in the 16^th century. From marine chronometers aboard mercantile ships to clock towers to pocket watches—all making way for the wristwatch, is an exemplary tale of evolution in this space and one cannot help but wonder how different the scenario might have been, had this not taken place. But this certainly did not happen overnight with the horology world being steeped in tradition for the longest time, where any change took time to become acceptable. Probably, one of the best examples to illustrate this was the absence of dial-colour options since it took decades for watchmakers to break the mould of offering their timepieces in any other hue apart from the standard black, white or off-white. This, of course, was not without reason. The era during and post-World War I (1914 – 1918), saw a huge surge in the popularity of wristwatches but solely from utilitarian and functional perspectives. When deep in the war trenches, the soldiers relied on watches that could tell the time quickly and whose dials were protected by metal grids to prevent the glass from shattering. Therefore a plain, white backdrop served the purpose and became a standard norm, back then.

Of late, watchmakers are infusing a new lease of life into their timepieces by introducing coloured variants that offer a vibrant take on horology. While traditionally, white and black have always been the mainstays of watch dials; brands are now shifting focus and experimenting with the entire spectrum to offer something for everyone. Among them, the most prominent are Omega’s Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M watches (as seen here), introduced in 2022. These steel timekeepers feature a contemporary design with dial options in hues of blue, green, sandstone, saffron, terracotta, pink, and lavender

Even the 1920s—the Art Deco era—saw watches becoming an integral accessory for both men and women but the focus again was more on design, symmetry, and colours that allowed for these aspects to shine through, especially the decadence of diamond-encrusted pieces. Here again, white or black were always the preferred choices for dial hues. It was probably only in the 60s that watchmakers started experimenting with different dial colours—an era marked by the rise of sports watches. In 1967, Doxa introduced their revolutionary Sub 300—a ‘truly purpose-designed’ diver’s watch that was also commercially accessible to the public. This was also the first time that a dial in orange was introduced in this segment, which mostly saw watches with black, white or silver-hued dials, besides offering a water-resistance of up to 300m. But this was a stand-alone launch and if one were to retrace the steps, it was actually Rolex that was responsible for unleashing the ‘coloured-dial’ mania by introducing the Day-Date in a plethora of colours, featuring the vibrant ‘Stella dial’, capturing the imagination of watch collectors, all over the world during the Swinging Sixties. This also had a lot to do with the cultural dynamism and fashion choices of the society, back then—marked by bold patterns, bright colours, and chunky accessories. And, colour has found a way back into the watchmaking space with brands not restricting themselves to stand-alone models but rather closing the loop by introducing a collection in a myriad of dial hues, all at once.

For Doxa, the six colours: orange (Professional), yellow (Divingstar), navy blue (Caribbean), turquoise (Aquamarine), silver (Searambler) and black (Sharkhunter) have become important pillars, over the years

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Featured here is the Doxa Sub 200 Aquamarine, a three-hand diver's watch with a 42mm steel case. It is topped by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating and a distinctive curvature

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The Doxa Divingstar (as seen here) features a unidirectional bezel and comes with a matching yellow rubber strap that complements the dial's vibrant hue

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The New Colour Order

While coloured dials are definitely not something new, we are all for watch brands unveiling a new model in different colours, right at the onset. Earlier, one had to wait for a brand to introduce coloured iterations of a new launch in a staggered release, after first seeing it in either black or white versions. In the recent times, this marked shift came about in September 2020 with the launch of Rolex Oyster Perpetual timepieces in 36mm and 41mm stainless-steel cases, which stood out for their vibrant dials in coral, yellow, dark green, sky blue, and light pink. This was also a well-timed move by the Geneva-based brand since the world was gripped by the uncertainty and gloom of the pandemic, giving watch collectors across the globe, something to look forward to. And soon, the demand for these watches surpassed the supply and Rolex was able to cash in on the frenzy created by the introduction of these coloured-dial watches. This was followed by the limited-edition Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711 with a Tiffany Blue dial, created to celebrate 170 years of the independent watchmaker’s partnership with Tiffany & Co., where a single piece sold for $6.5 million at a Phillips auction. This insane demand has propelled brands to now offer coloured variants at least in one collection because, surely, watch aficionados just can get enough!

Breitling also capitalised on the coloured-dials trend in 2022, by introducing the Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 in black, silver, copper, ice blue, and mint green dials with contrasting chronograph counters

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Featured here is the mint-green version, whose dial is enhanced by Super-LumiNova indexes and hour and minute hands

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The copper dial (as seen here) is perfect for a contemporary timepiece and complements the 43mm stainless-steel case

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Featured here is the Navitimer chronograph with an ice-blue dial, launched last year, and looks chic with this colour scheme, which allows for the functions to stand out on the watch face

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While 2021 also saw the launch of coloured watches such as H. Moser & Cie.’s Pioneer Centre Seconds Mega Cool or Breitling’s Premier Heritage Chronos in refreshing mint green and salmon pink apart from their contemporaries in blue, black, and white, it was last year that saw brands go full throttle pursuing the colour wheel in every possible manner. Among them, the most prominent are Omega’s Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M watches in 34mm and 38mm. These steel timekeepers feature a contemporary design with dial options in hues of blue, green, sandstone, saffron, terracotta, pink, and lavender. These gorgeous dials are crafted from brass, are sun-brushed from the centre, with rhodium-plated hands and indexes on the 38mm models, and 18-karat white gold hands and indexes on the 34mm versions. Breitling, too, capitalised on the coloured-dials trend to expand on their Navitimer collection with the introduction of the B01 Chronograph 43 in black, silver, copper, ice blue, and mint green dials with contrasting chronograph counters. They are enhanced by Super-LumiNova indexes and hour and minute hands, and are powered by the in-house mechanical Calibre B01 that supplies the watch with a 70-hour power reserve.

Last year, Oris introduced a salmon pink hue for one of the three versions of their ProPilot X Calibre 400—a 39mm, titanium-cased watch showcased at Watches and Wonders 2022

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There's also a version with a blue dial as featured here, which looks good against the titanium framework of the watch

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While grey might not be colourful in the literal sense, this toned-down version looks stately and attractive with the finishing on the watch dial

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Last year, even Oris introduced a salmon pink hue for one of the three versions of their ProPilot X Calibre 400—a 39mm, titanium-cased watch showcased at Watches and Wonders 2022. While there are also blue- and grey-dial versions, this model surely stands out due to the pop of colour, against the neutral canvas offered by the titanium framework. This expressive palette, surely augments the case’s dynamic proportions, as well as brings life and colour to your wrist.

Carl F. Bucherer Manero Shop the Collection

Not Just Another Trend

Keeping up with this, Lucerne-based Carl F. Bucherer also revamped their Manero Flyback collection, last year and the most noticeable feature here is the introduction of new hues apart from the reduced case size—now at 40mm. While the predecessors had a more classic design aesthetic, the new watches exude a sporty, chic, and fun vibe, making them apt for everyday wear. And they stand out for the distinctive colourways—five to be precise—each one presented on a sustainable textile strap whose colour matches that of the sub-dial. However the brand has executed this in a slightly different manner; instead of going with dials, fully soaked in these hues, they have chosen to simply keep the recessed sub-dials in these colours for the red, green, and blue variants.

TAG Heuer also added three new colourful variants to their popular Formula 1 collection in 2022. These new chronographs come in vibrant hues that are evocative of the racetrack: green, yellow, and red, and authentically capture the spirit of the first TAG Heuer Formula 1 pieces from the 1980s

TAG Heuer, too, added three new colourful variants to their popular Formula 1 collection in 2022. These new chronographs come in vibrant hues that are evocative of the racetrack: green, yellow, and red. These statement quartz sports watches authentically capture the spirit of the first TAG Heuer Formula 1 pieces from the 1980s, which were celebrated for their cool colours and sporty character. They come in 43mm stainless steel cases with pushers at two and four o’clock, and a black PVD steel tachymeter-scale bezel with numerals. The angled date window at four o’clock and the contrasting hands and indexes are coated with white Super-LumiNova for excellent legibility at high speed. All three versions come with matching rubber straps, corresponding to the dial hues.

Maurice Lacroix Aikon#tide Shop the Collection

And then there is Maurice Lacroix’s Aikon #Tide—the brand’s ‘brightest, funkiest range of watches, offered in an array of eye-popping colours’. These 40mm timepieces launched last year, also focus on sustainability as the case, bezel, caseback, crown, end-piece, and buckle are all made from upcycled composite material. It’s probably why the brand chose this as a perfect fit to introduce various hues in order to send across this message, while also making their product attractive to lure a newer generation of watch enthusiasts. The model is also endowed with the Easy Strap Exchange system, allowing the wearer to swap the strap for an alternative without the need for tools and customise the watch according to their preferences.

Even brands like Zenith that were known to be extremely traditional have come out with various Rainbow-hued watches in the past, and this year, they have spread the chromatic hues over a number of timepieces with their Defy 21 Ultra Colour, consisting of eight different iterations, limited to only eight box sets. These vibrant watches are all entirely matte finished and crafted in lightweight titanium, allowing the chromatics from within to shine through. The open dial features raised chronograph counters, matching the grey tone of the case, beneath which vibrant metallic colours are applied to the movement, making for a rich display.

Omega's new campaign—'Every Shade of You', features brand ambassadors Zoë Kravitz, Zhou Dongyu, and Eddie Redmayne sporting the vibrant Seamaster Aqua Terra Aqua 150M timepieces

English actor and Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne is a long-standing ambassador for Omega, having joined them in 2015. Here, he is seen sporting the Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M with a blue dial

American actor, director, and model Zoë Kravitz, joined the Omega family last year. Known for her unique style and persona, she looks extremely chic sporting the Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M (as seen here)

The campaign features the ambassadors in black, surrounded by a multitude of colours—highlighting the Aqua Terra’s vivid dial hues. Redmayne, here, is sporting the watches with red, yellow, and grey dials

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While watchmakers might have jumped on the coloured-dials bandwagon, soon after one brand reintroduced this trend almost three years ago, it’s definitely not going anywhere as we see more and more coloured offerings regaling the watch community… They are here for the long haul.