Perhaps the biggest irony in the horological industry is the prevalence of trends. Watches are designed to run in perpetuity, giving meaning to the concept of time, so to emphasise a single fleeting quality seems awfully superficial. Yet like many things, timepieces are not immune to shifting tastes, and there’s always a new shape, colour, or material that reigns supreme. For many years, the colour du jour was blue, but there’s a new contender that’s not too far off the colour spectrum: Green.
Rendered on dials, straps and even the little details, the vivid emerald hue has made its way to a number of new watches this year. It wasn’t always a colour well favoured by the industry, as it’s not the most practical of colours when it comes to putting together an outfit, especially if it’s an investment piece. Yet fortune favours the bold, and when done right, green watches can look exceptionally eye-catching and add an unusual bolt of colour to an otherwise rigid ensemble.
What was once a rare colour to be found on watches — and even rarer to find in good designs — green watches are finally having their moment as the timepieces you’ll start coveting. As Omega, Glashütte, and a few other top watchmakers below testify, green is the best way to get rid of the blues.
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1 /5
One of Omega’s dressiest dive watches gets a big dose of colour and personality this year with the help of malachite, a vibrant green mineral with swirling bands and concentric rings that give it a unique appearance. Nestled within either 18k yellow gold or platinum cases, the 41mm watch keeps the same dimensions as the regular steel models for a retro feel despite being a remake. The dials see printed markings and slightly recessed hour markers, and inside, the same caliber 8913 is a co-axial Master Chronometer with a 60-hour power reserve. It’s not a limited edition watch, but you’ll never find two watches that look the same.
2 /5
The Pioneer Centre Seconds was H. Moser & Cie’s way of tapping on the more casual entry-level ‘sports’ watch scene, and it’s now reimagined in a Cosmic Green fumé dial. The largest Moser in the brand’s repertoire sits pretty at 42.8mm, its bold size complemented by an elegant minimalist dial that catches the light to create varying shades of green. The movement inside is the HMC 200, an in-house designed and produced automatic calibre that holds power for up to 72 hours. For a touch of athleticism, a sporty black fabric strap accompanies this trend-defying piece.
3 /5
Fitted with an exotic green dial with an imprinted pattern that’s manufactured in-house, the Panorama Date is Glashütte’s tribute to the Original ‘Spezichron’ launched in the ‘60s. The brass dial is imprinted with intricate patterns of a guilloche stamp from the archives, with a dégradé effect achieved via layers of coloured lacquer and a delicate spray of black lacquer. Because this is carefully done by hand, each dial is unique. Under the striking textured eye-like facade is the manufacture’s automatic caliber 39-47, which powers the hours, minutes, hacking seconds and large date display.
4 /5
Laurent Ferrier might be a name well associated with haute horology, but the Geneva-based watchmaker also has a decorated history in semi-professional race car driving, and he now has a watch to show for it. Rendered in a colour inspired by United Kingdom’s vintage motor racing livery, the lacquered dial is punctuated by a small seconds dial that echoes car rims, alongside a railroad minute track and hour markers that reflect the speedometer. Like the original version, this timepiece also uses a mixture of applied and printed indexes for visual depth. The manufacture Caliber FBN 229.01 is luxuriously finished with a Côte de Genève motif, with a generous power reserve of 72 hours, magnetic resistance, and shock protection.
5 /5
Sporting the same dark green dial that’s flourished with radial brushing and a dégrade finish as last year’s one-off 1858 Chronograph “Only Watch”, Montblanc’s restyled and smaller 1858 made serious waves at this year’s SIHH. The highlight is undoubtedly the caliber MB M13.21, a compact hand-wound movement by Minerva which has a lineage that dates back to the classic 13.20 caliber. The limited edition 40mm watch is sophisticatedly sporty, with a single-button chronograph function that starts, stops, or resets the watch. On the wrist, the stainless steel watch will go the extra mile with its military chronograph “throw-back” style, and matching crocodile strap.
Shatricia Nair
Managing Editor
Shatricia Nair has a passion for motoring, beauty, and wellness, and is perpetually knee-deep in the world of V8s, retinols, and latest fitness trends. She has nine years of experience writing for digital media, and her bylines have appeared in Prestige, and Augustman. She'll do (almost) anything for good chocolate chip cookies.
