Historically most luxury watches are not very colorful. The bands were leather – usually black and sometimes brown – or a mixture of stainless, yellow gold, or white gold bracelets with dials that were white or black. Today, that isn’t necessarily the case. Are the colors of the rainbow a fad for luxury watches or is this something that is here to stay?
The History of Luxury Watches Turning into Hues of Color
You guessed it, it all started with Rolex (another reason I love this luxury watch is that they are trendsetters). In the late 60’s and early 70’s Rolex introduced the first watch with color variations. The Stella dial Rolex Day Date had almost every color of the rainbow, but it didn’t become popular until the late 90’s.
Audemars Piguet joined this color craze in the 90’s, adding colorful dials to some of their Offshore chronographs, and Rolex, not to be outdone, added a collection of Oyster Perpetual watches with brightly colored dials. And, we can’t leave out the Patek Philippe with the Tiffany Blue dial that is now going for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
What’s Hot and What’s Not in Luxury Watch Colors Today?
For starters, the hottest dial color is green today, but that doesn’t mean that they are 2022 models. The most in demand colors are the models that have been discontinued or had a limited run. Why? Because anything that is rare is desirable when you are talking about the luxury watch market.
Also, it doesn’t just have to be the dial to have color for a luxury watch to be the color of the rainbow. Sometimes, the bezel can be made of colored stones or diamonds, or the bezel might be a colored ceramic, and, we can’t forget the watch band. Although in the luxury market, the watch bands that have color are generally the rubber bands on the luxury sports watches that can be used for diving.
Why Colors?
Around 2017, demand for the most sought-after brands and timepieces began to outpace supply. More buyers entered the watch market, and secondary prices started to increase, at a rate of about 15 percent year over year. At the same time, it became much harder to find the most coveted models at retail.
The pandemic supercharged that scenario, as watch lovers, stuck at home with plenty of time, emptied retail stores, which drove secondary prices even higher.
Let’s take a look at some of our favorites, in terms of colors of the rainbow
Breitling Navitimer
The Breitling Navitimer is a watch created to serve the civil and private aviation worlds. The Navitimer evolved when contrasting white sub-dials were added to aid legibility and the original beaded edge of the bezel gave way to a serrated finish. The Navitimer’s businesslike looks has made it a popular look.
To celebrate the 70th anniversary, Breitling introduced modern dial colors paired with the all-important slide rule and the distinctive triple sub-dials. What do you think of ours with the mint green face? We love it.
Panerai Submersible
Panerai has managed to create a steel dive watch collection that’s completely unique. Although the shape of the new Panerai Submersible Quaranta Quattro eSteel collection will be familiar to anyone with even a passing familiarity of the brand, the makeup of this luxury watch is revolutionary. That’s because this Submersible model is made out of eSteel, Panerai’s groundbreaking recycled alloy comprising more than half of the watches’ total weight.
A professional-grade dive watch, the Submersible QuarantaQuattro eSteel is water-resistant down to 300 meters, and the green dial is a gradient color that mimics the fade from light to dark that divers encounter on their descents. The color-matched strap is made from recycled textile. Interested? Let us know.
Hublot Big Bang UNICO Special Edition Ferrari Watch
Since the inception of the Hublot x Ferrari collaboration back in 2011, Hublot has designed stunning Ferrari-inspired watches with unique designs and motorizations. The Hublot Big Bang UNICO Special Edition Ferrari watch is birthed from that Gran Turismo spirit. It is a very special and innovative luxury watch that represents Ferrari through design details, colors, materials, and, of course, the prancing horse logo.
The size of the case measures 45mm across the round of the case. And the case is made from 18K gold…that special 18K gold alloy that only Hublot has created that is scratch resistant.
The dial of this Hublot Big Bang UNICO Ferrari Special Edition is also one of a kind. It is a Ferrari blue and it resembles that of a Ferrari GT grille. Behind the blue grille you can see the movement, and the hour batons and Arabic numbers, and the hands are 18k rose gold.
The strap coordinates beautifully with the dial, with its red, white and blue colors and black rubber edgings. If you are looking for one, we’ve got it.
The colors of the Rolex
You know we always have to end with favorites, and the colors of the Rolex are amazing. As we mentioned earlier, the Stella Dial started it all, and we are all familiar with the green of the GMT and the blue of the Submariner, but have you seen the red of the Day Date? Or how about the different hues of turquoise of the Oyster? Oh, and we can’t forget the yellow of the Oyster! Check out more of the colors we currently have in stock of Rolex.
In Conclusion
If you’re on the hunt for your next watch, why not make it a colorful one? Sure, the classics are important and the versatility of a neutral-toned timepiece is undeniable but adding a splash of color to your wrist is just plain fun. You may be surprised at how much you enjoy venture into the world of colorful luxury watches.
