Green, not just as the colour but as a symbol of sustainability, has been fully embraced by luxury watch brands if the recent Watches & Wonders novelties are anything to guide us by. It may be that Covid-19 has taught us to slow down and appreciate the wonders of nature, it may be pure and much needed optimism reflected in green-coloured dials.
If blue is the staple colour, green is definitely the main contender for the “go-to” of the year. For the last version of the all-steel Nautilus ref. 5711, Patek Philippe went with a green dial. Audemars Piguet’s choice of a similar colour was also for a highly limited edition of the Royal Oak Jumbo. Both displayed subtle shades of green in different light.
The first ever green-dialed Nautilus combines horizontal embossing with applied gold markers and matching hands…
Find out more about the Nautilus ref. 5711 here.
Find out more about the Royal Oak Jumbo here.
If talking about sustainability, both analogue or mechanical watches can generally lay claim to having a low carbon footprint as they tend to be non-disposable and repairable. However, brands now see the push to further green credentials as something the new millennial market will appreciate.
Panerai are part of the leading pack as not only have they started to actively use recycled materials in their watches (showing how reclaimed materials can be applied to the watch industry), but this year they have entered into a partnership with the Intergovernmental Oceanograph Commission of UNESCO to develop ocean literacy for the next decade. Panerai’s Submersible eLAB-ID is constructed from 98.6% recycled-based materials by weight.
Panerai’s Submersible eLAB-ID is powered by their own automatic mechanical caliber P.900e and offers 72 hours power reserve…
Find out more here.
Panerai also used recycled materials in the Luminor Marina eSteel; a trio of 44mm automatic watches that look almost identical to the standard Luminor, except for the rubberized colour crowns and dials signed “eSteel”. The watches come in three different coloured dials: grey, blue, and you guessed it, green. Across all three versions, approximately 58.4% by weight is made from reclaimed materials.
Find out more here.
Cartier provided two Tank watches in the green genre. First, they reissued the Tank Must in three intense colours: blue, red, and green. The Tank Must was at the zenith of its popularity back in the 1970s; a design and style icon that graced the wrists of everyone concerned with looking chic. It will, no doubt, prove just as popular in its second iteration.
Find out more here.
The model that can truly claim sustainability credentials is the new SolarBeat movement-equipped Tank Must which was released with a solar cell behind the dial. As eye-catching and definitional in terms of design as ever, the watch is cased in stainless steel and comes in two sizes. The idea is to not only make the watch elegant and trouble-free, but also to reduce its environmental impact, including the straps that instead of being made from non-animal leather are apparently produced from scraps of apples grown for the food industry. The light for the photovoltaic cell reaches the movement through the Roman numerals on the dial.
It took two years to integrate this SolarBeat™ movement, with an average lifespan of 16 years, into the Tank Must…
Find out more here.
From the same classic design mantra, Jaeger-LeCoultre paid tribute to the iconic design of the Reverso with a small sub-second hand and a green dial that is “reminiscent of the deep green of the pine forests that surround Jaeger-LeCoultre’s home in the Vallée de Joux.”
Find out more here.
Rolex issued their classic Datejust model with a new variety of intricate dials (with either palm or fluted motifs), the patterns rendered using precision laser engraving. When this technique is applied to the surface it captures and reflects light in different ways. The green dials with a palm tree pattern, reminiscent of summer sun through the branches, evoke dreams of exotic landscapes and vacations so many of us are currently dreaming of.
With its stunning palm motif on the dial and caliber 3235 at its heart, the new Rolex Dayjust is sure to become a most desirable summer adornment on the wrist…
Find out more here.
In the dive watch category – the deep green sea – we also find the Tudor Black Bay and the TAG Heuer Aquaracer. Tudor produced a gold version of their dive watch, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight with a new movement designation (MT5400, rather than MT5402). Gold cases are a first for Tudor, debuting with an 18kt yellow-gold case and a sapphire case back (also a first) through which you can admire the movement. Tudor have managed to give the watch a vintage vibe with the aged-green dial and bezel combined with a case that shows brushed – rather than polished – surfaces, which adds to the charm.
Find out more here.
At the other end of the dive watch aesthetic is the newly revamped TAG Heuer Aquaracer. Originally introduced in the 1980s, the new edition refines the lines and some of the styling with the brand now rebaptising it as the Aquaracer 300. Within the collection there is a sand-blasted titanium case with a green sunray-brushed dial and a radial-brushed ceramic bezel.
Powered by the automatic Caliber 5, the 43mm case of the Aquaracer 300 and bracelet are built from lightweight and scratch resistant grade 2 titanium with unique sandblasted finishing…
For more information, see here.
This list could go on and on as most manufacturers produced a green watch of one variety or another. Whilst it is difficult to understand why there was such a sudden move towards green colour in the industry, suffice to say that if this is your colour of choice, then this is your year.
Words: Dr Andrew Hildreth
Opening picture: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo with green dial
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