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Hopefully by now you’ve put away the browns and grays of wintertime and you’re looking for a little more pop. Since the weather is still a little dicey these days, going from shorts and loafers one day to jacket weather the next, the best way to ease into things is on your wrist.
“Colorful watches give the wearer a chance to depart from more traditional black, white, and metallic colors,” says Nathan Nerswick, a watch specialist at Crown & Caliber. “It allows them to inject a bit more personality into their wardrobe when they are dressing up or down.”
For sure a pop of color can be a playful sartorial choice, but the folks at OMEGA find utility in bright shades as well. “Color is invaluable in terms of watch function,” the brand insists. “A great example is the use of color to enhance display, for instance — colored diving scales on deep-sea watches.” For OMEGA, often the functionality creates the fashion. Of course that’s part of the beauty of a tool watch. They, along with other makers, also often use watch hands in different colors for instant readability as well, and fill the hands with SuperLuminova to emit different colored glows, so color plays a role even in darkness.
While the hands and bezel can certainly add a pop, the biggest real estate to be enhanced with color on a watch is the dial. “Our favorite place for color on a watch is the dial. It’s a great way to get a rich color that can make a statement without overwhelming the watch,” said Nerswick.
“Color has always been a component to make a watch more readable, fun, unique and functional,” says Damian Otwinowski, Vice President of Watches of Switzerland. “Sub dials in complications watches will often be distinguish from the main dial by color, all for easy read and ultimately more fun look of the timepiece,” he said. “It all comes down to who you are and what you like, choices are endless and that makes the process of finding your timepiece even more fun.“
Aviator 8 B01 Chronograph 43 Curtiss Warhawk
For those who prefer more of an earthy palette, the Aviator 8 B01 Chronograph 43 Curtiss Warhawk is a striking piece. The forest green dial is a versatile shade that compliments nearly any ensemble, and the classic pilot chronograph design will never go out of style.
Rolex Milgauss
Rolex calls the dial color on the Milgauss “Z-Blue” or electric blue to echo the iconic lightning bolt second hand. Amplified by a green sapphire crystal, the unique shade gives the Milgauss a subtle cool vibe that looks sharp on nearly any wrist.
Speedmaster Blue
Something about a moon phase “Moonwatch” just feels right, and this Blue Side of the Moon Speedmaster is simply stunning. Not only are the dial and leather strap blue, but the case itself is made of similarly hued ceramic, making the watch incredibly light on the wrist.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding Chronograph
Dwayne ‘The Rock” Johnson sported this fun Royal Oak Chronograph last season on Ballers, and Lakers star Anthony Davis owns one as well. The purple face is ensconced not in velvet but something more supple: 18-carat frosted white gold. Because when a baller decides to rock some color, it’s go big or go home.
Seiko Prospex
Reliable, classic and affordable, the Seiko Prospex is rock solid automatic diver in any shade. But the PADI edition feature a blue dial and a red and blue bezel that sets it apart.
SWII Solar Three-Hand Red rPet Watch
At $75, this 42mm bright red solar driven watch from One Eleven is a value proposition if ever we’ve seen one. It features a case made from bio-plastic and a strap woven from recycled bottles not to mention 100m of water resistance.
Super Sea Wolf 53 Compression
Zodiac is brand that’s not afraid to use bold colors in the collection and we particularly appreciate the daring when it comes to their heritage inspired Super Sea Wolf automatic diver models. The ocean inspired blue bezel on this version is snappy while the muted silver face gives the piece an air of sophistication.
Excellence Regulator Limited Edition by Alain Silberstein
One of the coolest designers in the game, watchmaker Alain Silberstein teamed up with the Swiss brand Louis Erard on this brilliant collaboration. Silberstein brings his signature to this stunning manual regulator timepiece. The limited edition is sold out but that shouldn’t stop you (or us) from stalking one on the secondary market.
Swatch Big Bold Jellyfish
Synchronize Swatches! Parker Lewis and company would have dug this model, the Big Bold Jellyfish. The tri-color hands to seemingly float above a visible movement thanks to the transparent 47mm case and dial.
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