This summer, timepieces become colourful too!
Forget about understated dials and watches which fade into the background. This season, watchmaking is embracing pink, turquoise, green and even rainbow hues. From pastel designs to jewellery creations which are gemset, colour is taking centre stage, turning timepieces into ultimate fashion accessories. Discover the timepieces which dare to stand out. After all, if a watch is going to tell the time, it might as well set the style.
“All it takes is, for me, to disappear to Switzerland for a few days, in order to scout out for a Cartier special, and — just like that — Chloé nicks my spot! To be fair, she was absolutely right to do so, because her show is nothing short of stunning, showcasing a hand-picked selection of truly breathtaking timepieces.”
Frank Sans C
From pastel dials to ornamental stones: timepieces revealed as ultimate fashion accessories
Long confined to classic blacks, blues and silvers, watchmaking has now put colour firmly back at the heart of style. From heritage houses to the most innovative brands, colour has truly emerged as a design language. Far more than a simple choice of shade, it has become a means of self-expression, a reflection of personality and, above all, a powerful emotional statement. This season, dials are filled with powder pink, sage green, vibrant turquoise and hues inspired by natural gemstones: a shift that reflects the ever-closer link between watchmaking and fashion.
Underlining colour as a hallmark
One of the most striking releases of this trend is the new TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph. The watchmaking manufacture reimagines the laid-back and sporting character of its 1980s timepieces, thanks to a range of refined pastel colourways. From sandy beige and sky blue to delicate pink, these understated hues bring a sense of freshness to a lineup traditionally defined by its motorsport feel.
Under this playful aesthetic lies, however, serious technical innovation, such as the Solargraph movement, which allow the watch to run on both natural and artificial light. Only one minute in the sun, and it power will last for an entire day. A full charge takes less than 40 hours and gives you up to 10 months of power in total darkness. Furthermore, its battery boasts a lifespan of roughly 15 years. It is no mean feat if you keep in mind that it also has a central seconds hand and a date display at 3 o’clock, both of which are power-guzzlers.
What really catches the eye, though, is the design of those models. It underlines a 38mm case crafted from a composite material known as TH-Polylight or bio-polyamide. The unidirectional rotating bezel uses the exact same material, which gives the timepiece a lightweight feel and a fun presence on the wrist. And as mentioned, TAG Heuer hasn’t held back on the colourways: a beige version limited to 3,500 pieces, a light blue one at 3,000, and the pastel pink one at 2,500.
On the matching dial, a raspberry minute track provides just the right amount of contrast: a pop of colour echoing the seconds hand. The hour markers are striking and, just like the hands, they are luminescent. It would have been a brilliant touch to have the luminescence tinted to match each specific watch colour; that is where TAG Heuer really could have gone the extra mile.
To top off this lineup, two extra models come in sandblasted steel: pastel green and lavender blue, with dials tricked out with diamond hour markers.
€1,950
Technical specifications:
Beige opaline dial with a cool grey rehaut/Pastel blue opaline dial with a blue rehaut/Pastel pink opaline dial with a pink rehaut and a 60-second/minute scale
Polished rhodium-plated applied hour markers, featuring white Super-LumiNova during the day and green luminescence during the night
Pink-lacquered central hand
Date at 3 o’clock with a white date window
38mm case in pastel pink/beige/pastel blue TH-Polylight
Bidirectional rotating TH-Polylight bezel with a 60-second/minute scale
Flat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
Steel crown
Screw-down steel case back
Water-resistant to 100 metres
Pastel pink/beige/pastel blue rubber strap
Steel pin buckle
The essence of jewellery in watchmaking
Some brands go a step further and put colour right in the spotlight of their creative vision. At Dior, the D My Dior lineup — spearheaded by Victoire de Castellane, Artistic Director of Dior Joaillerie — turns the famous Cannage motif into a vibrant canvas for chromatic expression. A motif really appreciated by Monsieur Dior and which originally graced the Napoleon III chairs that welcomed guests to Avenue Montaigne for the iconic New Look runway show on 12 February 1947.
The white mother-of-pearl dial is adorned with rainbow lines, echoing the bezel which is set with 50 gemstones — including 25 diamonds, 5 sapphires, 5 pink sapphires, 3 orange sapphires, 3 yellow sapphires, 4 tsavorites, 2 emeralds, 2 amethysts, and 2 Paraíba tourmalines. Here, colour is far more than simple embellishment; it tells the story of the brand’s couture heritage and its gift for translating iconic design cues into the world of watchmaking.
From a technical perspective, the 25mm yellow gold case is water-resistant to 30 metres and houses a quartz movement. This stunning timepiece comes on a delicate pink satin strap with a diamond-set yellow gold pin buckle. To push the concept even further, a neon pink or green strap would have been a daring touch.
€25,000
Technical specifications:
Case: 25mm 18-carat yellow gold
18-carat yellow gold bezel set with 25 diamonds, 5 sapphires, 5 pink sapphires, 4 tsavorites, 3 orange sapphires, 2 yellow sapphires, 2 Paraíba tourmalines, 2 amethysts and 2 emeralds
18-carat yellow gold crown set with 13 brilliant-cut diamonds (0.03 ct*)
Water-resistant to 30 metres
White mother-of-pearl dial engraved with a coloured Cannage motif
Polished dauphine hands
Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Pink satin bracelet
18-carat yellow gold tang buckle set with 18 diamonds (0.18 ct*)
Quartz movement
Functions: Hours and minutes
The return of texture and character
Colour is also about the materials themselves. Piaget has perfectly captured this idea in its new Sixtie timepiece, featuring a blue quartz dial. The natural veins of the stone create unique patterns, ensuring that no two timepieces are identical.
The shiny navy-blue strap put the spotlight on the gadroons surrounding the bezel.
Far from being just a colour, this living material breathes life into the dial. The hallmark 29mm trapezoidal case in rose gold also makes a return, with its famous gadroons echoing the Andy Warhol timepieces by the same brand. This model is powered by a quartz movement and, unlike the initial Sixtie timepieces introduced last year with a metal bracelet, it is presented on a shiny navy-blue leather strap. This strap creates the illusion of passing directly through the case, further accentuating its jewellery feel. Because deep down, this timepiece is the true heir to that utterly wild era known as the “Swinging Sixties” of 1960s London: an era in which timepieces were turned into sautoir necklaces, fashion statements, and creations that dared to embrace all kinds of shapes and extravagant colours. It is a sense of freedom that you can truly feel in this model.
€21,600
Technical specifications:
29mm trapezoidal, rose gold case
Thickness: 6.5 mm
Blue quartz dial
Water-resistant to 50 metres
Piaget 57P quartz movement
Navy-blue alligator leather strap
Louis Vuitton adopts a similar philosophy with its new Color Blossom timepieces. Right at first sight, you can’t possibly mistake them for any other model. The star of the show here is the Monogram Flower, an iconic hallmark of the brand.
This motif was created in 1896 by Georges Vuitton as a tribute to his father. The design celebrates its 130th anniversary this year. Rather than simply dropping the motif onto a dial, Louis Vuitton has sculpted the entire timepiece in its silhouette. The pebble-shaped case mirrors this sun-inspired form, protected by a curved sapphire crystal. For a timepiece measuring just 26mm in diameter, the level of detail is astonishing and truly steals the show. The crown is shaped like a flower and the tiny pin at the centre of the hands draws on Louis Vuitton’s historic trunk-making expertise. Then, the magic of gemstones is underlined thanks to dials crafted from Australian white mother-of-pearl and Brazilian amazonite.
What is truly outstanding is the construction. The petals tilt slightly towards the centre like an actual flower, creating a brilliant sense of depth and light. And from a technical perspective, it is a far cry from simple. These dials are just 0.3 to 0.6 mm thick. When you are working with such thin natural stones, the slightest slip of the hand can shatter it all. Achieving this curve requires bending the material using specialized machines at the Louis Vuitton Fabrique des Arts, without cracking it.
For now, the lineup comprises four models. There is an entry-level steel version featuring a white mother-of-pearl dial. Then, two rose gold versions: one with a pink-tinted mother-of-pearl dial, and one of the most stunning pieces, adorned with 103 snow-set brilliant-cut diamonds. Eventually, a yellow gold version is underlined by a turquoise amazonite centre. Despite all this artistry, Louis Vuitton keeps a really simple approach of this timepiece, thanks to the quartz movement and water-resistance to 30 metres. At the end of the day, the real movement here focuses on stones, volumes, and light.
Color Blossom – ref. W7ST71 – steel – white mother-of-pearl dial – €4,600
Color Blossom – ref. W7PG51 – rose gold – pink-tinted mother-of-pearl dial – €10,900
Color Blossom – ref. W7YG21 – yellow gold – amazonite dial – €12,300
Color Blossom – ref. W7PG21 – rose gold and diamonds – white mother-of-pearl dial – €19,000
Technical Specifications:
Polished steel / Polished 18k rose gold / Polished 18k yellow gold / Polished 18k rose gold snow-set with 103 diamonds
26 mm diameter
7.87 mm including the domed sapphire crystal
Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
Closed, engraved with the LOUIS VUITTON signature
Water-resistant to 30 metres
White mother-of-pearl / pink-tinted white mother-of-pearl / amazonite / white mother-of-pearl with a Monogram Flower-shaped railway track minute circle
Hour and minute hands in steel / rose gold / yellow gold / rose gold
High-precision quartz movement
Functions: Hours and minutes
Dusky pink calfskin leather strap
Pin buckle in steel / 18k rose gold / 18k yellow gold / 18k rose gold engraved with the LOUIS VUITTON signature
A more casual elegance
Meanwhile, some watchmaking brands are currently championing subtlety. The Seiko Presage Cocktail Sakura Aviation is the perfect example of it. This model draws inspiration from a cocktail: the Sakura Aviation, a creation by the legendary Hisashi Kishi.
We are not just talking about any bartender here, this is about the International Bar Association World Champion — a master craftsman decorated in Japan: in short, a real institution. His cocktail blends gin, maraschino liqueur, lemon, sakura, and crème de violette. Seiko just thought: what if we brought its essence into a timepiece ? The real showstopper of this 34mm piece is its pink mother-of-pearl dial, which conveys images of Japanese cherry blossoms in full bloom, while its shimmer varies depending on the angle with which light hits the dial. The hands, hour markers, and crown are finished in rose gold, bringing an authentic warmth to the timepiece, while the two-tone bracelet rounds it off brilliantly. From a mechanical perspective, the self-winding calibre boasts roughly a 40 hour-power reserve. In short: reliable, straightforward, and tried-and-tested. The noteworthy point is that this is a limited run, with only 9,000 pieces.
€640 – Limited run of 9,000 pieces
Technical Specifications:
34mm stainless steel case
Thickness: 10.9mm
Water-resistant to 50 metres
4R35 self-winding calibre
Roughly 41-hour power reserve
Stop-seconds function
Date display
Meanwhile, Herbelin has opted for a khaki hue to give its new Cap Camarat Squelette a dynamic feel. It is a subtle shade, but there is a stark enough statement to bring some serious character to a timepiece that already boasts a well-thought architecture. The skeletonisation work is spot on, almost creating an optical illusion.
The hour markers with their bevelled facets and luminescent material, look as though they are floating right above the movement — seemingly suspended in mid-air while remaining perfectly legible. Speaking of legibility, the hands are luminescent too. But when it comes to the design, it is the khaki hue which this timepiece’s identity. The colour runs along the minute track framing the dial and extends to the FKM rubber strap. The strap features a velvety, “soft-touch” finish that feels comfortable on the wrist and avoids that sticky sensation you sometimes get with other rubber straps.
What is more, the inner workings are fully on display thanks to a Swiss Sellita self-winding movement — a safe bet that boasts a 41-hour power reserve. It is all housed in a 40.5mm case and water-resistant to 100 metres, showcasing a sleek mix of vertical brushed surfaces and polished facets. You can’t describe a Cap Camarat without mentioning its bezel, adorned with six polished screws — a visual hallmark that has become instantly recognisable for Herbelin. What is really enjoyable is that it isn’t just a skeleton watch trying to show off its gears. On the contrary, there is some genuine craftsmanship when it comes to volume and texture.
€2,000
Click here for the Cap Camarat Skeleton spec sheet
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