Feature: Is Green The New Monochrome?
Black watches are boring. Period. Brands know this. You know this. I know this. So why are we still buying them? Simply put: it’s safe. It goes with everything. But what if you did want a little colour? Well, a developing trend in horology points to green being the next big thing. That being the case, here are five green watches that might just convince you to inject a little colour into your collection.
Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K
Here we have the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K. As the name would suggest, this version of the beloved tool watch is made entirely from 18K yellow gold. It features a dark matte green dial and bezel, which looks cracking in contrast to the warm tones of the yellow gold. What’s more, the Calibre MT5400 is visible through the open case back. This is a watch sure to capture the hearts of Tudor lovers everywhere.
Glashütte Original PanoMaticLunar
This is the PanoMaticLunar, one of the best-selling watches from German brand Galshütte Original. While the model itself isn’t new to the market, what is new, is the colour combination it flaunts.
The rich graduated green/black dial really helps to show off features like the big date, moonphase and off-centre intersecting hour and small second dials. But wait, there’s more. The green of the dial is further complemented by a warm-toned 18k red gold case and a green Louisiana alligator strap which helps to continue the green colour scheme around the wrist.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41
The new IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph is 41mm—making it more accessible to those with smaller wrists. The weight loss, however, isn’t the only thing to note with this new release. The new Pilot’s Watch Chronograph is now water-resistant to 100m, more accurate—thanks to a shiny new column-wheel caliber movement—and features a beefed-up case that ensures that the watch’s crystal doesn’t pop off while enduring rapid pressure losses. Oh, and did I mention it also comes in green now?
Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept Edition “La Côte-aux-Fées”
The record-breakingly thin Altiplano Ultimate Concept from Piaget is one of the most impressive technical feats in watchmaking over the last few years. The watch comes in at an incredibly impressive 2mm thick—that’s about the same as a one-pence piece!
For this edition of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept, Piaget has included subtle little nods to itself. You have the “1874”—the year of Piaget’s founding—close to the recessed crown and the green used on the exposed bridges—as well as the strap—represents the greenness of the trees and meadows in La Côte-aux-Fées, Piaget’s home.
Bell & Ross BR03-92 Full Lum
The square-shaped case is a design feature most associated with Bell & Ross, and this BR03-92 Full Lum has exactly that. Apart from looking like something Casper The Friendly Ghost would wear in his downtime, this watch looks to be like any other Bell & Ross watch on the surface. But what some of you might have already deduced is that this Bell & Ross has a neat trick up its sleeve, one that others don’t have. Know what it is? Yep, you guessed it, it’s fully luminescent.
Turning the lights off reveals that not only does the whole dial on this watch glow—acting as a sort of backlight for the hands, large Arabic numerals and markers—but the accompanying rubber strap does too. This all works to make the watch highly legible in any lighting condition.
Are you guilty of having a monochrome collection? If the answer was yes, then I hope this article gave you a few watches to consider. Maybe it really is time to go green?
