Russell Sheldrake
We’re obsessed with dial color trends in the watch industry. There’s nothing we love more than for the watch industry to proudly announce its “trending” colors each year. It’s always a fun game, but it gets a little boring when the colors start to run out. Given the sheer size of the industry and the fact that watches are no longer released on an annual cycle, but rather continuously throughout the year, it can be very hard to pinpoint what any particular trend is.
Over the years, we’ve seen plain blue, Tiffany blue, orange, and green, but purple is a color that I feel is never fully utilized. Whether you’re a Prince fan or you love mixing purple with gold to cheer on the Los Angeles Lakers, the power of purple is incredibly strong and it evokes royalty, luxury, and wealth, which are things that many big brands want to evoke these days. But you don’t have to be royalty to have a great watch with a purple dial. So, we went looking for the best purple dials on the market and listed them below.
Nomos Club Campus Blue Purple
The NOMOS Club Campus series is one of the industry’s best everyday watches you can buy today. With classic proportions and shapes, there’s enough subtlety in the styling to make it stand out from the crowd. Club Campus Blue The purple California dial doesn’t stand out here; it’s a much softer, more pastel hue, with small orange accents to brighten it all up. If you’re looking for a watch with a purple dial that doesn’t stand out, this might be it. Price: $1,500 USD.
Christopher Ward Twelve Tears
The market for integrated bracelet watches has been criticized recently for being too competitive, and rightly so. But we think Christopher Ward’s The Twelve offers a very appealing new take on the concept, at a price point that won’t immediately put you off buying one. The dial texture is new and fits well with the company’s brand image. The solid link bracelet design keeps the price down without sacrificing style, and a range of dial colours, like this purple, means there’s something to suit a variety of tastes. Price: USD 1,895
Also, we can’t talk about purple dials and Christopher Ward without briefly mentioning the Bel Canto. It’s a really fun watch with a unique complication for its price range, and the purple dial version pairs extremely well with the exposed mechanism.
Alpina Seastrong Diver Extreme Automatic Alcare LE
I love the no-compromise nature of Alpina’s Seastrong Diver Extreme line. This watch makes no excuses or cut corners for being a big, bulky, sturdy timer. This purple-dial version was created to celebrate Alpina becoming the official timing partner of the solo round-the-world sailing race that starts every January in Brest, France. And if I were to circumnavigate the globe in just over two months, I’d want something just as sturdy on my wrist. Price: $2,521 USD
King Seiko KS1969 SJE111
The King Seiko is a unique watch in itself, but adding a purple dial on top of it adds another layer to an already striking watch. The rich color pairs well with the expertly polished barrel case and beveled applied indexes. With its slim case and buttery bracelet, the KS1969 is the perfect dress watch alternative with a real heritage backdrop. Price: USD 3,100
NORQAIN Adventure Sports 37mm
Norqain is known for its tough sports watches that can withstand any kind of exertion, including the rave reviews of our own Andrew McWitchen. But the brand isn’t one-trick pony. The 37mm Adventure Sport is more of an everyday watch than a sports watch. The addition of diamonds to the bezel and indexes on the purple dial model makes this a dressy, flexible watch. Price: $6,090 USD
De Bethune DB28 xs Purple Rain
No more Kansas. De Bethune’s DB28 xs Purple Rain turns purple up to 11 and may be the most purple watch on this list. Made by an independent watchmaker known for taking on bold challenges, this model shows that the brand is a master of materials, heating titanium to create this deep, vibrant purple color. Add in the articulated lugs and intricate dial texture and you’ll be hard-pressed to compare this watch to anything else. Price: USD 99,000
Bovet Recital 27
Bovet watches are a mix of user-friendliness and luxury, and the Recital 27 is no exception. With three different time zones read from three different hands, you can easily check the time in another part of the world. It also comes with a city disc in case you forget the second or third time. This level of functionality combined with the finest finishing and design makes this a truly remarkable watch. Price: 105,00 USD
T+T Timeless Pick: Baltic Experiments Premier Quantième Perpétuel ref. QP01
We couldn’t finish this list without mentioning this amazing and unique piece made by BALTIC for this year’s postponed Only Watch auction. BALTIC is often talked about as a brand that showcases creative design at affordable prices, and with this watch they went all out to create their first perpetual calendar. What is often considered a very traditional complication is given a modern, BALTIC-inspired twist with the deep purple dial. The bidder at Christie’s seemed to think the combination was a hit, selling for 55,000 CHF (approximately US$65,000). Here’s hoping this one gets produced…
