jamie weiss
Every year there seems to be a new trend in dial colors that takes the industry by storm. It looked like 2021 was blue, 2022 was green, and 2023 was rainbow…but amidst temporary crazes and short-lived trends, it has long remained a staple of the avid watch collecting community. There are colors. It’s all about salmon. Now, I’m more of a Barramundi fan, but I’m going to make an exception and present you with a list of the 7 best salmon dial watches in no particular order. Please order!
Baltic MR01 Salmon
Baltic salmon can be found in the waters around Lapland and Iceland, but you can catch Baltic MR01 salmon at the Time+Tide shop. An affordable mechanical entry point into the world of Salmon dial watches, its Art Deco aesthetic blends perfectly with the old-fashioned feel of Salmon dials, with offset small seconds and Breguet numerals, and a light edge. is given. It is powered by a Hangzhou micro-rotor movement and measures an approachable 36mm. Price: €545(~US$600)
brunswick horror
Brunswick by UK-based brand Fears is also available at the Time+Tide Shop, with a salmon dial option that won’t require you to sell your kidneys. The dial is galvanized in rose gold and copper with a rich salmon color and hand-applied vertical brushing. In addition to its clean design, it features a small seconds dial at 6 o’clock with a beautiful circular grain finish. The overall design is reminiscent of early Fears watches from the 40s and 50s, housed in an elegant cushion-shaped case. It’s vintage and elegant, a perfect combination with the sweet salmon color of the dial. Under the hood is the ETA 7001, a movement that has been around for many years. A closed caseback is used as there’s not much to write home about aesthetically, but it gets the job done and makes for reliable daily wear. Price: US$3,895 (leather strap), US$4,390 (stainless steel bracelet)
IWC Portugieser 40
This year, IWC has introduced a number of attractive new dial colors to its Portugieser collection, including Horizon Blue, Sand Gold and Onyx. But this salmon dial Portuguese 40 remains a strong contender for the world’s most beautiful (and perhaps most underrated) dress watch. Stable Schaffhausen brand. Combining rich sunburst salmon with relatively minimalist Arabic lettering, this timepiece offers an expanse of salmon tones. Price: $7,450
Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42
Just imagine for a moment. You are a young professional. You’ve just received your first paycheck, and you’re an avid Time+Tide reader, and you want a great watch to tick it all off. There might be something special. I saw someone on Instagram wearing a Patek Philippe 5172G and thought, “This is it!” So I immediately went to a local advertising agency and was told that I probably wouldn’t be offered it. At first I was disappointed, but as I left the boutique I saw an adorable little Breitling out of the corner of my eye. “Do you have this?” you whispered to the store clerk, relieved to see him nod. The Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph bears a striking resemblance to the aforementioned Patek, yet it stands completely on its own. With its in-house movement, thoughtful date display, and beautiful salmon dial, this model is a winner in my book. Price: $9,350
Chopard LUC 1860
The Chopard LUC 1860, unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2023, is a faithful recreation of the first-ever LUC watch released in 1996. The real focus of this watch is the movement, the LUC 96.40-L, and Chopard has knocked it out of the park. On the dial. Made of gold, hand-guillochéd and galvanized with salmon. How amazing! 36.5mm is the perfect size for a dress watch, but I’m not sure it’ll look good with a tuxedo. It’s also made from Chopard’s Lucent Steel, a partially recycled alloy that is 50% harder than its 316L counterpart. Price: $23,200
Grönefeld 1941 Principia
Step up the scale (just kidding) with the Groenefeld 1941 Principia Automatic Salmon Dial. In true luxury watch fashion, this salmon dial beauty has all the hallmarks of the Horological Brothers we’ve come to love. Ridiculous movement finishes, intricate case designs, exotic straps (hello Buffalo), and an attention to detail that puts it to shame. At 39.5mm, this watch is available in white gold, red gold, or stainless steel and is aimed at watch collectors with a bit of glamor and deep pockets. As a side note, check out Grönefeld’s website. The specs page has great details. The winding system of Caliber G-06 is described as follows: “633 revolutions of the oscillating weight are required for 24-hour autonomy.” Classic. Price: From 36,900 EUR (~40,000 USD)
Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit
Are you serious about buying a salmon dial watch? (Sorry, no pun intended.) Then look no further than this Laurent Ferrier. This model is an almost perfect fusion of tradition and modernity. The integrated bracelet and motorsport-inspired design give it a modern (or at least mid-century) feel, but it’s also notable for the fact that the tourbillon movement is not visible from the dial side. It’s a very old-school touch…and one of the greatest subtleties of flexibility in modern horology, and one that particularly struck me when Creative Director Marcus actually worked on this watch. The smoked salmon dial is the perfect accent. Price: $202,000
Honorable Mention: Studio Underd0g Series 03 Salm0n
Strictly speaking, Studio Underd0g’s Salm0n is not a salmon dial watch, but it does have a salmon-colored chapter ring and chronograph subdial. But we had to include it because it’s literally a salmon dial, with a mottled gray center that resembles salmon skin. It’s the kind of cheeky touch you’ve come to expect from this design-focused brand, but the Series 03 Salm0n is also the British brand’s most horological to date, as it uses a Sellita monopusher chronograph movement. It is also one of the most reliable watches. At the time of publication, this watch is sold out, but more may drop in the future, so stay tuned. Price: $2,000
