Price-walking is that thing insurers do at renewal time. You get an email, forget it ane they auto renew; same product but £55 more this year.
So adding an olive green dial version to the Intra-Matic and raising the RRP to over two grand seems kinda the same deal. The old blue or white dial models looked great. In fact I prefer the blue dial Intra’s vibrant punch, it really lifts off the wrist.
But why is the same watch now another £300 to buy? We found a blue dial model on CW Sellors at £1930 with a 10% off pop-up window on the website. That makes it about £1740 retail.
It won’t work Hamilton. Even if you did see off Lewis and his trademark case, don’t get cheeky.
Come on, this is getting boring now Swiss brands. Yep, Zenith has joined the green watch trend with a an olive green El Primero, called the Safari. It doesn’t ding our bell, it feels a bit washed out, too understated with that matt grey case finish.
Fact is, we love the original El Primero design way too much, this just looks flat – dare we say, a bit cheap?
Anyway here’s the word from Zenith;
When the designers at Zenith asked themselves what an El Primero from 1969 inspired by the great outdoors would look like, they imagined something entirely different from what the Manufacture had produced in over 50 years since the famed calibre’s introduction; something that evoked the vivid colours and textures found on wild terrains with the same utility and ergonomics as its most prized chronographs. The result is the Chronomaster Revival Safari, a lush reinterpretation of a signature vintage chronograph icon.
The geometry and overall proportions of this fresh and modern chronograph are identical to those of the historical A384, but the look and feel of the case couldn’t be more different. Instead of the traditionally finished stainless steel in a mix of satin-brushed and polished surfaces, the Safari is crafted in titanium that’s lighter yet harder than steel. The entire case including the star-emblazoned crown and pump-style pushers are fashioned in an intriguingly muted finish that’s entirely microblasted to bring out the dark nuances of titanium by absorbing light rather than reflecting it.
Exhibiting tones ranging from deep olive-green to cooler spruce tones, the dial of the Chronomaster Revival Safari is a deep matte green with contrasting black registers and tachymeter scale, with a touch of vintage inspiration with its warm beige-coloured SuperLumiNova on the applied baton markers and hands. The white on green date wheel is perfectly camouflaged with the rest of the dial; legible when you need it but never distracting. The rubber and cordura-effect strap takes on the same khaki-green tone as the dial, and is fixed to a matte microblasted titanium pin buckle.
Powering this retro-inspired but resolutely modern and edgy chronograph is the El Primero automatic high-frequency chronograph calibre, visible through the display back. In production since 1969 and gradually evolved throughout the years, this is the closest iteration to the original version of the seminal chronograph movement.
The Chronomaster Revival Safari is ready to go where no El Primero has gone before, and is available from Zenith boutiques & e-commerce from June 2021.
Longines has launched a matt green dial variant of its Spirit model. The 42mm case auto has raised numbers, which seem to float above the dial from some angles. It’s aslo COSC certified.
Retail is £2050 in the UK, our advice is save another 600 quid up and invest in a Tudor instead. The Longines will lose you a grand in one year of ownership, plus this is a very plain jane looker for two grand, which resembles an Orient three star from a distance.
We have seen lots of green dial watches from TAG, Rolex, IWC, Breitling, Oris and more over the last year. Baume and Mercier has joined the party, with their green dial Riviera model, for men and ladies. Very trick strap change tech on the lugs too.
Yes, it does look a bit like an AP Royal Oak from a distance too – quite handy. Love the 42mm case size too. Here’s the press info;
Originally created in 1973, the Riviera watch has been given a new lease on life this year. It is going green this summer to express the energy, joie de vivre, and natural environment of its homeland: the elegant coasts of the Mediterranean.
The watch is strongly symbolic of Baume & Mercier, and retains the distinctive dodecagonal bezel and streamlined steel case that have brought it such renown. Following on from the new pieces presented during Watches & Wonders 2021, the Riviera is now adorned with a very summery and radiant green: irresistible.
This Brand icon is also wonderfully versatile with a new interchangeability system and an assortment of colored bracelets.
It was first created in Saint-Tropez in the 1970s and still conveys that wild decade’s values of happiness and carefree living. (many of us were on a three day week, using outside toilets, suffering regular power cuts, plus hyper inflation of 26% – Ed)
Summer in green
After the new collection was presented at Watches & Wonders 2021, Baume & Mercier expressed an ever more impactful style in connection with its rich history. A clever combination of “seventies-style” avant-garde design and the sporty classicism of contemporary watchmaking, the Riviera is going green for an exciting comeback. The color of these two incredibly characterful watches is synonymous with hope and a love of nature.
The first green creation is the 36 mm diameter model, aimed at women from all walks of life as well as men looking for a sporty and understated watch.
In steel, this Riviera – water-resistant to 50 meters as for all models of this size – features a light green dial with a refined sun-satin finish and is decorated with delicate stylized waves. This watch is unrivaled in its elegance, and powered by a new generation “Swiss made” quartz movement that provides 10 years of autonomy.
MENS MODEL
More masculine in size, the second Riviera has a dark green dial and is decorated with an exclusive nautical motif. It comes in an automatic “Swiss made” version in satin-finished and polished steel and measures 42 mm in diameter. It goes without saying that it also features the celebrated dodecagonal bezel. The radiant satin sunray dial is decorated in green, which accentuates its cool and contemporary design and offers water-resistance to 100 meters.
STRAP CHANGEOVER SYSTEM IS COOL
Asserting its design expertise once more, Baume & Mercier has paid special attention to how the bracelet (steel or rubber) fits onto the case for all the pieces in the Riviera collection that was unveiled this year.
The system has been thoughtfully designed by Baume & Mercier watchmakers to provide the Riviera with beautifully balanced proportions as well as increased comfort for its wearer. With their summery style, the two new pieces are decorated in interchangeable green grained and satin rubber straps, and are fitted with a triple folding security clasp.
See the video here;
They also feature the ingenious Fast Strap interchangeability system developed by Baume & Mercier, so the flexible or steel bracelet can be changed in just a few seconds. With this brand-new Fast Strap system, the bracelets can simply be clipped into the center of the lug. There is no requirement for specific tools or force.
Simple and straightforward. The rubber strap is available in various colors (black, blue, green, azure blue, white and mauve) so you can match the Riviera to your mood. Changing the bracelet on a watch transforms its appearance. The Riviera is naturally versatile, and knows how to do this to its best advantage.
We can’t see this one on the company website so we will take a guess and say it retails at £2250. Ish.
Green dials are everywhere this year across the luxury watch market, from TAG to Rolex, Turdor to Longines.
The Spirit range now has a green dial version available, with prices starting at just under two grand for the leather strap version. That is a hefty price tag for a Longines, a brand which tends to lag behind Omega when it comes to PX/resale time.
Inside you get the L888.4 COSC level movement, which is based on the ETA A31 engine, which in turn can trace its roots back to the ETA 2892. There is a lot to be said for upgrading existing tech, especially when it comes to reliable, easy-to-service movements. But should a 2K watch have something new, built from the ground up?
You get big numbers on this watch which is great for those who want a traditional timekeeper. It also has a big winding crown and that suits some users with big hands. It only has 10ATM depth rating, even with a screw down crown which is pretty cautious of Longines.
There’s a sapphire crystal too, plus a screw on caseback, so it should actually be OK to swim while wearing this watch, but don’t take our advice.
At 42mm wide, this watch hits the sweet spot for many collectors. It’s just that for that price you could buy something really collectable, like say a pre-owned Tudor Black Bay. We think a Black Bay will hold its value long term – this green Longines? Hmm, maybe not.
Every luxury brand is now rushing to offset their carbon emissions, as ESG kicks in as a required part of company accounts and product policy. What is ESG? Environmental and Social Governance. That means profit is not the prime aim of any business, the objective is social good, sustainable production runs – as defined by activists and experts. Not the Board.
So Oris, like other watch brands is launching this Aquis special edition which helps preserving Wadden Sea habitat for future generations, which is a socially good thing. It also ticks a box on carbon offset too. Nice work.
The Oris Dat Watt is a limited edition model and it provides funds from each sale towards preserving the Waden Sea area of Northern Ntherlands/Denmark. Call it a green levy if you like, soon every product will have a green tax on it by law, so get used to the idea.
Great looking watch, so if you support the idea of `wilding,’ which is reserved nature areas in Europe where humans are largely restricted from entering, then Dat Watt (German dialect for the Wadden Sea) is a purchase that makes a difference.
Oris Dat Watt Limited Edition
TECH SPEC:
Case Multi-piece stainless steel case, unidirectional rotating bezel
Size 43.50 mm (1.713 inches)
Dial Gradient blue/grey Luminous material Hands and indices
with Super-LumiNova®
Top glass Sapphire, domed on both sides, anti-reflective coating inside
Case back Stainless steel, screwed, special engravings
Stainless steel screw-in security crown with crown protection
Bracelet Stainless steel metal bracelet, folding clasp with extension
Water resistance 30 bar (300 m)
Movement: Number Oris 761
Functions Centre hands for hours, minutes and seconds, centre hand moon phase, date window, instantaneous date, date corrector,
fine timing device and stop-second
Winding Automatic
Power reserve 38 hours
Special edition Supplied in a special presentation box
Swiss retail price CHF 2,450 (APPROX £1920)
Available May 2021
TAG has released a teal green dial edition of the Carrera chronograph because, well…it’s just a 2021 trend and all that. Green is the new blue when it comes to dials. It retails at 6300 euros, or around £5420.
Here’s the word from TAG H press office;
Just in time for summer, the Swiss luxury watchmaker unveils the TAG Heuer Carrera Green Special Edition, an exceptional timepiece in a brand new colour: a deep blue-green with an intense shimmer. Limited to 500 pieces, this watch artfully combines the tradition inherited from the first Heuer Carrera models with modern elegance, brought together by an incomparable Riviera style.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Green Special Edition chronograph has in fact plenty in common with the Heuer Carrera ref. 2447. The signature lugs, stylish case, polished push buttons and dial all chime pleasingly with its illustrious predecessor, but the details and broader diameter – enlarged from 36 to 39 mm – bring it right up to date.
The dial boasts a sober, sophisticated tricompax structure with three snailed subdials: a minute chronograph at 3 o’clock, hour chronograph at 9 o’clock and permanent second indicator at 6 o’clock. The hour and minute hands are faceted and coated with Super-LumiNova® for optimum readability. Behind the retro-style “glass box” domed sapphire crystal, also inspired by the original Heuer Carrera, the dial sports the emblematic Heuer logo and Carrera name.
And last but not least, the new feature that makes this watch stand out from the crowd: the dial’s stunning teal sunray-brushed colour.
Rarely featured in TAG Heuer collections, this colour is a subtle
blend of blue and green, giving this timepiece a fresh, creative flair and sophisticated boldness. On the caseback, there are touches of teal on the movement’s column wheel and in the “Calibre Heuer 02” and “Swiss Made” inscriptions on the oscillating mass, visible through the transparent case.
There are just 500 examples of this special edition, 39mm watch being made, all sold direct online or via TAG boutiques.
Bell + Ross has sent us some info on their latest model, which has MASH army green vibe going on.
Bell & Ross’ diving watches offer a professional solution
to an environment that is as fascinating as it is dangerous.
Its HYDROMAX® model held the world record for water
resistance up to 11,100 m deep in 1997.
Released in 2017, the brand’s first square diving watch became a collection in its own right and pursued its expansion ever since.
Since its origins, Bell & Ross has built a strong history in
the underwater exploration, and now extends its DIVER
collection with a new model that reflects its core DNA and
reaffirms the brand’s functional approach.
Based on the brand’s principle that the superfluous should
never shadow the essentials, the Bell & Ross’ engineers
have designed a utilitarian diving watch perfectly suitable
for professional use, the BR 03-92 DIVER MILITARY.
CERAMIC DESIGN
Made entirely from ceramic, the BR 03-92 DIVER MILITARY
is lightweight, high-performance and virtually, unscratchable.
Reminiscent of the anti-reflective finish used on aircraft
instrument panels, this new model is perfectly in tune with the
aeronautical codes so crucial to the Bell & Ross philosophy.
By releasing a high-tech material in the professional underwater
instruments, Bell & Ross has created a new must-have tool and
reinterprets the original values of the iconic BR 01.
The UK price is £3990 and the edition is limited to 999 pieces.
Verdict; Expensive dive option compared to many Indie brand 300m rated watches. The ceramic case is a unique feature, but the trouble with pottery is that it breaks easily. On the upside the straps are silicon or fabric, so you don’t have that broken Rado link problem to worry about.
Green is everywhere this year, from Boris Johnson’s latest attempts to micro-manage our entire lives by banning gas boilers, bacon sandwiches and petrol cars, to the myriad – yes we used myriad – green dial watches showcased by Rolex, IWC, Patek, Tudor and others at Watches & Wonders.
Now TAG has joined th party with a green dial variant on their classic Monaco model. I refuse to say `iconic’ because some herberts on local news websites are now describing their local bus depot as iconinc. It’s laughable. OK then, classic TAG Monaco features like the 39mm case, black sub-dials, plus it a luminous green glow at night on the hands and markers. The see-thru caseback has some green text, plus there’s a dash of green on the movement too.
Yours for £5500 and there are just 500 pieces available. Verdict; we still the Gulf Porsche racing colours is the best TAG Monaco of modern times. There, we said it.
There are lots of green watches this year. For example JLC has launched a green Reverso, which retails at £7200 and has a green strap option too. Then there’s that weird Rolex palm tree thing. Hmmm, let’s move on.
Thing is, the green Reverso works well because this is a physically small watch, designed back in the days when gents wore little 32mm case things because you stood a good chance of being hit by a fascist/communist goon, industrial machinery etc so it made sense to keep an expensive Swiss watch up your sleeve. That is how wristwatches became popular, because getting a pocket watch out in the trenches of WW1 was a bad move.
So yes, we love the Reverso in its green colours. But it looks handsome in blue as well – and blue is THE most popular dial colour in gents watches.
Other green dial watches lauched recently include the 18ct gold Tudor Black Bay 58, the Patek Nautilus in olive green, plus three AP Royal Oak variants all featuring green. The tourbillon Royal Oak is actually very 1960S Time Tunnel, with its strange, almost psydelic swirling green pattern. Crazy ass watch as about $180,000 so we expect to see Floyd Maywether sporting this one very soon.
It’s no Submariner Hulk, is it?
But when you look at the Tudor 58 in green, it’s kinda in-your-face and although the Rolex Sub Hulk is a very collectable watch, we cannot think of another all-green wristwatch that carries the same cred when it comes to watch collecting, pre-owned shops and pawnbrokers. Seriously, when was the last time you stuck your nose onto a jewellers shop window and lusted after a green watch?
Yes, we can sympathise with fans of the IWC Big Pilot 43, because the 2021 model with green dial looks the part, no question. It’s probably fair to say that the blue version looks equally stunning but we bet you £50 that when it is time to sell you will get about £500 less for the green dial version, maybe £1000 less. They just don’t sell and as I worked in a pawnbrokers for two years and a jewellers for five years, I know what sells.
It’s this in a nutshell; blue dial gents watches, followed by black dials, and then maybe a white dial if the lume/hands/numbers combo is sharp and clean. Cheap Accurist or expensive Omega. Blue dials win, all day long.
