Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Depth of Detail with Six Beautifully Textured Blue Dials
Classical in tone, each of these offers a unique appeal thanks to various textures and finishing techniques.
Every week, on Sunday morning, we entertain you (hopefully) with a series of watches sharing a common theme. While this can be anything, really, we revisit topics from time to time to see what’s new and fresh. One of the most popular topics of debate is colour, and as such, we revisit one of the staples in dial tones: blue! Long considered a classic dial colour, blue dials are omnipresent, but these ones add a few extra sprinkles. With that in mind, here are six watches with beautiful textured blue dials!
Grand Seiko Moonlit Birch SLGW007
Grand Seiko is the king of dials, with a seemingly never-ending run of creative and expressive examples. Whether it’s colour or texture, a new Grand Seiko is almost guaranteed to deliver on both fronts. One of the latest is the Moonlit Birch SLGW007. This refined hand-wound GS has a wonderful navy blue dial with a birch bark texture. The dial is said to resemble a birch tree struck by moonlight. There’s also a clever power reserve indicator on the back, which keeps the dial as clean as it can be. Worn on a blue leather strap, the SLGW007 retails for EUR 10,200.
For more information, please visit Grand-Seiko.com.
Quick Facts – 38.6mm x 9.95mm – stainless steel case, brushed & Zaratsu-polished – sapphire crystal front & back – 30m water-resistant – navy blue dial with Birch Bark texture – applied faceted & polished hour markers & hands – calibre 9SA5, manually wound – 36,000vph (hi-beat) – 80h power reserve – Direct Dual Impulse escapement – hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve (backside) – textured blue leather strap with folding clasp – permanent collection – EUR 10,200
Oris Aquis Pro 1000
What better texture to elevate a blue dial in a dive watch than a wave pattern? It’s a recipe applied to many dive watches across many brands over many years. And for good measure, it’s a perfect fit and delivers something more than just colour. We’ve gone for this ultra-robust Oris Aquis Pro 1,000M, which comes with a gradient light-to-dark blue dial and horizontal wave-like grooves. Simple, but very effective! At 49.5mm by 16.6mm, it’s certainly a very large watch, but it wears well thanks to its titanium case. It comes on a supple blue rubber strap with Oris’ adjustable Sliding Sledge folding clasp, and costs CHF 3,400.
For more information, please visit Oris.ch.
Quick Facts – 49.5mm x 16.6mm – titanium case, black DLC coated – ceramic bezel with Rotating Safety System – sapphire crystal – solid caseback – 1,000m water-resistant – gradient blue dial with wave pattern – applied markers & hands with SLN – Oris calibre 733 (Sellita SW200-1) – automatic winding – 28,800vph – 41h power reserve – blue rubber strap with complementary black rubber strap in the box – adjustable Sliding Sledge folding clasp, titanium – CHF 3,400
GoS Völund Fullerö Sword
Swedish indie watchmaker GoS is renowned for its expertise in Damascus steel. The latest creation is the Völund Fullerö Sword, inspired by an ancient Viking blade found in Völund, Sweden, in 1969. Its dial is a true work of art, made from a solid slice of Damascus steel. Multiple layers of two types of steel are used: these are forged together, cut into pieces, restacked, and forged again before being acid-etched and coloured by hand. The result is nothing short of spectacular! It relies on a La Joux-Perret G101 automatic with a custom rotor, and is worn on a black Moose leather strap with an optional Viking braided motif. The price is USD 12,500 excl. VAT.
For more information, please visit GoSWatches.com.
Quick Facts – 41.5mm x 11mm – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – bezel with engrvaed Viking braiding – hand-cut crown – Damascus steel dial, handmade – sapphire crystal index ring with SLN – spearhead-shaped hands – La Joux-Perret G101, automatic – 28,800vph – 65h power reserve – custom rotor with Triskele medallion – black moose leather strap with (optional) Viking braided motif – Damascus steel pin buckle – USD 12,500 excl. VAT (also available in Raw Steel & Glowing Steel finish)
Citizen Tsuyosa 60 Automatic
On the far more affordable end of the spectrum, we have the Citizen Tsuyosa 60 Automatic. This absolute bargain of a watch shows great style, especially in the recently introduced rose gold-coated configuration. The classically royal blue dial is finished with a concentric stamped guilloché pattern, and gold coloured applied markers and hands. It also comes on a new Jubilee style (for lack of a better word) multi-link bracelet with polished centre links. Retailing for just EUR 379, it’s extremely hard to find anything to complain about. Ok, maybe the accuracy rating of the movement, but they generally run well within the -20/+40 seconds per day bandwidth Citizen specifies.
For more information, please visit CitizenWatch.eu or CitizenWatch-Global.com.
Quick Facts – 40mm x 11.7mm – stainless steel case with rose gold coating – sapphire crystal – mineral crystal caseback – offset crown – 50m water-resistant – blue dial with concentirc stamped guilloché-style pattern – applied markers & hands, luminous – calibre 8310, in-house – automatic winding – 21,600vph – 60h power reserve – Jubilee-style steel bracelet, rose gold coated – concealed folding clasp – EUR 379
Louis Erard 2340
Louis Erard, probably best known for its many creative collaborations with independent watchmakers, has recently unveiled its integrated sports watch collection. Named the 2340, after the postcode of the Louis Erard HQ in Le Noirmont, Switzerland, it is a design that offers something different and characteristic to the segment. It comes in Deep Blue or Slate Blue (also in Mint Green, but that’s beside the point), with horizontal gadroons all over. This is set in a shaped titanium case with an integrated titanium bracelet, and more gadroons as finishing touches. It’s powered by a top-grade Sellita SW300-1 automatic, and retails for CHF 2,990.
For more information, please visit LouisErard.com.
Quick Facts – 40mm x 8.95mm – shaped titanium case, brushed & polished – sapphire crystal – solid caseback – 50m water-resistant – Deep Blue or Slate Blue dial with horizontal gadroons – applied logo – markers & hands with SLN – Sellita SW300-1, automatic – 28,800vph – 56h power reserve – integrated titanium bracelet, brushed & polished – conceiled spring-loaded butterfly clasp – CHF 2,990
Czapek Antarctique Mount Erebus Stone
It seems that no matter what Czapek puts on its Antarctique dial, it always ends up looking incredible. The latest to prove just that is the Antarctique Mount Erebus Stone, which comes in three variations, including this rose gold specimen with a Lapis Lazuli dial. As it’s a natural material, each one will have a unique shade of blue and a mix of specks. The applied indices and hands are finished with luminous inserts, and around the back, you get a full view of the brand’s own SXH5 calibre. Available on a rubber strap or an integrated rose gold bracelet, it is limited to 10 pieces per year for a price of CHF 44,000 (rubber strap) or CHF 66,000 (rose gold bracelet).
For more information, please visit Czapek.com.
Quick Facts – 40.5mm x 10.6mm – 18k rose gold case, brushed & polished – screw-in crown – sapphire crystal front & back – natural Lapis Lazuli stone dial – applied indices & sword-shaped hands with luminous inserts – calibre SXH5, in-house – micro-rotor automatic – 28,800vph – 60h power reserve – integrated rose gold bracelet with micro-adjustable butterfly clasp – also available on a rubber strap – limited to 10 pieces per year – CHF 43,000 (rubber) or CHF 66,000 (bracelet)
