10 green watches to enjoy in 2019
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Marie de Pimodan-Bugnon
Freelance journalist
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Olive, khaki, bottle or forest, shiny or mat, last year saw a first wave of green dials. A look around the latest Baselworld confirms the trend. So is green the new blue?
Anonimo Epurato Verde Natura
The Epurato is the elegant face of Anonimo. For casual chic, what better than this Verde Natura, whose forest green dial changes to slate grey depending on the light. Enclosed in a sleek cushion-shaped case in steel with a 42mm diameter, its natural shade is beautifully complemented by the colour of the interchangeable strap. An important detail for the dapper gent who likes to match his watch to his socks.
Bell & Ross BR03-92 Diver Green Bronze
Bronze cases with green dials are all the rage for this year’s sport watches, and clearly Bell & Ross has been swept along by the trend. This military-inspired dive watch, made as a 999-piece limited edition, comes with a bronze case and bezel, an olive green dial, and Super-LumiNova-filled hands and markers. The ideal set of specs for every neo-retro action man, even at 300 metres depth.
Breitling Aviator 8 Automatic 41 Curtiss Warhawk Editions
Curtiss-Wright, anyone? They were the makers, between 1938 and 1944, of the P-40 Warhawk fighter plane. Breitling has looked to this iconic aircraft for a series of three watches that should strike a chord with any aviation nut. Among the standout features of the three-hand version are a COSC-certified movement (Breitling Caliber 17), a 43mm steel case and, of course, a military green dial to go with the green NATO strap. Vintage goodness!
Chopard L’Heure du diamant
The malachite almost overshadows the diamonds, such is the intensity of its colour. But Chopard looks beyond appearances. Inside this jewel of a watch’s 30mm white gold case beats an in-house automatic movement. Elegant, delicate, flamboyant. And, need we mention, precise.
H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Flying Hours Cosmic Green
It’s H. Moser & Cie.’s signature green; an intense hue reminiscent of the Northern Lights that finds its way onto the dial of the Endeavour Flying Hours in a limited edition of 100. Telling the time couldn’t be simpler: minutes are displayed on a 240° sector while hours appear on three smaller discs that rotate on themselves, driven by an in-house movement with automatic winding.
Oris Big Crown Pointer Date 80th Anniversary Edition
Has it really been 80 years since the first appearance of the Big Crown Pointer Date? Now Oris’ signature timepiece, its oversized crown was designed for easy handling by pilots’ gloved hands. To celebrate these eight decades, the brand has opted for a deep green dial surrounded by a bronze case. Here’s a watch whose aura won’t fade but will develop a lovely patina with time – measured by the Oris 754 automatic movement.
Patek Philippe Aquanaut Jumbo Ref. 5168G
In 2018 it popped up sporting a tangerine orange strap. This year the Aquanaut adds to its palette and adopts a khaki green shade for its dial and for its rubber strap. We’re sensing something of a daredevil spirit for this 42.20mm “Jumbo” version. The automatic Calibre 324 SC keeps things ticking.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36
The Day-Date takes a colour bath with this version in yellow gold paired with a green ombré dial, lighter in the centre, darker round the edge. Hour markers make way for the sparkle of diamonds set in gold bezels with, at 6 and 9 o’clock, baguette-cut stones. This is the first time Rolex has used Calibre 3255 for the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 which, like all Rolex watches, carries Superlative Chronometer certification.
TAG Heuer Autavia
A quick glance in the rearview mirror for TAG Heuer, whose Autavia returns with a definite neo-vintage twist. Introduced in the 1960s, pulled from the brand’s collections in 1985, it’s back with a vengeance as seven cockpit-inspired references including one in bronze complete with a smoky-effect green dial and a black ceramic bezel. This old-school exterior barely hints at the timekeeping technology inside. Only the word Isograph on the dial reveals the presence of a new carbon-composite balance spring, part of the chronometer-certified Calibre 5.
Zenith Pilot Type 20 Adventure
It takes a sturdy wrist and an adventuresome spirit to wear this new rendition of the Pilot Type 20. A 45mm bronze case, a grained khaki green dial packing oversized Super-LumiNova Arabic numerals, an XXL crown and interchangeable leather straps with camouflage or khaki matrix patterns combine into the ideal look for sensation-seekers, who’ll always be on time courtesy of the El Primero 4069 automatic movement.
