Round-UpVerdant Vistas: 10 Green Watches That Are Simply Irresistible
What does the expression ‘greener pastures’ mean? According to the definition, it is a state of moving on to a better life, since the colour symbolises success and good fortune. The haute horlogerie universe, too, seems to be on the same page, and is taking a cue from this. The Swiss players are leaving no stone unturned in churning out mechanical marvels with green dials, straps, and sometimes, even both. Here’s our pick of the 10 best green watches to breathe new life into your collection
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It was about three years ago when green watches started making a stronger appearance inside the hallowed halls of the annual watch fairs in Geneva and Basel, Switzerland. Though few and far between the events; the hue established its presence in the form of accents on dials and straps, or by simply going the whole hog, albeit not adventurous enough to be represented in a bold avatar. However, that’s all in the past and if one were to observe closely today, then probably every watch maison has at least one green offering in their arsenal. So, has green replaced blue—once viewed as a welcome deviation from the typical blacks and the greys? In my view, this is not happening any time soon because unlike blue, which has been normalised into the haute horlogerie colour palette; it takes some daring to don a green timepiece since it signifies a strong individualistic mindset. It can either make or break a look and there is always an element of risk involved. But then again, no one achieved anything great without taking any risks, right?
The same principle is attached to green watches that can either be viewed as lurid, attention-seeking gimmicks or the trademark signature of a person, who understands and appreciates the finer things in life, and is not afraid to bend the rules. The colour is also gaining popularity due to the greater discourse on public platforms around climate change and adopting a more sustainable, or greener way of life. And who can forget that it’s also associated with prosperity, which is always welcome in abundance.
Whatever the reason, green seems to be here to stay in the world of watches. So it might not be such a bad idea to add a verdant timepiece to your collection. Here’s a list of 10 outstanding watches that present the hue in a variety of ways, each with its own appeal. Take a look.
Baume & Mercier Clifton Automatic 40mm
Launched last year, the Baume & Mercier Clifton Automatic combines the classic design codes of the Clifton line along with the accuracy of their Baumatic movement. The watch features a deep green, lacquered dial with remarkable craftsmanship and looks great framed by a stainless steel case. There’s a large date window at three o’clock, and the watch offers three-hand timekeeping function, and showcases riveted indexes in a slightly elongated trapezoid shape. All these elements are protected by a domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with an anti-glare coating. Its 40mm polished and satin-finished stainless steel case makes this watch a delight to wear. On turning over the watch, one can get a glimpse into the inner workings of the fascinating Baumatic automatic movement, which features bridges with a circular-grained finish, a sand-blasted and snailed base plate, and an open-worked oscillating weight featuring Côtes de Genève. The movement is equipped with a certified chronometer (COSC), and offers a power reserve of five days or 120 hours of autonomy, during which its accuracy is unaltered, even when exposed to the magnetic fields encountered in daily life. Water-resistant to 50m, the model is presented on a black alligator leather strap with a triple folding buckle.
Frederique Constant Highlife WorldTimer Manufacture
Nothing is more important for globetrotters and jet-setters than to have a reliable world timer to ensure punctuality for those important meetings or business deals. After all, time is money! This Frederique Constant Highlife WorldTimer Manufacture provides that accuracy as one can track time throughout 24 cities worldwide. With a 41mm stainless steel case, the sleek timepiece features a green dial, with a contemporary globe engraving at the centre—an ode to travel. It takes up the whole of the centre of the dial, as well as the date counter, for which Frederique Constant have used a sunray guilloché pattern for improved legibility. There are three central rhodium-plated hands, including the luminescent hour and minute indicators that are easy to read, even when travelling in low light conditions. Highly user-friendly, its single crown can be used to set any function: hours, minutes, the date at six o’clock and the 24-cities disc that represents 24 time zones on Earth. There is no day / night indicator required; the inner disc has been engraved with 12 hours on the light area (cities where it is daytime) and 12 hours on the green area (those where it is night-time). The watch is driven by the FC-718 manufacture calibre—a self-winding mechanical movement that supplies a power reserve of 38 hours, and is visible through the caseback. Water-resistant to 50m, this watch features an integrated interchangeable strap system with options of two straps: a polished and satin-brushed steel bracelet with folding buckle or a dark green rubber strap to complement the urban feel of the watch.
Gerald Charles Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin
An ode to the genius watchmaker, the Maestro is the brand’s signature design and a perpetual tribute to the legacy of Gérald Charles Genta. The model featured here is a three-hand automatic, crafted in stainless-steel and features a beaming green dial. Apart from being an ultra-thin, lightweight watch that sits elegantly on the wrist, the 40mm timepiece is designed to be a high-performing sports watch. It weighs just 85g and is water-resistant to 100m. This iteration with an emerald green dial is presented on a matching rubber strap, which makes it look modern yet classy. It is driven by the sophisticated Calibre GCA3002—a 3.7mm thick movement that delivers time and date functions, elevated levels of accuracy, and vibration and shock resistance, all thanks to a twin-barrel system, which supplies a 50-hour power reserve. It has a bi-directional rotor, set on a low-friction ceramic ball bearing system and is a testament to the brand’s unwavering resolve to produce watches that marry the finest traditions, replete with up-to-date technologies.
Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Venturer 38mm
A descendent of the brand’s Calypso line of the 1980s—the Aikon collection saw the light of day in 2010, when the former was relaunched in a brand new avatar. The collection incorporates the distinctive features of its predecessor: the integrated case, the flat sapphire crystal glass encircled by the six-arm bezel, the ‘M’ logo in relief on the leather or rubber straps and exceptionally high-quality production. Over the years, the collection has expanded with the incorporation of several lines, and the Aikon Venturer is one of them. With a distinct sporty DNA, the watch caters to the needs of diving and adventure enthusiasts with a water-resistance of 300m. And the latest addition to this family is the Aikon Venturer 38mm—a reinterpretation of the Aikon Venturer 43mm launched in 2019, which was the uncompromising evolution of the Aikon Automatic range. The watch comes in a stainless steel case and features a green dial along with a green rubber strap. At three o’clock is the date window and elapse time is calculated by luminescent hands and hour markers. It is powered by the automatic ML 115 movement, which keeps the watch ticking for at least 38 hours.
Norqain Adventure Neverest 40mm
The Neverest series is part of Norqain’s Adventure collection and 10 percent of the earnings from these watches are donated to the Butterfly Help Project, which supports families of Sherpas who have lost their lives in Nepal by supporting their children’s education. These robust timepieces are meant for rugged terrains and outdoors and are perfect for adventure seekers. This 40mm automatic-winding timepiece features a refreshed take on the recognisable Norqain dial design, with a pattern in lush, forest green and black. It also features Super-LumiNova coated hands and indexes. The steel case is topped by a knurled stainless steel bezel complete with a black ceramic ring. This timepiece is water resistant to 200m and is also equipped with the in-house manufacture calibre NN20/1, which is visible through the sapphire glass caseback. It is presented on a matching green and black fabric strap, which complements the dial colour scheme.
Oris Aquis Date Calibre 400
With the Aquis Date Calibre 400, the joy of mechanics rises to the surface in a smaller version of the independent brand’s versatile diver’s watch, powered by the game-changing in-house automatic calibre 400. The Aquis Date measures 41.5mm and is equipped with this powerhouse inside a robust, stainless steel case. When conceptualising the Calibre 400 Series, Oris’s engineers recognised that these days we may not wear the same watch every day. If you put a standard mechanical watch down for a day or two, it will stop as the power reserve runs down. Calibre 400 series movements have a five-day power reserve, so they’ll still be running if you’ve not worn your watch between, say, Thursday and Tuesday. They deliver this longer period of use via twin barrels, both of which house an extended mainspring, each long enough to store two-and-a-half days of power. The other highlight is the low-friction slide bearing system, in which a metal stud runs through a lubricated sleeve. This is much less complex, highly efficient, and involves far less wear-and-tear, making the movement less prone to breakdowns. This replaces the traditional ball-bearing system that allows the oscillating weight to rotate. And to make it highly anti-magnetic, Oris have used more than 30 non-ferrous and anti-magnetic components, including a silicon escape wheel and a silicon anchor. Upon testing this movement, it deviated by less than 10 seconds a day after exposure to 2,250 gauss. The timepiece featured here comes in a deep green dial with a date window at six o’clock. On the reverse, the sapphire caseback allows a glimpse into the inner workings of this robust calibre. Water-resistant to 300m, the watch comes with Oris’s patented Quick Strap Change system—engineered in a manner where the user can change the strap or bracelet on their own, without the help of any tools.
Rado Captain Cook Automatic Bronze
One generally associates Rado with classic dress watches, or minimalistic ceramic pieces, but not dive timers; certainly not bulky ones with oversized crowns. But not many are aware that Rado manufacture dive watches under the Captain Cook collection, named after the 18th century explorer—Captain James Cook. However, as they do for all their watches, the brand haven’t wavered from their elegant codes and have given this one a vintage appeal. Rado brought back this 1962 classic three years ago, with revamped editions. And this 2020 version with a bronze case and a green dial truly stands out. The features have been updated to suit contemporary users’ needs. The 42mm case is made of bronze with a ceramic bezel, which make it extremely durable to house an automatic movement with an 80-hour power reserve. The caseback is screwed-down with the triple-seahorse motif—an element borrowed from the original. Water resistant to 300m, the watch is presented on a black leather strap.
Raymond Weil Freelancer
Firmly rooted in its philosophy of affordable luxury, Raymond Weil continues to expand the Freelancer collection that was launched in 2007. Created for watch enthusiasts who prefer an understated classic aesthetic; this watch can be paired with any ensemble, no matter what the occasion. And the latest addition to this collection is a 42mm gorgeous piece in stainless steel with a galvanic-green dial. At the heart of the watch lies the self-winding RW1212 calibre—manufactured in partnership with Sellita. It is designed in a manner so as to showcase its escapement on the dial at the six o’clock counter. One can see the balance wheel atop two bridges, the pulsating hairspring and the vibrating pallet lever—just enough to give a sneak peek of the inner workings. This two-hand model is presented on a matching green fabric strap fitted with a stainless steel folding clasp with double push-security system
Ressence Type 8
The Type 8, a minimalistic timekeeper, delivers on both the aesthetics and mechanical aspects of watchmaking, truly living up to the philosophy of simplicity being the ultimate sophistication. This streamlined watch is designed for ergonomic comfort and maximum legibility, and features a ‘Sage Green’ dial. The watch comes in a hyper-modern, sleek case with a deceptively simple and lean silhouette. Crafted entirely from grade-5 titanium, the 42.9mm case contributes to an extremely light overall weight and along with the strap included, the watch weighs just 42gm. However, this does not compromise on the overall toughness of the watch, thanks to the titanium framework, built to resemble the shape of an eggshell. The tapered case has a sandwich-style construction with a two-tone finish, showcasing both polished and satin finishing textures. There are no apparent lugs; they are hidden behind a small ‘skirt’ extending from the round case body, giving the impression of an integrated unit, from where the straps appear to grow invisibly. Demonstrating the brand’s commitment to traditional mechanical watchmaking with a contemporary twist, the Type 8 is powered by an automatic movement, based on an ETA calibre 2892/2 with a 36-hour power reserve that has been customised to suit the brand’s watchmaking ethos.
Zenith Chronomaster Sport
The Zenith Chronomaster Sport line exudes a cool and contemporary aesthetic with perfect proportions. Recently, the brand have ditched the usual black, white or blue with neutral sub-dials to adopt a more colorful design aesthetic. The version featured here showcases a striking green ceramic bezel and dial, while also debuting the line’s new integrated rubber strap. The green version is as verdant as the lush Swiss Alpine forests and it is for the first time that the engraved 1/10th-of-a-second bezel, mounted on the 41mm stainless-steel case with pump-style pushers is crafted in green ceramic. This play on tones and contrasts extends to the dial as well, which is done in a green lacquer, complementing the green ceramic bezel. The dial also features the brand’s signature tricolour counters in shades of grey and blue. The date window positioned between four and five o’clock is also colour-coordinated with the green dial. The hands and hour markers are rhodium-plated, faceted, and coated with Super-LumiNova. The green version is available with a three-link stainless-steel bracelet or with the brand’s new rubber strap developed specifically for the Chronomaster Sport line. It matches the green hue of the dial and is made from soft yet durable FKM rubber, designed to be perfectly integrated with the case.
Shop The Story
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Frederique Constant Highlife
FC-718GR4NH6B
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Baume & Mercier Clifton
MOA10592
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Gerald Charles Maestro
GC2.0-A-02
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Maurice Lacroix Aikon
AI6057-SSL50-630-5
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Oris Aquis
01 400 7769 4157-07 8 22 09PEB
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NORQAIN Adventure
NN1001SC1CA/EB101/15BEF
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Rado Captain Cook
R32504315
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Raymond Weil Freelancer
2780-STC-52001
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Ressence Type 8
Type 8.1 S
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Zenith Chronomaster
03.3119.3600/56.M3100
