In order to remain fresh and relevant though, one area in which the watch industry enjoys experimentation is through different dial colours – we have often seen blue, grey and tones of brown make their debuts throughout the years. In the last two years however, we have seen a verdant explosion of green dials, not only in models focused for more casual wear, but also permeating through classically designed watches as well. In 2021, we have seen this trend persist through the releases at the recent Watches and Wonders show in Geneva – here we will explore some of the best green watches that have been released this year.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Small Seconds Green

The Art Deco legend from La Grande Maison receives the green treatment this year, with a sunburst finishing radiating from the centre of its dial that brings subtle changes to its appearance, depending on the way the light hits it. Everything else is classic Reverso, including a small seconds indicator, Dauphine hands and the emblematic Art Deco gadroons at the top and bottom of its swivelling case. The reverse side is a blank canvas – for the owner to leave clean as a reminder of its Polo origins, or for personalisation (models of the past are renowned for having their owner’s initials engraved on the reverse side). The watch is mounted on a green calf-skin strap in the signature Casa Fagliano style with the stitched fold close to the lugs, and powering the watch is the in-house Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 822/2 – a manually wound shaped movement that features in much of the Reverso line.

Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-014 with Green Dial

With the “it” watch of the last few years being discontinued, the Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5711 has its last hurrah with the 5711/1A-014, featuring a subtle olive green dial to be produced for the year of 2021 only. The rest remains familiar – its Gerald Genta design featuring a case and bracelet that has a strong interplay between its satin brushed and polished elements, requiring 55 steps in the process of its finissage. It is a watch that has remained bold in its execution since 1976, with its porthole-inspired design embodying a casual elegance that is virtually unmatched by other watches of a similar ilk. Housed within the stainless steel case is an improved version of Patek Philippe’s reliable Calibre 324 S C – the 26-330 S C upgrades this movement with an improved winding system and hacking seconds. All in all, a fitting send off for the legendary Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A, something that is sure to have collectors champing at the bit to get their hands on one.

Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K

For what was originally meant to be a tribute to tool watches of yore, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight welcomes a precious metal version in 18K Yellow Gold with a green dial in 2021. Sporting an entirely brushed finish, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K manages to make this usually loud material into something rather understated, and even suggests a form of utilitarian toughness. The green of this dial is also slightly muted, whilst simultaneously complementing the yellow gold case with its gilt markers and Snowflake hands. It may not make sense at first, but once you take a deeper dive with the watch, there is an intangible understanding of the method behind the madness. Housed within the 200m water resistant case is the Tudor in-house Calibre MT5400, that is visible behind a sapphire crystal caseback – a rarity amongst watches from Tudor.

Rolex Datejust 36 with Palm Motif Dial

Evoking a lush green tropical forest, the Rolex Datejust 36 with Palm Motif Dial brings the essence of the wild to the wrist. This watch exhibits Rolex’s commitment to dial-making, showing off the Palm Motif in two shades of green, on an olive green background. Whilst this may sound like the colours would blend into each other, the reality is that the shades are distinctive enough for the Palm Motif to be made out, even at just a glance. This variant was presented to us in an Oystersteel case with domed bezel, mounted on an Oyster bracelet. Housed within the 36mm case is the Rolex Calibre 3235, with additions such as the Chronergy escapement that aids with movement efficiency and enabling a 70 hour power reserve, as well as holding the Rolex Superlative Chronometer certification –  guaranteeing timekeeping thresholds of -2/+2 seconds per day.

Panerai Luminor Marina eSteel PAM01356, Verde Smeraldo

A green dial for an environmentally friendly watch – fitting for a watch featuring the debut of Panerai’s eSteel. The case of the Luminor Marina eSteel contains 89 grams of recycled steel, which, out of the 152.4 grams of the total weight of the watch, comprises 58.4% of the total weight. This includes the trademark crown-protection system that is the signature element of the Panerai Luminor line. This development is remarkable, because it signifies the arrival of Panerai into sustainable watch manufacturing, whereas many other watch manufactures will use virgin  material for the construction of their watches. This notion of sustainability goes right down to the strap and buckle – the strap being crafted out of recycled textiles, and the buckle being hewn from the same eSteel as the watch case. Powering the watch is the in-house Calibre P.9010, automatically wound with 3 days of power reserve. The Verde Smeraldo version, PAM01356, is a boutique and eCommerce exclusive – if you want one of the greenest watches out there (literally and figuratively), best to talk to Panerai as soon as you can.

Cartier Tank Must

Bringing back an aesthetic of the 80s back into the present-day, the new Cartier Tank Must features a set of three monochromatic colours that echo the spirit of the original Tank Must models of the late 70s and early 80s. In particular, a Green dial version is the latest addition to this series, having never before been offered in the Must collection of yore. A vibrant addition to the series, the green is certainly vibrant and eye-catching. The watches feature a dial with no markings – freeing itself from traditional watchmaking design cues, and creating a clean slate of colour. Housed in a stainless steel case, the Tank Must is powered by a Quartz movement, and mounted on a matching strap respective to its dial colour.

Montblanc Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 18 – Lime Gold

Minerva is undoubtedly the unsung hero of Montblanc, creating some of the finest watches that the industry has to offer. For 2021, the brand introduces a slight variation of green to their Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 18 – a case crafted of their exclusive material, Lime Gold. An 18K alloy of Gold (750 parts/1000), Silver (238 parts/1000) and Iron (12 parts/1000), this combination gives a distinctive greenish hue to what is normally a yellow metal. The intended effect is to evoke a sense of vintage aesthetics through its colour – combined with the Cathedral hands, green numerals and the gold coloured dial, the watch certainly evokes the sense that it is from another era. This combined with the colimacon (snail) tachymetre scale, further reinforces the old-world feel of this watch. When the watch is turned over and viewed through the sapphire crystal caseback, we see the gorgeous Minerva Calibre MB M16.31 – traditionally hand finished with bridges crafted of German Silver that has been coated with 18k gold. A manually-wound, monopusher split-second chronograph movement, the watch contains two column wheels to control the chronograph and its ingenious split second mechanism.

IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 – Green Dial

The IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 is traditionally a design that is conservative, with a black dial echoing the original “Mark” series wrist watches first issued to the RAF in the late 40s and 50s. In recent times, however, we have seen blue and brown dials, paying tribute to Le Petit Prince and Antoine de Saint Exupery respectively. For Watches and Wonders 2021, we see an unusual addition to this line, a green dial version of the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 in regular production. Appearing as a rich, dark green, it almost resembles British Racing Green in its tones – the sunburst finishing on the dial definitely helps with this. This new model also features the brand’s EasX-CHANGE system, that enables quick strap changes between bracelet and leather options. Housed within the watch is the in-house Calibre 69385 movement, an Automatic Chronograph movement visible from its sapphire crystal caseback.

TAG Heuer Aquaracer – Green Dial Titanium

The Aquaracer, is a favourite first watch for many people who like watches (certainly in Australia), and this year, it has been given a facelift and an upgrade, particularly in the materials department. Most notably, the green version of this watch now features a titanium case and bracelet, bringing lightness and comfort to this model, in addition to its toughness and high water resistance. The horizontal ridges of the previous models are retained, whilst the ceramic bezel now features a sunburst brushing with a yellow triangle at 12. The bracelet clasp also receives an upgrade, now equipped with a fine adjustment system that is operational even whilst the watch is on the wrist. Housed within the titanium case is the TAG Heuer Calibre 5 Automatic, featuring the date at 6 o’clock.

Speake-Marin One&Two Openworked Dual Time Mint

Bold and contemporary with its choice of colour, the Speake-Marin One&Two Openworked is a mint green number with a DLC coated case. Coming in either 38mm or 42mm case sizes, the brand’s signature Piccadilly case is modernised to enable a better fit on the wrist by integrating the strap closer to the case itself. This duality of the anachronistic, yet modern case lends itself to the movement that hosts the audacious choices of colour. The Calibre SMA02 incorporates darkened bridges on the dial side, as well as a mint green backdrop that accentuates these structures. In addition, the subdials at 1:30 and 9:00 (for the sub-seconds and the dual time respectively), feature mint green accents for an extra colour pop. The movement is also wound through a micro-rotor, and also features a retrograde date underneath the seconds subdial.

Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept La Cotes aux Fees Edition

Coming in at only 2mm thick, the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept remains the thinnest mechanical watch in the world – to honour the place where Piaget continues to further the art of ultra-thin, the brand unveils the Altiplano Ultimate Concept La Cotes Aux Fees Edition, with green integrated components that echo the forests and green fields that surround the manufacture. This watch began its journey in 2018 as a true concept watch, and it was unknown to the public whether this would become a production piece. In 2020, a production version was realised, officially making it the thinnest mechanical watch in regular production. The case, mainplate and bezel is all one piece, and is machined out of a cobalt alloy for rigidity. All of the movement components are placed into the case to reduce its case height to the extremes, and even the crown is rectangular and telescopic to reduce the overall thickness of the watch.

Green on watches is a colour that, when done right, can be incredibly wearable and complementary to many wardrobes. In addition, some of these watches with exceptional colour hold exceptional movements, as seen in some of the examples above. We at ISOCHRONO believe that there is no doubt that green is here to stay, being a welcome addition to many watch collections.

We begin with the Fine Watchmaking set – a set of three variations on the tourbillon. Whilst these movements have been seen before in past releases, it is genuinely a rare sight to see these kinds of mechanisms from Cartier, especially in these awe-inspiring constructions where the mechanisms appear to float in thin air. All of the watches are housed within Cartier’s Rotonde de Cartier case, a shape that gives a classic look whilst evoking modernity with its clean, sharp lines, that feature unique cabochon-cut stones set into their crowns.

The Rotonde de Cartier Astromysterieux was conceived at the Cartier Manufacture in La Chaux de Fonds, and it was the brainchild of Carole Forestier-Kasapi – a brilliant watchmaker whose specialty it was to create novel mechanisms where the movement itself became part of the time-telling indications of the watch. In the Astromysterieux, this is no different – the movement itself becomes the hands of the watch. The entire movement revolves around a fixed centre wheel that is mounted onto a sapphire disc, and becomes the minute hand. Naturally, this means that the tourbillon carriage completes one revolution every hour. This becomes a curious movement that appears to float in thin air, and it creates an air of mystery as to its operation. The watch combines multiple sapphire discs in layers to create the illusion of airy-ness, making this an object of wonder to those who get the opportunity to see it. A small pop of colour is added by an Aquamarine cabochon set into the crown, and the watch is mounted on an alligator strap matching the cabochon in the crown.

The next watch in the Fine Watchmaking set is the Rotonde de Cartier Astrotourbillon. It utilises a movement that has been seen in past models of the Fine Watchmaking collection (first unveiled in 2016), continuing its aesthetic to give maximum visibility to the movement, as well as continuing the theme of transparency of this set. The tourbillon, in this case, rotates once a minute, travelling around the dial – this is due to the construction of the tourbillon cage itself, being mounted above the traditional movement structure, giving the tourbillon cage its freedom of movement around the dial. The signature Cartier Roman numerals are integrated into the movement structure itself as bridges, giving the movement its signature Cartier aesthetic. The watch is paired with an aventurine cabochon in its crown, and a navy blue alligator strap.

The last watch in the Fine Watchmaking set is the Rotonde de Cartier Skeleton Mysterious Double Tourbillon. Built to echo the Mysterious Clocks of the 1910s and 20s, the main draw of the movement is the large space that uses sapphire discs with gear teeth at their periphery to give the illusion of defying gravity. The tourbillon within the negative space has no upper bridge, and completes one revolution every minute like a traditional tourbillon. However, the series of sapphire discs that hold the tourbillon make a rotation once every 5 minutes, making the tourbillon cage travel around the prominent negative space. The double tourbillon is accentuated by exploded Roman numerals that appear to emanate from the time-telling portion of the dial. Set into its crown is a jade cabochon, and a colour-matched Alligator leather strap.

The box housing these watchmaking masterpieces is a work of art, featuring wood marquetry in an interlocking spiral pattern. These feature fine pieces of wood in 6 shades that have been fitted together by hand. At the centre of each spiral is a lens that gives a peek of the watch dial housed below the box’s cover. The box also houses an alligator leather watch pouch, as well as a pair of white gold cufflinks with interchangeable stone bars in sodalite, jade and blue quartz. Limited to 5 sets worldwide, this is a Fine Watchmaking set fit for a modern King or Queen.

Cartier has also unveiled a set of three Mini Mystery Clocks featuring their perennial muse, the Panther. The series has been titled the Mini Panthere Mystery Clocks, and feature three clocks in yellow, pink and blue, each unique pieces in their own right.

All three will feature a rock crystal construction, with enamelled gold plates in yellow, pink or blue. These plates will be gem set with 3 emerald cabochons, while the bezel will be set with 72 brilliant cut diamonds, and either baguette cut diamonds or emeralds for the 12, 3, 6 and 9 markers. These structures will sit on a base of obsidian featuring a white gold panther in bas-relief, set with 421 brilliant cut diamonds for its body and legs, emerald eyes and an onyx nose. Each clock will house an in-house manufactured movement with an 8 day power reserve.

The Fine Watchmaking sets and the Mini Mystery Clocks hark back to an era of Cartier where their craftsmanship was second to none. The period of the 1910s and 1920s was truly a period where Cartier combined technical savior-faire with artisanal techniques to great effect, creating some of the most celebrated objets d’art the world has ever seen. With these creations in 2021, Cartier reasserts its position as the King of Jewellers, as well as reminding the watch public that they are still a force to be reckoned with in the world of Fine Watchmaking.

It’s a trend that I welcome gladly, and one that has been a long time coming to the mainstream, when watch brands offer their own vintage pieces for sale. With the care, service and guarantee that only the original manufacturer or in some cases, modern caretaker, can provide, it’s a great thing. 

Cartier has been doing this since 2019, starting in their flagship boutiques in London, and then in Paris in 2020. 2021 sees the addition of Singapore to that list, with the ION Mall in Orchard Road being the third country flagship store to offer pre-owned Cartier pieces for the 1970’s to the 2010’s under the “Cartier Vintage” collection. 

“Pre-owned” used to be a dirty word among watch brands, but as more time and history accrues, people begin to realize that a brand’s strength comes from its past and so it has to be honoured and recognized properly. 

So how does Cartier source these watches? 

Well, a specialised group of experts within the Image, Style & Patrimony department works with trusted partners to locate these watches from around the world. After they are authenticated, they are then refurbished, restored, serviced, and offered for sale with, get this, an 8 year warranty.

The first Cartier Vintage assortment to come to Singapore is made up of a total of six pieces ranging from Tank, Tonneau to Tortue. As of today, all of the watches have already been sold and that comes from the quality and uniqueness of the watches. 

Have a look at the watches below, and maybe you can consider the next batch of Cartier Vintage pieces when they are offered again in Singapore.