Published on April 19, 2024
Ressence, Frank Muller, Parmigiani, Grand Seiko
Just a few years ago, green dials were trending. For 2024, green dials are obviously here to stay: Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Vacheron Constantin, Cartier, Chopard, Omega, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Moser and many others now offer green dials as part of their established catalogs. The emerging trend from within the green scene, however, is pale green—or sage, or celery, eucalyptus, or, as the Italians might say, celeste. It’s not easy to pin down this color, and clearly no easier to gain consensus on a name for it. But many agree that it is beautiful.
Our whole watch staff has been struck by the pale green watches of early 2024, by how the calm color sophisticates and distinguishes a watch without falling into overstatement, ostentation, or bling. This is the subtler side of luxury, and we’re hoping the trend continues. Here are four pale green watches that have jumped out at us this year so far.
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Table of Contents
Parmigiani Toric Sage Green Platinum Petite Seconde 2024
Image Credit: Parmigiani Fleurier Despite making some of today’s most beautifully crafted watches, often with solid gold movements on par with those from more recognized, elitist watchmakers, Parmigiani Fleurier tends to fly under the radar. But Parmigiani’s steady commitment to horological excellence is paying off. More watch collectors are noticing the brand and adding these exceptional timepieces to serious collections. One of the most beautiful watches we saw at Watches & Wonders in 2024 was the sage green Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde. Crafted from platinum, the 42.5 mm watch positively radiates understated luxury. The manually wound caliber PF789 is crafted entirely from 18-carat rose gold and includes abundant Côtes de Fleurier engraving and anglage (bevelled edges). Thanks to all that precious metal and hand finishing, the watch comes in at $55,900.
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Frank Muller CX 38 MAster Jumper Singapore Edition
Image Credit: Frank Muller Frank Muller dresses these Master Jumpers in a few different outfits, but we’re especially smitten with this sage get up, which seems to suit the tranditionally-styled watch perfectly. The stamped Clous de Paris (spiral) dial uses a Zapon varnish to bring out the lustrous color. You could go buy a bottle of Zapon yourself, but good luck applying it delicately to such a fine watch dial. Varnished dials are not, as some believe, a thing of the past, though the modern formulas do not yellow like the nitrocellulous of yesteryear. The Curvex (CX) case is in 950 platinum and measures 40.2 mm across by a rather sizable 55.4 mm tall. Caliber MVT FM 3100-C1 is a manually-wound mechanical works that displays the hours, minutes, and dates on discs. There are 371 beautifully decorated components inside, featuring the high-grade hand finishing Muller is known for.
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Grand Seiko SLGH021 Limited Edition
Image Credit: Grand Seiko Grand Seiko’s SLGH021 is a limited-edition 40 mm watch rendered in the brand’s Ever-Brilliant steel, this watch is not only highly corrosion resistant but especially bright in color. The case is mirror finished using the German Zaratsu (flat belt) polishing technique, and with some of the best case finishing in the business, this GS is an excellent example of “everyday luxury.” However, your eye likely goes straight to the pale green dial. Inspired by the Genbi Valley in Iwate Prefecture, the three-dimensional pattern shimmers with silver, pale green and hints of sky blue. As with most Grand Seiko dials, time spent up close with a loupe magnifier is greatly rewarded. Inside is Grand Seiko’s impressive hi-beat (36,000 vph) 9SA5 automatic winding movement, which uses twin barrels, 47 jewels, and a dual-impulse escapement to offer 80 hours of power reserve. At $10,400, this pale green beauty packs in a lot of value.
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Ressence Type 3 Eucalyptus
Image Credit: Ressence This one goes back to 2023, and it may have started the trend in question. Ressence is calling it Eucalyptus. One can almost smell the refreshing scent coming off this dial, which truly captures the soft green of the plant we most often encounter in the steambaths at our favorite spas. Ressence’s patented ROCS (Ressence Orbital Convex System) 3.5 is built from a Sellita 2824/2 ébauche (or base) movement, but don’t let that lead you to believe there is anying mundane going on here mechanically. The dial itself rotates as the subdials spin within it on the same plane, creating one of the most dynamic displays of time in all of watchmaking. It’s also suprisingly intuitive to read the time, once you spend a day or so with it. The 44 mm case is made from grade 5 titanium, and it is divided into two chambers that “speak to each other” via magnets. The upper chamber is filled with 3.75 ml of oil, which creates and almost surreal lack of distortion when vieweing the dial through the crystal. 38,200 CHF (approximately $42,000 at current exchange)
Authors
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Allen Farmelo
