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Sure, black with everything is a win-win but the same can also be said about navy, right? And when it comes to strapping colour on your wrist, blue watches can really up the ante for your fit. We had a chat with writer and consultant Justin Hast who had this to say about blue-dial watches: “Like scones and clotted cream or earl grey tea and Antiques Roadshow, there are just some combinations that work! In the watch world, blue dials are as irresistible to the horologically inclined as excel spreadsheets are to accountants – but the real question is are you all in on deep blue, Cambridge blue or a sunburst?”
We’d say our top ten blue watches have a bit of both, flipping the expression of having the blues to a big, unapologetic grin fest.
The GADA-value of a Seiko 5 – especially its Sports series – is cast in stone as every other watch fan’s first tough mechanical watch. This version has a deep blue sunburst dial with a touch of purple to give it a cheeky point of difference. £280. At goldsmiths.co.uk
Attention all dive watch fiends who can’t look past monochrome: Farer’s sweet-fitting Erebus is a deviation you didn’t know you needed. One of the more toned-down releases from the colour-saturated British brand, the soft dark blue dial demurely sets the scene, there’s a Swiss mechanical movement to talk about, then the kicker is those discreet orange five-minute numerals. £895. At goldsmiths.co.uk
Dare I say it but Cartier Tanks aren’t for everyone – for some wrists they are too dainty. That’s when the Santos de Cartier, also a rectangular case, gets its moment in the sun. The broadness of the 39.8mm case is easy to handle, as are the reference to the Roman Empire when reading 1-12 in Roman numerals. But the deep indigo dial gives it a totally different complexion, reducing any pomp and presenting it as one hell of a versatile sports watch (especially when you swap out the steel bracelet for a leather strap). £7,400. At goldsmiths.co.uk
From a quirky start two years ago, TAG Heuer’s everyday-perfect range of solar-powered Aquaracers just upped their game with a banging new blue sunburst dial – even out of the Miami sun where it was launched. It. Just. Pops. Other pluses: it’s slim, has a 200m water resistance and matching steel case and bezel. All boxes ticked. £1,950. At goldsmiths.co.uk
What gets you first? Don’t tell us. It’s the non-conformist, sleek Rouleaux bracelet – am I right? There’s certainly a revival of sorts happening with this type of finish, which is a combo of brushed and polished steel. The red pointer on this Breitling pops on a function-packed, denim-blue dial and the bold crown of the B01 underlines an elegant take on a brawny chronograph. £7,300. At goldsmiths.co.uk
The Grand Seiko “Tsuki Tenshin” has the 44GS case of its sportier siblings coupled with a radiant sunray-patterned dial. The brand’s Spring Drive hybrid movement makes for a uniquely smooth glide of the seconds hand, here in gold for a Japanese take on pared-down luxury. Inspired by the shadows the high moon creates over Japan, such hand-polished details make this high-brow option. £6,900. At goldsmiths.co.uk
Grails can come on rubber straps and they can be affordable too, shown here by Bremont. The new S302 comes with the requisite toughness of Bremont’s bulletproof Trip-Tick case, and a colourful take on 24-hour two-tone bezel-tech. The 300m depth rating and GMT emanates its functional intent, and we also like the comfort of that strap. £3,250. At bremont.com
Bulgari showed elegant restraint at this year’s LVMH Watch Week, re-inventing ’80s cool with its Bulgari Bulgari. But the doctor ordered solid gold too and designer Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani didn’t disappoint with this satin-polished version of the 100m depth-rated Octo Finissimo. The multi-faceted architecture of the 41mm is nigh-on perfect, dialled-up here with a deep blue dial and the weighty pleasure of yellow gold. £42,000. At bulgari.com
Love us an understated take on watch design. Case in point, the vertically brushed dial of the Classic Micro-rotor, which has a zen-take on Swiss precision. From the radial-brushed small seconds register at 6 to the matching alcantara-lined alligator strap, this has the makings of being a heartbreaker. AKA a hand-assembled grail you can’t afford. CHF 65,000. At laurentferrier.ch
H.Moser is, like Ferrier, one of the top Swiss independents, free of anyone else’s interpretation of craftsmanship other than its own. For Eduoard Meylan’s Moser design team, this calls for constantly looking at ways to evolve the Streamliner. This time: blue calls for a translucent Grand Feu enamel dial that’ll drop your jaw to unknown places. CHF 29,000. At h-moser.com
