From enamel and sapphire to oxidised titanium, watchmakers are experimenting with bold materials and complex movements to showcase purple in all its luxurious forms
by ROBERTA NAAS
ALTHOUGH purple is the colour of royalty, for decades it was rarely found on watch dials — a victim of retrograde ideas of masculinity that long dominated the industry. Happily the hue has been creeping into the mainstream. When you broaden the spectrum to include lilac, lavender, indigo and violet, well, purple timepieces are on the march.
Rolex has had an aubergine Datejust since 2018. Brands such as Audemars Piguet, MB&F and Patek Philippe started embracing the colour around 2022, when the Pantone Color Institute named a periwinkle shade, Very Peri, as its colour of the year. In 2024, we saw Patek release its Twenty-4 in rose gold with a lacquered dial in plum and De Bethune unveil its DB28xs Purple Rain, a bold watch with matching case and dial made of heat-oxidised titanium.
At LVMH Watch Week in January, several brands joined the trend, including TAG Heuer with the smoky gradient dial on its Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon. “Colourful expressions are important as we push toward more innovative looks that customers want,” said CEO Antoine Pin.
The trend shows no signs of slowing. At April’s Watches and Wonders trade show in Geneva, shades of amethyst could be found in dials, accents and gemstones, and back in December, even in the sapphire crystal case colour on a US$2.5 million (RM11.83 million) Richard Mille. — Bloomberg
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Moon Phase
Powered by an in-house hand-wound movement, this 36mm, 18-karat rose-gold watch offers hours, minutes and small seconds; a power reserve indicator; and a precision lunar tracker — not to mention 80 round-cut diamonds (approximately 1.13 carats) on the bezel and lugs. Raspberry accents on a mother-of-pearl dial in the palest pink are complemented by a purple strap. €43,750 (RM223,125)
Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Kudoke
This 42mm stainless-steel regulator watch (a non-coaxial design where the hour and minute hands are on separate subdials) is the fruit of a collaboration between Swiss indie Louis Erard and German brand Kudoke. Blued steel hands pop dramatically against the grained purple main dial. Only 78 pieces will be made. US$5,250
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon
With its raised sapphire “glassbox” design and sunray brushed purple dial with black subdials, this 42mm watch is all about creating a soft visual effect as a contrast to its technological heft. Created in a limited edition of 200 pieces in stainless steel, it’s powered by the Heuer 02 mechanical tourbillon movement. US$34,850
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Enamel Shahnameh
This Métiers Rares Reverso features miniature painting and grand feu and guilloché enameling, all created by master artisans. The watch pays homage to the Persian epic poem whose name it bears and this lavender-hued version, created in an edition of just 10, features an intricate hand-painted floral motif on the reverse side. The 18-karat white gold watch is powered by a manually wound movement. US$136,000
Hublot Big Bang 20th Anniversary Master of Sapphire
Part of a 20th Anniversary Big Bang “Master of Sapphire” collection, this 44mm Hublot purple sapphire watch has a colour-coordinated transparent silicon strap. Powered by the HUB1201 manual wind skeleton movement with 10 days of power reserve, it is only sold as part of a set of five different coloured sapphire watches. US$605,000
Rolex Datejust 36
Crafted in Oystersteel and 18-karat white gold, this Datejust 36mm watch has a Jubilee bracelet, diamond-set Roman numerals at 6 and 9, a date window with Cyclops lens and an aubergine dial. Water resistant to 100m, it is powered by a mechanical Perpetual self-winding movement. US$11,740
H Moser & Cie Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept
From independent Swiss brand H Moser & Cie, this 40mm Endeavour watch features a Grande Feu enamel dial in “Purple Haze” with a hammered textured effect. The case is crafted in steel and the watch is powered by the HMC 201 mechanical self-winding movement. It’s made in a limited edition of 20. US$29,700
Richard Mille RM 07-02 Automatic Sapphire
The lilac sapphire case of the newest RM 07-02 watch required more than 1,000 hours of machining to create. The curved tonneau case lets you see the high-tech in-house skeletonised automatic movement and the baseplate and bridges are crafted in rose or white gold. Just seven pieces will be made in this colour. US$2,515,000
Wilbur & Co Leo JW1.6 Superviolet
American watch brand Wilbur & Co’s newest Leo JW1.6 Superviolet watch is produced in a limited edition of just 25 pieces. The 46mm modular black DLC and raw titanium case features an open-worked movement with violet disks and accents visible from the dial side. It is powered by the Wilbur Engine One automatic jump-hour movement designed by founder Jason Wilbur and made in Switzerland. US$36,500
- This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition
The post Shades of purple dominate watch dials appeared first on The Malaysian Reserve.
