The 15 Coolest Blue-Dial Watches to Buy Now
The watch industry has been in a blue period for a very, very long time. That’s because the color is incredibly versatile. Depending on the hue, blue can be bold and punchy or understated and elegant, hence why it so often appears on watch dials.
A blue dial often offers more visual interest than a straight black or white face, but still has a classic feel. And it makes a statement without any garishness, creating a subtle focal point on the wrist. That’s why it’s long been catnip for certain collectors.
Blue dials came to prominence in the late 20th century, with two legendary Swiss maisons and their game-changing Gérald Genta-designed sport watches driving the trend. In 1972, Audemars Piguet unveiled the revolutionary Royal Oak, introducing the now-famous blue tapisserie dial. Four years later, Patek Philippe launched the iconic Nautilus with a black-blue dial that would go on to become legendary. Other top watchmakers swiftly followed suit, with blue dials becoming a staple across collections.
The sheer variety of blues coming out of Switzerland has exploded in recent years, with advancements in dial manufacturing unlocking even more shades. New treatments and techniques have resulted in fresh blue faces with new levels of shine, texture, and depth.
Below are 15 of the coolest blue-dial watches currently on the market.
Greubel Forsey Balancier 3
Greubel Forsey’s latest Balancier 3 is a study in chromatic contrast, with a light blue dial and a dark blue outer ring that play against the titanium architecture of the partially open-worked movement. The centerpiece is the new frosted titanium bridge that, for the first time in Greubel Forsey history, has been hand-finished with a steel brush. That creates little dimples across the entire surface, adding extra depth and texture. The 41.5 mm case is also titanium, with the choice of a matching blue rubber strap or a three-link titanium bracelet. It is limited to 22 examples, with price upon request.
Louis Vuitton x De Bethune LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius
Louis Vuitton and De Bethune’s collab GMT watch combines bright blue with a little celestial sparkle. Louis Vuitton’s signature Taiko case is crafted in De Bethune’s trademark blued titanium, as are the elements of the mesmerizing dial. At the center lies a take on De Bethune’s starry sky, with hand-set white-gold pins and gold leaf displaying the Milky Way and a unique “LV” constellation. A revolving orb—which displays both day and night via rose gold or blued steel—orbits the dial to track a second time zone. Only 10 watches will be offered to collectors, while two will be sold as a set with the duo’s co-branded clock.
Breguet Tradition Tourbillon 7047
Breguet’s newly released Tradition TourbillonTourbillonA watch complication invented around 1801 by Abraham-Louis Breguet that rotates the escapement in a cage to counter the effects of gravity on accuracy. Tourbillons are mesmerizing and very difficultGo to Tourbillon Glossary 7047 combines not one but two punchy blues within the 41 mm platinum case. The mainplate is presented in a glacier blue, while the asymmetrical time subdial is decorated with grand feu enamel in Blue de France. The bridges, barrel, and tourbillon cage are also finished in that same deep hue, popping against the pale background to create a high-contrast chromatic statement on the wrist. The watch is limited to just 25 examples.
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty
Girard-Perregaux’s new Laureato Fifty makes the dial the star. One of four references released in honor of the model’s 50th anniversary, the 39 mm steel timepiece features the signature “Clous de Paris” motif across the face, but for the first time, the textured, pyramid-like pattern is presented in blue enamel. The enameling, executed entirely in-house, creates remarkable transparency, depth, and variation on the face. It also gives an otherwise very sporty watch an artisanal edge.
Urwerk UR-120 Blue Planet
Urwerk’s newest UR-120 brings some rich planetary hues to your wrist. The UR-120 Blue Planet features the same distinctive two-part case and satellite display as the two previous references, but it has a navy PVD coating on the titanium and steel case. That deep hue is echoed on the dial, where pops of gold create a striking contrast. Adding even more pizzazz are the three revolving hour satellites that can each split apart to recreate Spock’s iconic Vulcan salute from Star Trek. The third and final UR-120 is limited to just 20 pieces.
IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet Le Petit Prince
IWC’s new Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet Le Petit Prince—it’s a mouthful, we know—is big, blue, and beautiful to use. All the indications on the deep blue sunray dial can be adjusted both forwards and backwards via the crown, meaning changing the calendar is as simple as setting the time. The 42 mm reference comes in steel or white ceramic, with the latter option exuding a cool, nautical vibe.
De Bethune DB28xs Sea Tourbillon
It would be remiss to dive into blue and not mention another De Bethune. The indie watchmaker is renowned for incorporating the hue into its futuristic, sci-fi-inspired designs. The DB28xs Sea Tourbillon, one of four watches the maison dropped in April, pays homage to the sea in a unique guilloché pattern in blued titanium on the dial and bridge mirroring the shimmering ocean. The high-frequency tourbillon, which occupies pride of place at 6 o’clock, adds movement to an already mesmerizing face. All that is housed in a relatively modest 38.7 mm titanium case. Approximately Php12,991,000
Chopard L.U.C 1860
Chopard has taken the L.U.C 1860 from the late 1990s into new blue territory, unveiling a contemporary successor with a dial inspired by the Areuse River that flows near the manufactureManufactureA watchmaking term for a company that designs and produces most of its movements and components in-house, rather than relying on outside suppliers. Being a true manufacture signals deep expertise,Go to Manufacture Glossary in the Val-de-Travers region. The hand-guilloché dial showcases an “Areuse Blue,” with a textured sunburst-patterned center surrounded by a satin-brushed chapter ring. No date display here, just a seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. Topping it off are elegant white-gold markers and hands. To further complement the gray-blue hue, the 36.5 mm case is crafted in Chopard’s signature Lucent steel. Approximately Php 1,834,747
Patek Philippe Nautilus 50th Anniversary
Patek’s 50th Anniversary Nautilus, unveiled at Watches and Wonders earlier this year, proves that simplicity really does equal sophistication. The dial is free of fancy complications and displays, with nothing detracting from that classic sunburst blue or the iconic embossed lines. The remarkably slim white-gold case houses an ultra-thin caliber 240. Adding to the attraction? It is limited to just 2,000 pieces. Approximately Php 5,792,982
Piaget Polo 79
The latest Piaget Polo 79 does blue in a delightfully retro way. The white-gold piece retains the iconic architecture of the 1970s original, but introduces a striking sodalite dial. The rich blue face is punctuated by the Polo’s signature polished gadroons, which also run across the 38 mm case and bracelet. Inside beats Piaget’s ultra-thin automatic caliber 1200P, ensuring precision not just prettiness. Approximately Php 6,239,376
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time Cardinal Points
Vacheron Constantin dropped not one but four versions of the Overseas Dual Time “Cardinal Points” at Watches and Wonders, with the “East” iteration dressed in a blue that represents the eastern line of the horizon where the sea meets the sky. The dial isn’t just full of symbolism but also displays, showing two time zones, AM/PM, and the date. It also features three finishes to distinguish the minute tracks and contrasting gold and orange hands to improve legibility. Approximately Php 2,532,816
Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive U.F.A.
The dial of this newly released Grand Seiko Evolution 9 watch is meant to evoke the surface of Japan’s Lake Suwa as it reflects the summer sunshine. The deep-blue face showcases a sunray finish that adds a layer of shifting luminosity reminiscent of the shimmering water. The steel watch, one of five unveiled in June, also features the Japanese watchmaker’s most accurate movement to date. Approximately Php 630,115
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 34
Rolex introduced a stone-cold stunner at Watches and Wonders in April. The Oyster Perpetual 34 features a lacquered blue stone dial with three dumortierite hour markers at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock that show a mix of light and dark blue. Those deep hues are juxtaposed by warm Everose gold on the 34 mm case and bracelet. Approximately Php 2,477,217
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute
Why settle for one dial when you can have two? Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new Reverso Tribute, one of six created in honor of 19th-century Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, showcases a cyan-blue hue on the time-telling side in an intricate guilloché with a herringbone-style pattern and a layer of translucent grand feu enamel. Flip it over for a miniature enamel painting of Hokusai’s artwork of the falls at Aoigaoka. Complementing the intricate artisinal work is a white-gold case and milanese bracelet. JLC says it takes up to 100 hours of meticulous work to complete the entire watch. It is limited to 10 examples, with price upon request.
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Chronograph Mystérieux
Parmigiani’s newest Tonda doesn’t look like a chronograph, and that’s precisely the point. The Mystérieux has an incredibly minimalist dial that allows the mineral blue hue and the classic grain d’orge (barleycorn) motif to take the focus. It looks like a simple, but press the monopusher at 7:30, and the new manufacture caliber PF053 springs to life: three rhodium-plated hands separate from the time display to measure elapsed hours, minutes, and seconds, before seamlessly realigning when the chronograph is reset, leaving the complication all but invisible. It’s Parmigiani refinement at its finest. Approximately Php 2,823,163
FAQs
Blue dials offer more visual depth than traditional black or white faces while remaining versatile and refined. Depending on the shade and finish, they can appear sporty, understated, or highly expressive.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, introduced in 1972, and the Patek Philippe Nautilus, launched in 1976, helped establish blue as a defining color in modern luxury sports-watch design.
Standout models include the Greubel Forsey Balancier 3, Breguet Tradition Tourbillon 7047, Piaget Polo 79, Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive U.F.A., Rolex Oyster Perpetual 34, and Patek Philippe Nautilus 50th Anniversary.
This article originally appeared in Robb Report US.