The days of a choice between black and white dials are long gone. Blue dials are a modern favourite, offering a stylish, versatile alternative to the usual suspects
While for watch enthusiasts it can be tempting to believe the style world revolves around timepieces, the reality is a watch is an accessory, a secondary element in a well-ordered wardrobe. In the sartorial decision-making hierarchy, it sits with ties and shoes, behind your suit and your jeans. That’s just the way it is.
What that means in practice is that when it comes to selecting which watch to wear – and before that, which watch to buy – the first thing to do is to consider what it’s going with. Worn well, the watch on your wrist will complement your look.
The rule of thumb has always been to match your leathers and your metals, but as the choice of dials has widened, so too these days you can expect to pair your dial with your choice of suit or jeans.
A properly formed watch wardrobe will accommodate a variety of dial colours. Black and white as the staples, with a secondary palette of grey and blue, and a third covering green, red, silver and so on.
Blue, while we’ve listed it as a secondary colour, is vying for primary status. Most brands do a blue dial watch, often on a blue strap. Given most men and women have a navy suit on the rail and no doubt a raft of blue jeans too, that can only be a good thing. Blue is a versatile, complementary addition to any watch buyer’s dial palette. Here are a few riding the blue wave.