Watchmakers Are Betting Big Bucks on Green This Year
Clockwise from top-left: Shinola Bedrock, the brand’s first dress watch, $750; Rado True Thinline, with a unique green bracelet, $2,100; Rolex Cosmograph Daytona in the brand’s signature yellow gold, $34,650.
Photographer: Gabriel Zimmer for Bloomberg Businessweek; Prop stylist: Kody Pangburn
“Color is back in a big way,” says Matthias Breschan, chief executive officer of innovative Swiss watchmaker Rado. After a few years of pushing blue watch faces, brands have been seeking greener pastures. Deep-emerald dials, bezels, cases, and even bands are rolling out of the workshops of a diverse variety of companies.
“We’re seeing a lot of demand for watches with green elements,” Breschan says. His company offers its striking ceramic True Thinline models in seven colors; green is the second-best seller, after blue.