Green is a deeply underrated color. It’s rarely seen in the automotive industry, despite looking gorgeous on everything from everyday hatchbacks to exotic supercars; it’s underrepresented in menswear and home design, where neutral colors reign supreme. And it’s been overlooked in watchmaking, where most watches for many years only came in black, white or silver.
That was before the watch industry "discovered" blue dials and the general concept that more dial colors would be well received. Following blue's lead, green dials have steadily proliferated to the point that we might even call it the unofficial dial color of 2020. With everything from vibrant emerald to olive, forest and many other shades, here are some of the best green dial watches available now.
Timex Marlin Automatic
After announcing its Marlin Automatic watch to a positive reception, Timex continued to roll out more colorways. Perhaps the most eye-catching, however, is the green, made all the more handsome when affixed to the rich, green natural leather strap provided. For just $259, its one helluva deal.
Movement: Miyota 8215 Automatic
Diameter: 40mm
Seiko Prospex “Alpinist”
Seiko’s JDM Alpinist was a such a well-rounded timepiece, it's little surprise that the brand brought it back in its Prospex collection. It features an upgraded automatic movement with a 70-hour power reserve, a perfectly-sized 39.5mm case, sapphire crystal, a rotating compass bezel and a 200-meter water resistance — all for a reasonable $725. Best of all is that deep green dial that pairs fantastically with a set of gold-toned hour markers and classy cathedral hands.
Movement: Seiko 6R35 Automatic
Diameter: 39.5mm
Shinola Lake Ontario Monster Automatic
A Shinola garners either enthusiasm or sneers from watch enthusiasts, but there’s no denying the brand’s Lake Ontario Monster Automatic has a handsome, Americana-infused design. Powered by an automatic Swiss movement, the dark green dial suits it well, no doubt bolstered by the black bezel and steel bracelet.
Movement: SW200-1 Automatic
Diameter: 43mm
Oris Divers Sixty-Five Momotaro
Oris’s retro diver has been out for a few years now, but the brand has been breathing new life into the lineup with fresh variations and dial color schemes. One of the more recent additions was this green-dial variant made in collaboration with the denim company Momotaro. It appropriately ships on a denim strap, which gives the 100m water-resistant, otherwise ruggedly styled diver a refined look.
Movement: SW 200-1 Automatic
Diameter: 40mm
Longines Hydroconquest Boutique Edition
Yes, green dials seem to work well with dive watches, and Longines really knows how to rock the color. This 2020 Hydroconquest Boutique Edition has a green ceramic bezel and green ceramic dial with a vertically brushed finish — for a "Hulk" kind of a look, as Rolex fans would say. The watch is a take on the brand’s modern diver, featuring ETA's automatic movement with a 64-hour power reserve.
Movement: ETA A31 Automatic
Diameter: 41mm
Rado Captain Cook Bronze
The green dial trend was perhaps aided by enthusiasm for bronze cases that have been popular for several years now. Green just somehow mixes with warm, earthy golden hues particularly well, which you'll see many brands take advantage of. Here, Rado's popular Captain Cook dive watch is presented in just such a colorway, housed a 42mm bronze case matched with a green dial to great effect. Water resistant to 300m and powered by the Swatch Group's upgraded automatic movement with an 80-hour power reserve, it makes for a compelling package.
Movement: ETA C07.111 Automatic
Diameter: 42mm
Panerai Radiomir PAM999
Panerai’s Radiomir — a rugged design that dates back to the ’40s — is a perfect showcase for a dark green dial. The “sandwich” dial (which has a base layer of luminous material shining through cut-out numerals on the main dial) sees the forest green hue paired with handsome, tan-colored lume, and the big (45mm) cushion case comes attached to a luxurious brown leather strap.
Movement: Panerai P.4002 Automatic
Diameter: 45mm
