8 bold watches owning the red dial trend in 2023: from Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Jumbo in fumé burgundy and Grand Seiko’s SBGA493 timepiece to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso Tribute Small Seconds

Sep 5 , 2023

Red timepiece dials are all the rage lately, including Fears x Christopher Ward Alliance 01, Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Small Seconds, and Zenith Defy Revival. Photos: Handout

As the leaves change colour, we expect horology enthusiasts all over the world to change colours on the wrist – and nothing is more autumnal than a tastefully done red dial.

While not as prevalent as the green dial trend – brands tend to release red dials as just one of several colour variants rather than as its own thing – red dials have come a long way. Here are eight of the most iconic uses of the colour in watchmaking this year.

1. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo 16202 XT

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo 16202 XT in titanium with a burgundy fume dial. Photo: Handout

There’s no better way to start autumn than with Audemars Piguet’s recent unveiling of the Royal Oak Jumbo with a gorgeous fumé burgundy dial, in titanium and 39mm. This follows a one-off version of the piece for Only Watch 2021, which combined titanium and bulk metallic glass for the first time, per Time and Watches.

2. Grand Seiko SBGA493

Last month, Grand Seiko released US-exclusive references taking the katana as a source of inspiration. The SBGA493, limited to 500 pieces, came in a red dial with yellow gold accents to symbolise the shades to which tamahagane Japanese steel, which is used in katana, is heated to in order to be moulded and folded into the iconic weapon.

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3. Parmigiani Fleurier PF Tonda Xiali Calendar

Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Xiali Calendar prototype from the Parmigiani Fleurier Hong Kong boutique grand opening. Photo: Tommy Tang Photography

Parmigiani Fleurier chose red specifically to go hand in hand with its release of the Tonda Xiali Calendar, which tracks the lunar calendar and is one of the rare watches in the world to feature Chinese characters on the dial. The auspicious colourway was the perfect choice to celebrate the new year when the watch was released in January.

4. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Small Seconds

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Small Seconds in burgundy. Photo: Handout

Jaeger-LeCoultre added four versions of the Reverso Tribute Small Seconds to its catalogue in March this year, which included a gorgeous burgundy colourway paired with the pink gold case alongside black and brushed silver with the same case colour.

Like most Reversos, the watch face can be flipped over to hide and protect the dial behind more of the pink gold case, but when the dial is that beautiful shade of burgundy, we would be willing to take the risk.

5. Zenith Defy Revival

Zenith Defy Revival A3691 with a red dial. Photo: Handout

Zenith this year gave us the Defy Revival as a boldly designed integrated sports watch. Not only is the dial a red gradient in one of the bolder shades on this list, but the indices ooze loud, vintage design, especially when paired with the 14-sided bezel.

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6. Furlan Marri Mecaquartz Bronzo Rosso

Furlan Marri Mecaquartz Bronzo Rosso. Photo: Handout

Expect independent brands like Furlan Marri and the remaining entries on this list to not miss out on the growing movement of red dials, especially with the big releases they’ve had this year.

Aside from its Secular Perpetual Calendar one-off piece for Only Watch 2023, the two-year-old brand designed the gorgeous Mecaquartz Bronzo Rosso for Watches of Switzerland last month. The bronze case pairs beautifully with the glossy burgundy dial, all while housing a hybrid chronograph movement powered by quartz but using mechanical components to track time.

7. Fears x Christopher Ward Alliance 01

Fears x Christopher Ward Alliance 01. Photo: Handout

Two stars of British independent watchmaking joined their powers as Fears and Christopher Ward gave us the Alliance 01. The piece minimises the time-telling using a jump-hour window at 12 and a smaller minutes hand and dial. As a result, the eyes can enjoy an uninterrupted shade of red in more of the piece as housed in a cushion-style Brunswick case made particularly for this watch.

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8. Farer Discovery Red 36mm

Farer Discovery Red 36mm. Photo: Handout

Perhaps the most reasonable piece on this list from a price perspective, a third UK watchmaker went red with a 36mm piece designed for optimum legibility. The bright shade is accented with white indices and hands, and a blue arrow on the seconds hand, as the watch evokes retro-inspired Rolex Explorer tropes with numbered indices at 12, three, six and nine.

Timepieces

Horology enthusiasts are hotly anticipating the rise of red dials in the near future, with Parmigiani Fleurier’s PF Tonda Xiali Calendar and the Zenith Defy Revival exemplifying the style this year
Other models embracing shades of crimson, maroon and burgundy include Furlan Marri’s Mecaquartz Bronzo Rosso, Fears x Christopher Ward’s Alliance 01 and the Farer Discovery Red 36mm