Pantone Picks Color Of The Year; It’s Time To Wear Blue Watches

Color is serious business at Pantone and along with standardizing colors across the board, the company has also selected a “Color of the Year” since 2000. This year’s choice from Pantone is Classic Blue, “a solid and dependable blue hue we can always rely on” Pantone Color Institute’s Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman notes. We can now expect blue to pop up just about everywhere in 2020, from runways to interior designs to food and drink. However, for those of us who follow luxury watch trends, blue is nothing new. In fact, it’s been an enduring colorway for watches for decades with the blue dial trend really picking up steam over the last few years. Whether with a blue dial, blue case, blue strap, or all of the above, here are some of our top picks for blue watches to wear 2020’s color of the year.

Bulgari Octo Roma

Drawing designs cues from the octagonal ceiling coffers and circular arches of the Roman Massentius Basilica, the Bulgari Octo Roma watch combines an eight-sided case and dial with a round bezel. Despite its ancient civilization inspiration, the Octo Roma is a thoroughly modern styled watch and this particular version has a 41mm stainless steel case, steel integrated bracelet, blue dial, and the automatic BVL 19 Solotempo movement.

Omega Planet Ocean GMT “Big Blue”

If just the dial color isn’t enough blue for you, then the Omega Planet Ocean GMT “Big Blue” has the answer. As its name implies, this is one big blue watch, from the 45.5 MM blue ceramic case and blue rubber strap to the blue ceramic dial and bezel. However, that sea of one color is also punctuated by pops of orange including the GMT hand on the dial that serves to indicate another time zone. Inside the 600-meter water-resistant mega Omega dive watch is the automatic Master Chronometer Caliber 8906 with 60 hours of power reserve.

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin

Warm rose gold and rich blue can pair superbly well together as illustrated on the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin. The watch features a 41.5mm 18k rose gold case, complete with the signature cut-out bezel inspired by the company’s Maltese Cross emblem. The blue dial is peppered with different indicators for the day, date, month, leap-year, and moon phase, while the caseback offers a view of the beautifully decorated Caliber 1120 QP/1 automatic movement. Switching between the blue rubber strap or blue alligator leather band is a breeze thanks to the Overseas’ interchangeable strap system.

Ulysse Nardin Freak X

The newest, smallest, simplest, and most affordable version of the revolutionary Ulysse Nardin Freak model, the Freak X lineup retains the distinct carrousel baguette movement where the central bridge is also the minute hand and one of the wheels doubles as the hour indicator. While the 43mm watch is available in a range of case materials, the titanium version looks particularly dashing dressed in blue. A new movement powers the Freak X watches, the automatic UN-230, which offers a 70-hour power reserve and unlike previous Freak models, is adjusted via a winding crown rather than the bezel.