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

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

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.

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.