Cool Watches for the Festive Season

Colors like light blue and white are often linked to summer, sunshine, vacations, lagoons, and beach vibes. Yet, these shades – white and icy blue – are equally representative of winter and glaciers. This cool aesthetic, therefore, is just as fitting for the colder months.

By Marianne Eschbach

Blue is one of the most popular colors. This is also true in watch design, where the once royal-exclusive color has dominated dials in recent years.

Since watches are not just functional instruments but also fashion accessories, colors play an important role.

The New Blue is Light

Now is the time for a new variant of blue. To welcome the new year, the watch industry presents timepieces as white as freshly fallen snow, as light blue as the winter sky, and even slightly sparkling like snow crystals.

Historically, blue was a rare and expensive color, reserved for royalty and the upper classes. It was only with the invention of synthetic pigments in the early 18th century that blue became widely available, along with its many variations.

Watches in the Snow

During the French Rococo era (1730 to 1760), light blue became hugely popular. The color was seen as cheerful and provocative, much like the women who wore it. Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of King Louis XV, was famous for her fashionable gowns in light blue and pink.

You don’t have to be physically in the mountains to imagine the idyllic winter scenes conjured by the latest watch designs.

«La Vie en Ciel»

The sporty glide down the slopes, the refined lunch on a sunny mountain restaurant terrace, the elegant pirouette on the ice rink, and the chic après-ski – it's time to celebrate «La Vie en Ciel».

Light blue is also easy on the eyes, calming, and evokes tranquility – something we can all use during vacations and in today’s world.

1. Sculpted From Ice

The dial's design, with its white engraved lines, is inspired by polar landscapes. It symbolizes water, cold, and ice – the colors of the Arctic.

Bell & Ross «BR-05 Skeleton Arctic Blue» (40 mm), made of polished and satin-finished steel, with a skeletonized dial, and mechanical automatic movement. 7,700 francs (Image: Courtesy)

2. The Afternoon Sky

This classic watch received three new dial colors in 2024, with the version in the blue of the vast horizon particularly standing out.

IWC Schaffhausen «Portugieser Chronograph Horizon Blue» (41 mm), made of white gold, mechanical in-house movement, Santoni calfskin strap. 18,100 francs (Image: Courtesy)

3. Subtle and Clear

Since 1861, watches have been produced in Schramberg, in Germany’s Black Forest. By 1903, the factory, built in terraced construction, was the largest watch manufacturer in the world. Today, the tradition continues with all types of movements and clear designs.

Junghans «Form Damen» (34.1 mm), made of stainless steel, quartz movement. Interchangeable leather strap with microfiber lining. 530 Swiss francs (Image: Courtesy)

4. The Shine of Mother-of-Pearl and Diamonds

Elegance and character in a design inspired by the 1970s. The case revives the TV shape that made waves in 1973.

Mido «Multifort TV 35» (35 x 34.2 mm), made of satin-finished and polished stainless steel, blue mother-of-pearl dial adorned with eight diamonds, steel bracelet, automatic caliber. 1,160 francs (Image: Courtesy)

5. Lightweight

The watch manufacturer known for its original time displays and rotating dials has introduced a model with its smallest diameter yet, weighing just 39 grams.