No longer just for summertime fun, these pieces beg to be worn — well — whenever!
Watches from Swatch, Hamilton, Rolex, Omega, Tissot, Mondaine, Marathon and NOMOS Glashütte
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This week, Omega shared some big news in the form of a very special new Speedmaster — a white-dialed Moonwatch.
Teased last fall on the wrist of Daniel Craig at an event in New York City, the brand was mum about the identity of the piece until March 5th, when the official announcement hit inboxes around the world. Measuring 42mm in stainless steel and powered by the brand’s Calibre 3861 hand-wound movement, this is the modern, 2021-spec Moonwatch we all love, but with a white lacquer dial, red “Speedmaster” typography, and applied, black indices and a black handset. A playful take on one of the world’s most beloved tool watches, it ain’t exactly rocket science, but it’s almost guaranteed to be a huge hit.
There’s something about a clean white dial on what is otherwise a utilitarian watch that collectors simply love. (Think about the white-dialed Rolex Explorer II “Polar” references, or the white version of IWC’s Mark-series pilot’s watch.) Many contemporary tool watches are the successors to vintage military watches, whose black dials with luminescent elements not only ensured excellent legibility, but also minimized reflections in the field. A white dial with black (or colored) elements, however, is perhaps even more legible, and if reflections are a non-issue, they function just as well as their black-dial cousins.
The aesthetic is one that’s become increasingly popular in recent years as brands large and small begin experimenting with alternatives to the classic tool watch look. And while a white dial or an all-white look is typically associated with summertime wear, a staggered release schedule means that white-dialed pieces are hitting shelves every quarter. So if you like a white-dialed watch, unless you’re someone who prescribes to the old sartorial tenant banning white after Labor Day, this is your time to shine — wear them all year long!
Of course, it’s more than just tool watches that look great in white — panda-dial chronographs are more popular than ever, and plenty of dressier pieces feature either white or silver-opaline dials. For the sake of this guide, we’re going to lump in silver and other white-adjacent color schemes along with white lacquer and other types of white dials. If you have the opportunity, go to your local boutique or authorized dealer and try some of these on in person — you’ll probably be surprised at just how versatile and attractive some of these pieces look on the wrist.
Swatch X Blancpain Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms Collection
A modern Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, one of the world’s first commercially available dive watches from 1953, will set you back many thousands of dollars. But this collaboration between Swatch and Blancpain, which is made from white-colored bioceramic plastic, retails for $400. Measuring 42.3mm, you’d think it would be quartz-powered at this price — but nay! Swatch’s machine-assembled Sistem51, which consists of just 51 parts, provides automatic winding, while a cool silver, white, and blue NATO strap made from recycled fishing nets finishes the package. You’d be hard-pressed to find much more value in dive watches for $500.
Diameter: 42.3mm
Movement: Swatch Sistem51 automatic
Water Resistance: 91m
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical
When it debuted in 2018, Hamilton’s “KFM” quickly attained cult status. Based upon vintage Hamilton military watches from the mid-20th century, it first appeared in black. When, several years later, Hamilton delivered a white version, what had once been a tactical-looking tool suddenly took on the aspect of a summery accessory. Powered by the hand-wound Hamilton H-50 movement, it features an impressive 80-hour power reserve and measures just 9.5mm tall. And at 38mm, it’s well sized for both male and female wrists, giving it both physical as well as aesthetic versatility. Paired to a NATO, it’s a clear winner for under $600.
Diameter: 38mm
Movement: Hamilton H-50 hand-wound
Water Resistance: 50m
Mondaine NEO Chronograph
The “panda”-dial aesthetic — a white background with black subdials — has been in play since the mid-20th century, when watches such as the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona and Heuer Carrera popularized it among race car drivers. Now, you can attain this unique look for well under $1,000 with Mondaine’s NEO Chronograph: Housed in a 41mm stainless steel case, it offers the Swiss brand’s clean, railway clock-inspired aesthetic (and plethora of Helvetica) and pairs it with quartz-powered chronograph functionality for just $525. Paired to a black vegan grape leather strap, its handsome design and highly legible dial are sure to turn heads.
Diameter: 41mm
Movement: Ronda Calibre 5030 quartz
Water Resistance: 50m
Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 35MM
There are few places where you can get this much bang for just 750 bucks. Based upon a watch from 1978, the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 gives you a steel case, an integrated bracelet, an automatic movement with 80 hours of power reserve, and 100m of water resistance for less than the cost of a service on a high-end Swiss watch. What’s more, its white mother-of-pearl dial, with its cool waffle pattern and handy date window at 3 o’clock, provide welcome visual interest, while its profile — perfectly sized at 38mm — resembles those of many famous 1970s Gérald Genta designs. Available in several colors, the white is indeed summer-y as heck.
Diameter: 38mm
Movement: Tissot Powermatic 80 automatic
Water Resistance: 100m
Marathon MSAR 36MM
A true military contractor, Marathon has been designing and manufacturing tool watches for allied militaries since the 1940s. The Canadian brand’s MSAR, a 36mm, quartz-powered dive watch, is just as robust as its larger cousins — and in white, its “Arctic” colorway makes for a terrific unisex piece. Featuring the brand’s famed, perpetually-glowing tritium tube (as well as Maraglo) illumination, it comes paired to a stainless steel “Oyster”-style bracelet with a fold-over clasp and has a heavy-duty knurled crown and tall bezel that are easy to grip with gloves. Water resistant to 300m, the MSAR is a serious tool for serious divers, but works just as well as an everyday watch.
Diameter: 36mm
Movement: ETA High-Torque FØ6
Water Resistance: 300m
NOMOS Club ref. 701.1
While most of the watches featured on this list are tool watches, this spectacular, hand-wound Club from NOMOS deserves a spot for its beautiful, Bauhaus-inspired aesthetics, excellent wearability, and excellent synthesis of classic features. Measuring 36mm in polished stainless steel, its galvanized, silver-plated white dial with lumed Arabic and dash numerals; sub-seconds; and orange accents is both distinctly handsome and highly legible. Meanwhile, its hand-wound Alpha movement and brown Horween leather strap finish a highly usable package packing 100m of water resistance into a case just 8.2mm. (Our advice? Add an engraving to really give it some personalized style!)
Diameter: 36mm
Movement: NOMOS Alpha hand-wound
Water Resistance: 100m
Yema Superman 500 Dato
Yema’s Superman dive watch features a unique bezel-locking mechanism that has been, frankly, antiquated since the advent of the click spring. However, its idiosyncratic charms do little to detract from the wonderful aspects of the modern Superman 500 Dato design: For a hair over $1,000, you get a 39mm or 41mm stainless steel dive watch with automatic winding courtesy of Yema’s own YEMA2000 movement; a glossy white dial with “sand” effect and Super-LumiNova; a whopping 500m of water resistance; and two stainless steel bracelets, including a cool “scales” version. Distinctly good looking and feature-packed, it’s truly a perfect year-round watch.
Diameter: 39mm/41mm
Movement: YEMA2000 automatic
Water Resistance: 500m
IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XX
While it may have been born as a strict pilot’s tool in 1948, the modern incarnation of IWC’s “Mark” series is available in a host of colorful (or color-less) versions to please modern tastes. The silver-white version, with its distinctive sword hands and printed Arabic indices, is joined by a date window at 3 o’clock for a bit of modern utility, plus a comfortable multi-link bracelet to match the watch head’s 40mm stainless steel case. (It’s also available on leather for the purists out there.) Dressy enough to be worn with a suit and tie, the Mark XX in white — with its automatic winding, 120 hours of power reserve, and 100m of water resistance — is a tool watch through and through.
Diameter: 100m
Movement: IWC Calibre 32111 automatic
Water Resistance: 100m
Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional
The one we’ve all been waiting for, folks — the Moonwatch in white! While white-dial Speedies have surfaced before as part of special editions, etc, there’s never been a white, stainless steel Moonwatch, i.e. the version of the Speedmaster approved for use in manned space flight by NASA. This one includes a white lacquer dial, the Calibre 3861 hand-wound movement, and the contemporary Speedy’s beloved stainless steel bracelet with brushed and polished links. A “sapphire sandwich” version, it shows off the movement via a sapphire crystal on the caseback, and also features a sapphire crystal protecting the dial. A special Speedy for just $100 more than the black-dialed sapphire version? Count us in!
Diameter: 41mm
Movement: Omega Calibre 3861 hand-wound
Water Resistance: 50m
Rolex Explorer II
Measuring 42mm, the modern Explorer II is an upgrade from its 1970s-era namesake in that it provides an independently adjustable local hour hand, which allows for the tracking of a second time zone. (The original Explorer II’s movement limited its functionality to a day/night indicator.) Designed for spelunkers and other scientific types, it packs an impressive 300m of water resistance in its Oystersteel case and comes paired to a matching Oyster bracelet. Its white “Polar” dial — a collector’s nickname, by no means official — has fans everywhere, making the watch famous as one of the first white-dialed, purpose-built tool watches.
Diameter: 42mm
Movement: Rolex Calibre 3285 automatic
Water Resistance: 300m
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