Over the Rainbow: Four Futuristic Dials That Take Color To A New Level

Even though we’re a few months out from the closing ceremonies, we’re still riding a wave of post-Olympic positivity that came from what can only be described as pure joy as we watched the gold medal performance by figure skater Alysa Liu, Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen’s gleeful podium jump after winning gold in the men’s giant slalom, and, of course, Nazgul the Czechoslovakian wolfdog’s photo finish in the women’s cross-country semifinals.

Celebration is exactly what we need right now, and the following four watches spark joy thanks to their playful, colorful, and semi-eccentric sense of style.

For athletes and watchmakers alike, a great performance requires both grace and carefully honed technique. The dial of the Ressence Type 9 IKE draws from finding the balance between the two.

An otherworldly limited-edition, the Type 9 IKE is a collaboration with Japanese artist Terumasa Ikeda. Using Ressence’s futuristic Type 9 design as a canvas, Ikeda utilizes ancient Japanese craft techniques to create a captivating dial. “When I discovered Ikeda’s artwork, I was immediately attracted to its extremely futuristic style, which is simultaneously an ancient craft,” said Benoît Mintiens, Ressence’s founder and creative leader, in a press release.
 

The Type 9 is already a design ahead of its time. The display, with its rotating, convex dial, has already simplified the concept of reading time. And its compact size makes it the brand’s most wearable watch. By employing traditional lacquering and raden (a technique for creating inlays that involves carefully cutting and embedding thin pieces of mother-of-pearl into lacquerware), Ikeda has crafted a multi-hued, Tron-like surface.

The process wasn’t easy. “Raden is basically flat, and it breaks easily, like eggshell,” explained Ikeda. “So, we soaked it and bent it gradually on rubber sheets, little by little, so that it would follow the curvature of the dial.”
 

This degree of difficulty means the watch is rare; thus, the Ressence Type 9 IKE, which launched on February 26, is limited to just eight pieces and priced at $44,200.

Elite athletes are born with natural talents, but it’s drive and determination that push them to the podium. And coaches are forever refining the way they train their teams to give them an extra edge. Likewise, noted indie brand De Bethune is well known for always evolving its technical innovation, and the DB28xs Aérolite is an exceptional example of its excellence in dial technology.
 

Sitting at the intersection of tradition and modern science, this watch marked a milestone in the brand’s history. Crafted from slices of the Muonionalusta meteorite and inspired by the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, this timepiece celebrates beauty in imperfection and impermanence.

Here, a novel guilloché pattern is meant to evoke the random ripples on the ocean’s surface at night, while the contrasting geometric lines of the Muonionalusta meteorite provide a deep reflection on the harmony among man, object, and environment. De Bethune describes this piece as “a fragment of the universe on your wrist.”
 

And because of the unique properties of meteorite dial, each piece from its limited annual production is one-of-a-kind. Clients can also customize the constellation engraved on the dial, further emphasizing the intimate connection between time, space, and the individual.

Sadly, no longer available, each DB28xs Aérolite was unique, offering clients the opportunity to customize the constellation.

An oldie (released in 2023) but a goodie, the ProPilot X Calibre 400 Laser from Oris with a shimmering dial produced using an innovative laser technique that has never been used in watchmaking before. As it shifts on the wrist, the Laser’s dial changes color from blue to green to violet, producing an iridescent effect not unlike the surface of a soap bubble or a peacock feather.
 

The science behind this shade shifting is based on the principles of biomimicry, specifically a phenomenon found in nature called optical interference. This means that red light waves are destroyed, while blue and green light waves are reflected. In fact, this watch’s dial doesn’t contain a drop of pigment in this watch.

Everything you think you see has been created using laser technology that was developed in partnership with a research lab affiliated with ETH Zürich. Lasers are used to manipulate the titanium dial surface so that it splits the light into its components, creating a stunning effect that changes with your viewing angle.
 

For the logo, indices, minutes track, and dial text, Oris used another laser process that creates a three-dimensional effect. They also removed the date window, allowing for an uninterrupted light show.

Beyond the dial, the watch features the forward-looking case architecture of ProPilot X Calibre 400, first introduced in 2022. It has a titanium 39mm case, bezel, and crown, and a three-link titanium bracelet. Inside it is the mechanical Oris Calibre 400, our game-changing five-day automatic. Tens! Tens! Tens across the board!

Gold, silver, and bronze are cool, but so is steel. Back in December, Simon Brette introduced the Chronomètre Artisans Stainless Steel. Not only was it the brand’s first stainless steel iteration, but it also brought some serious aesthetic and technical evolutions.
 

Watchonista wrote about this beauty before, but we wanted to take the opportunity to drill deeper into its shimmering dial. Simon Brette calls this hand-engraved surface “Aurora Waves,” and it feels like the horological equivalent of the auroras borealis and Australis. To bring this natural phenomenon to life, each dial has been hand-decorated by the artist Yasmina Anti.

Here, an advanced ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) coating on white gold recreates the radiant, dancing pink, greens, and purples of the Auroras. Meanwhile, gold chatons, the minute track, and the stainless steel seconds hand evoke these patterns.
 

Integrated photoluminescence adds an extra ethereal glow even in low-light environments. Plus, for an extra icy touch, this edition features stainless steel Assets such as the case, hands, and bridges.

Finally, at Watches and Wonders 2026 in Geneva, the story continued when the brand debuted the entirely new “Prism Cobra” stainless-steel bracelet, which was designed specifically to enhance the Chronomètre Artisans Stainless Steel.
 

Recalling the motif of serpent scales, this 316L stainless-steel bracelet took more than two years of research and development and has over 465 individual components.