Over at Moser & Cie in Schaffhausen, they are very excited about the Streamliner Tourbillon Concept Ceramic which is released today, February 18. It is the brand’s first model crafted in ceramic, and the Schaffhausen watchmaker opted to introduce this scratch-resistant material in the Streamliner collection. All that is good and well, but what made me write about this timepiece is that Moser also opted to execute its fumé dial expertise in a Coca-Cola-esque, Christmas-y strong red, which gradually fades to black towards the peripheral edge.
We have in 2026 already seen red on the Paris and New York catwalks. And we have seen red watches from, for instance, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Alpina, IWC, Montblanc, and Chanel. To me, these watches are living proof that the watch industry has gone through a significant change ever since Nicolas Hayek Sr. (1928–2010) said “everything happens in Switzerland – but ten years later.” Even though he was referring to why he wanted to die in Switzerland, this quote could absolutely be applied to an industry that in general used to be immune to rapid input from the fashion industry.
Red details (such as a red 12 or XII) were seen in watch dials early in the 20th century, and full red dials were around in the 1960s and 1970s. Perhaps most notably with the Rolex Stella dials, but it was always a niche phenomenon. In 2026, however, red is finally becoming mainstream. This is now happening after a few years of forerunners like, for instance, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Rado, and Breitling.
Perhaps it is not strange that we are seeing red right now: the color red, which originally stemmed from red ochre, was one of the first natural pigments available to prehistoric humans. The use of this iron oxide-based pigment dates back 250,000 years. In more recent times, the color red has traditionally been connected with contradictory, even paradox emotions. Think love and war, think passion and anger, think vitality and danger; feelings that we are all experiencing. And if something can be said about the current times we live in, it is that one man’s love is often another man’s war. Also, in times of insecurity, it is human to go back to your roots, back to the thing you know best.
On another note, red is also considered to be a lucky color in China, and some of the red-hued dials we see have been made to celebrate the Chinese New Year and the Year of the Horse, which started yesterday on February 17.
Right now we are two months away from Watches & Wonders, and I am very curious as to see how big the trend of red dials will be on the coming show. But one thing is for certain: I am 100 percent sure that many-a watch lover will be caught red-wristed in 2026.
