The most feminine of colours is a symbol of seduction, affection, youth, romanticism and happiness. If you would prefer to see the world through a rose-tinted lens, why not start by telling the time in pink? Make your choice from this bouquet of horological roses.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Automatic
This sporty watch from the Royal Oak Offshore Diver Funky Colours range, launched in 2016, comes in raspberry pink. Don’t worry, despite the relatively modest 37 mm diameter of the steel case, it won’t go unnoticed on your wrist. While it unapologetically follows the trend of accessorising watches to match whatever outfit you’re wearing, it also has some serious credentials as a member of one of Audemars Piguet’s most famous collections, with its manufacture chronograph movement, the Calibre 2385, boasting a 40-hour power reserve. The femininity of its luscious dial, complete with Lady Tapisserie motif, is enhanced by the 32 brilliant-cut diamonds (totalling approx. 1.02 carats) around the bezel, and white gold hands. The cheeky rubber strap just adds to the effect. And with a price tag of 29,500 Swiss francs, it might as well turn a few heads.
Hublot Big Bang One Click Sapphire 39mm
How is it that such a soft, delicate pink can be created by cutting-edge engineering and chemistry out of aluminium oxides and titanium? This was the solution developed by Hublot to produce the pink sapphire out of which the Big Bang One Click Sapphire has been fashioned. The luminescent material coating the Arabic numerals and hands is in a matching shade. Forty-two diamonds totalling one carat illuminate the steel bezel, and the rubber strap with its darker pink central stripe provides a bold foil to the transparency of the case. The self-winding mechanical movement HUB 1710, which can be seen through the dial, will run for 50 hours without being rewound. But all roses have their thorns. Look no further than the price of this 200-piece limited series: 65,000 Swiss francs. Ouch.
Bell & Ross BR S Diamond Eagle
The Bell & Ross BR S Diamond Eagle, in an elegant combination of soft pink and steel grey, and with the same technical accent of visible screw heads that we saw on the two previous models, focuses not on sport but on the poetry of the spheres. Its sunburst dial bears an illustration of Aquila, the eagle, made of seven different-sized diamonds representing the constellation’s brightest stars. Facetted round markers complete a miniature Milky Way, and a Swiss-made quartz movement drives the slender hour and minute hands. This model comes with a pink alligator strap, and costs 2,600 Swiss francs.
Chopard Happy Sport Manufacture
With its dial in pink mother-of-pearl, its 18K rose gold bezel on a steel case, and its gilt Roman numerals and markers, the Happy Sport Manufacture is an elegant small (30 mm) ladies’ watch. Like its predecessors, it has five diamonds let loose on the dial. But to mark the 25th anniversary of the collection in 2018, it asserts its horological credentials with a brand new self-winding mechanical movement that Chopard has developed specially for women’s watches. This playful introduction to la vie en rose comes with a matt pink alligator strap, and is available for 7,860 Swiss francs.
Van Cleef & Arpels Primerose Secrète
A bouquet of diamonds and round pink sapphires in different shades come together to create a flower for Van Cleef & Arpels’ Le Jardin collection. The diamond-set centre of the bloom opens to reveal a minuscule 12 mm watch dial, whose two golden hands are driven by a quartz movement.
Breguet Classique Moon Phase Lady 9085
What could be more romantic than a pink watch, made of gold, with a moon phase display? At the beginning of the year, Breguet launched this special Valentine’s Day series of 14 pieces in 18K white gold with mother-of-pearl dial. 53 graded pink sapphires and 13 brilliant-cut diamonds sparkle on the bezel and lugs. Peeking out from behind a pink mother-of-pearl heart, the moon shares its window in the dial with the small seconds display. The beautifully decorated self-winding mechanical Calibre 537L, known for its reliability, is a fitting symbol of fidelity.
