When Colour Becomes Part of the Design
Black and silver have long been the familiar choices in watch design. Timeless, versatile and easy to pair with almost anything, they have earned their place as everyday classics. But a watch does not have to stay within a traditional colour palette to feel refined.
Colour can change the entire character of a timepiece. A rich green can bring depth and individuality. Blue can create a cooler, more contemporary impression. Brown introduces warmth, while gold and rose gold add a distinctive metallic presence. Even black can take on a completely different personality depending on the case finish and accents surrounding it.
The HERITAGE LONGITUDE DUAL TIME SKELETON AUTOMATIC explores this wider world of colour through eleven new styles. Built around a 44mm stainless-steel case and an open skeleton design, the collection combines automatic timekeeping with dual-time functionality and a sun & moon indicator.
More than simply offering different colour options, the collection demonstrates how colour, finish and bracelet design can work together to create distinctly different expressions of the same watch.
Image from Thomas Earnshaw
Green: Three Ways to Make an Impression
Green is one of the most expressive colours in the collection, but it does not appear in just one form.
Mystique Emerald takes a rich and luxurious approach, pairing a gold case and gold accents with a green skeleton dial. The combination creates a strong sense of depth, with the green bringing colour to the open-worked design while the gold adds warmth.
Timeless Sage presents green from a different perspective. Its green skeleton dial is combined with a two-tone steel and gold finish and a Jubilee bracelet. The contrast between the cooler steel and warmer gold gives the watch a more layered appearance.
Then there is Ebon Precision, where green takes on a darker and more contemporary character. The green skeleton dial sits within a black case and bracelet, complemented by rose gold accents.
The three designs show that a single colour can create very different moods. Green can feel rich and elegant, balanced and refined, or dark and modern depending on what surrounds it.
Image from Thomas Earnshaw
Black: A Classic with More Personality
Black may be one of the most traditional colours in watchmaking, but it is far from predictable.
Several styles within the HERITAGE LONGITUDE DUAL TIME SKELETON AUTOMATIC use black as the foundation while introducing different metallic finishes.
Rose Abyss combines a rose gold case and rose gold accents with a black skeleton dial, creating a warm contrast against the darker centre of the watch. Gilded Shadow takes a similar approach with a gold case and gold accents, giving black a more classic and luminous character.
The two-tone Phantom Design and Jet Heritage offer another interpretation. Both feature black skeleton dials, but their combinations of steel with gold or rose gold, together with Jubilee bracelets, give them a more structured and contemporary presence.
Timeless Onyx goes further into darker territory, pairing a gunmetal case and bracelet with a black skeleton dial and rose gold accents.
Together, these styles demonstrate that black is not simply a neutral choice. Its personality changes with every metallic finish placed around it.
Image from Thomas Earnshaw
Blue and Brown: Colour with a Different Character
Not every colour needs to make a dramatic statement. Sometimes, a subtle change from the familiar can be enough to create a distinctive look.
Steel Sky introduces blue through its blue skeleton dial, framed by a two-tone steel and rose gold finish and Jubilee bracelet. The cool tone of the blue contrasts naturally with the warmth of rose gold, creating a balanced combination.
Amber Vintage, meanwhile, brings brown into the collection. Its brown skeleton dial is paired with a two-tone steel and rose gold finish and Jubilee bracelet. Brown has a naturally warm and grounded quality, giving the watch a different visual mood from the cooler blue of Steel Sky.
These two styles demonstrate how colour can influence the atmosphere of a watch without changing its fundamental design. Blue can feel crisp and contemporary, while brown can feel warmer and more nostalgic.
Image from Thomas Earnshaw
When Colour Extends to the Bracelet
Colour does not stop at the dial. The case and bracelet can play an equally important role in shaping the overall appearance of a watch.
Six of the new styles — Phantom Design, Jet Heritage, Timeless Sage, Steel Sky, Amber Vintage and Hazel Aura — combine two-tone finishes with Jubilee bracelets.
This creates another layer of visual contrast. Steel and gold can create a warmer, more traditional impression, while steel and rose gold introduce a softer metallic contrast.
The Jubilee bracelet also adds visual texture to the wrist. Rather than appearing as one continuous block of metal, its linked construction becomes part of the overall design, allowing the bracelet to interact with the light as the wrist moves.
This is particularly effective when combined with coloured skeleton dials. Steel Sky, for example, brings together blue, steel and rose gold, while Timeless Sage combines green with steel and gold. Hazel Aura takes a quieter approach, pairing a grey skeleton dial with two-tone steel and rose gold.
The bracelet therefore becomes more than a functional component. It helps complete the colour story of the watch.
Image from Thomas Earnshaw
Metallic Finishes: Changing the Mood
Colour is only one part of the equation. The finish of the case and bracelet can influence how that colour is perceived.
Gold brings warmth and a traditional sense of richness. Rose gold creates a softer metallic contrast, particularly against darker colours such as black. Gunmetal creates a more subdued and contemporary appearance, while black can produce a stronger monochromatic effect.
The new collection uses these finishes in different combinations rather than relying on one formula. Mystique Emerald uses gold to enhance the richness of green. Rose Abyss places rose gold against black. Timeless Onyx combines gunmetal and black with rose gold accents, while Ebon Precision uses black as the setting for green and rose gold.
These combinations show why colour cannot be considered separately from the rest of the watch. The same dial colour can feel completely different depending on the case and bracelet around it.
Eleven Styles, One Design Language
Despite their different colour combinations, the eleven new styles share a common design foundation.
The 44mm case and skeleton construction create a consistent visual identity, while the automatic movement, dual-time display and sun & moon indicator give the collection its functional character.
From there, colour creates the differences.
Mystique Emerald brings together green and gold. Rose Abyss and Gilded Shadow explore black through rose gold and gold. Phantom Design and Jet Heritage use two-tone finishes with Jubilee bracelets. Timeless Sage and Ebon Precision offer two distinct interpretations of green. Steel Sky and Amber Vintage introduce blue and brown, while Hazel Aura brings a softer grey tone into the collection. Timeless Onyx completes the darker side with gunmetal, black and rose gold.
The result is a collection that demonstrates how one design language can take on many different personalities through colour and finish.
Find the Colour That Feels Like You
Black and silver may always remain watchmaking classics, but they are only the beginning of the colour spectrum.
Green can be rich, understated or modern. Black can become warmer, sharper or more dramatic depending on its surrounding finishes. Blue and brown can introduce a different sense of character, while gold, rose gold, gunmetal and two-tone combinations add another dimension to the design.
The HERITAGE LONGITUDE DUAL TIME SKELETON AUTOMATIC shows how colour can transform the personality of a timepiece without changing the essence of its design. With eleven new styles, each combination of dial, case and bracelet offers a different interpretation of the same design language.
Ultimately, choosing a watch colour is not about finding the one universally correct option. It is about finding the combination that fits your style, your wardrobe and the way you want to wear your timepiece.
Because beyond black and silver, there is a whole world of colour waiting to be explored.
Image from Thomas Earnshaw