Violet, lavender, mauve, plum, lilac, amethyst, there are a lot of shades of purple out there. Most of them have graced the dial of a watch at some point or other and there is a huge selection of modern watches embracing this rich and enticing colour. Here are 22 of the best purple watches to buy right now.
Namica Shirahama Neo Tokyo Black DLC
Namica describe the Shirahama as being edgy and inspired by cyberpunk design, which definitely comes across with the fumé purple dial and dark DLC coated case. It’s vibrant and eye-catching. Beneath the surface is the Seiko NH38A automatic movement with a 41-hour power reserve.
Case/dial: 40mm diameter x 12.7mm thickness, stainless steel case with DLC coating, ultraviolet vertical brushed metallic fumé dial
Water resistance: 200m (20 bar)
Movement: Seiko calibre NH38A, automatic, 24 jewels, 21,600 vph (3 Hz) frequency, 41h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet with DLC coating
Price: $500 (approx. £375)
Monbrey L08 Indigo Purple
A very young microbrand with a lovely debut collection, Monbrey have embraced a whole host of colours including this Indigo Purple. They cite 1970s automobiles as a major influence with the facetted lugs being designed to emulate the wedge style design of retro cars. Beneath the hood, so to speak, is the Miyota cal.9039.
Case/dial: 38.5mm diameter x 10mm thickness, stainless steel case, purple dial
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Miyota calibre 9039, automatic, 24 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 42h power reserve
Strap: Black leather
Price: £405
Spinnaker Dumas GMT
The Dumas GMT Cadmium Violet sits on the pinker side of the purple spectrum, in the fuchsia, magenta kind of area. It has a gradient dial with a pair of 24-hour scales, one on the dial and the other on the day/night bezel. The day portion of the bezel is depicted in purple too, which is an unusual colour to see on a GMT bezel. It’s powered by the Seiko NH34 GMT.
Case/dial: 43mm diameter x 15mm thickness, stainless steel case, purple dial
Water resistance: 30m (3 bar)
Movement: Seiko calibre NH34 GMT, automatic, 24 jewels, 21,600 vph (3 Hz) frequency, 41h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet with additional black rubber strap
Price: $660 (approx. £500)
Venezianico Arsenale 40
The Venezianico Arsenale focusses on industrial vibes, which makes sense because it’s named after Venice’s famous industrial dockyard and centre of industry. The dial is finished with Côtes de Genève, giving it a strong vertical striped appearance. It’s powered by the Miyota 9029 automatic with 42-hour power reserve.
Case/dial: 40mm diameter x 8.95mm thickness, stainless steel case, Vertical Côtes de Genève finish purple dial
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Miyota calibre 9029, automatic, 24 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 42h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: €656 (approx. £550)
Formex Field Automatic Ultra Violet
Field watches are often focused on being rugged and durable so it’s not often you see them in exotic colours, making the Formex Field Automatic Ultra Violet something of treat. Although it sacrifices none of its durable specs to be fun with a titanium case and ultra-hard surface treatment. The movement inside is the Sellita SW200-1.
Case/dial: 40mm diameter x 10.6mm thickness, grade 2 titanium case, one piece sandwich style purple dial
Water resistance: 150m (15 bar)
Movement: Sellita calibre SW200-1, automatic, 26 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 41h power reserve
Strap: Violet Bolgheri leather with carbon fibre clasp
Price: £890
Hamilton Jazzmaster Performer
The Hamilton Jazzmaster Performer is about as quintessential of a daily beater as it’s possible to get. It has a very understated design with the case measuring just 34mm in diameter, which certainly means it leans in a more feminine direction, though with the popularity of vintage proportions isn’t completely unrealistic for unisex wear.
Case/dial: 34mm diameter x 11.18mm thickness, stainless steel case, purple dial
Water resistance: XX 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Hamilton calibre H-10, automatic, 25 jewels, 21,600 vph (3 Hz) frequency, 80h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £1,065
Isotope Hydrium PRO NSFW Purple
This Isotope Hyrdrium PRO is such a vibrant shade of purple that they’ve labelled it NSFW (Not Safe for Work), quite the conundrum when looking at it is part of my job. It has been paired with a rugged 40mm steel case with 300m water resistance and an automatic movement with 40-hour power reserve.
Case/dial: 40mm diameter x 12.9mm thickness, stainless steel case, royal purple dial
Water resistance: 300m (30 bar)
Movement: Landeron calibre, automatic, 25 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 40h power reserve
Strap: Black leather with purple stitches
Price: £1,080
anOrdain Fabrik Model 1 GMT
While anOrdain are best known for their immaculate enamel dials, the Fabrik GMT offers a slightly different look at the brand with a shiny, purple lacquer dial with snailed centre. The distinctive typography of the display is inspired by vintage Ordinance Survey maps. It’s powered by the ETA 2893-2 automatic movement
Case/dial: 38mm diameter x 11mm thickness, stainless steel case, purple lacquer dial
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: ETA calibre 2893-2, automatic, 21 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 42h power reserve
Strap: Leather
Price: £1,485 (excl. VAT)
Christopher Ward The Twelve (Ti)
The Twelve by Christopher Ward really shook up the British watch market when it was launched, bringing integrated bracelet sports watches to home soil in a big way. One of the stand out models is the Ti with its 40mm titanium case and fumé gradient dials, one of which is rich purple, dubbed Nebula Purple.
Case/dial: 40mm diameter x 8.95mm thickness, titanium case, nebula purple dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Sellita calibre SW300-1 COSC, automatic, 25 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 56h power reserve
Strap: Titanium bracelet
Price: £1,595
Louis Erard Petit Seconde Violette
For a really intense colour, the Louis Erard Petit Seconde Violette is hard to beat. It’s incredibly rich, especially where the contrasting finishes on the dial meet around the hour scale and snailed subdial. It’s paired with a purple calf leather strap to complete the purple visual.
Case/dial: 39mm diameter stainless steel case, matte purple dial
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Sellita calibre SW261-1, automatic, 31 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 38h power reserve
Strap: Purple grained calf leather
Price: CHF 2,222 (approx. £2,000)
Maurice Lacroix Aikon Titanium
The Aikon by Maurice Lacroix follows the aesthetic styles of integrated bracelet sports watches of the 1970s, rendered here in lightweight titanium. It has a hobnail pattern dial, also known as Clous de Paris, which is reminiscent of the Tapisserie motif used by Audemars Piguet. Pretty in purple.
Case/dial: 42mm diameter x 11mm thickness, titanium case, clous de paris motif purple dial
Water resistance: 200m (20 bar)
Movement: Maurice Lacroix calibre ML115, automatic, 26 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 38h power reserve
Strap: Titanium bracelet
Price: £2,700
King Seiko KSK 6L ‘Tenjin-Fuji Violet’
While the watch is named Violet, the flower pattern on its dial is actually based on wisteria, another beautiful purple flower. The watch itself has the sharp, angular features common to the King Seiko KSK range with a slim design thanks to the 6L35 automatic movement housed inside.
Case/dial: 38.6mm diameter x 10.7mm thickness, stainless steel case, purple dial
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Seiko calibre 6L35, automatic, 26 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 45h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £2,930
Oris Aquis Hölstein Edition 2023
Each year Oris release a watch in celebration of their heritage in Hölstein and while the 2024 version was announced a while ago, the 2023 version is still available. It has a really attractive purple dial with a richly intense colour and a slight fumé gradient around the periphery. It’s a dateless Aquis powered by the Oris Calibre 400, their flagship movement with 120-hour power reserve.
Case/dial: 41.5mm diameter, stainless steel case, purple dial
Water resistance: 300m (30 bar)
Movement: Oris calibre 400, automatic, 21 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 120h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £3,300
Norqain Independence Skeleton Chrono 42mm Limited Edition
I went back and forth on whether to include the Norqain Independence Skeleton Chrono. It has purple elements but they’re spread out across the skeletonised display along with a purple strap. However, I think it’s purple enough and since we’re including the Zenith Ultraviolet which is arguably a lot less purple, it earns a spot. It’s powered by the NORQAIN 8K Manufacture Calibre (NK24/1).
Case/dial: 42mm diameter x 13.9mm thickness, grade 5 titanium case with black DLC coating, satin-finished skeletonised black and purple dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Norqain calibre 8K (NK24/1), automatic, COSC-certified, 31 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 62h power reserve
Strap: Integrated purple rubber with “Milanese” pattern, black DLC titanium pin buckle
Price: £5,590
Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Shades
Another 34mm timepiece like the Hamilton Jazzmaster Performer is the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Shades. It feels like a darker shade of purple like plum while also being a touch desaturated that gives it a faint pastel vibe. The movement inside is the
Omega 8800 with 55-hour power reserve.
Case/dial: 34mm diameter x 11.9mm thickness, stainless steel case, purple dial
Water resistance: 150m (15 bar)
Movement: Omega calibre 8800, automatic, 35 jewels, 25,200 vph (3.5 Hz) frequency, 55h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £6,200
Rolex Datejust 36mm
The Rolex Datejust has always ridden the line between reserved and ostentatious depending on the model and the Datejust 36mm with a purple dial tends to lean towards the latter. Although that’s largely due to the diamond set Roman numerals. This isn’t the only purple Rolex in history as their historic collaborations with Asprey were also purple.
Case/dial: 36mm diameter stainless steel and white gold case, aubergine dial set with diamonds
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Rolex calibre 3235, automatic, 31 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 70h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £10,100
Zenith Defy 21 Ultraviolet
Zenith’s Defy 21 range is one of their most bombastic with a strong urban vibe. As part of that, Zenith experimented with several unusual colours for the brand such as olive green and what we have here, the Ultraviolet. It has a large 44mm titanium case housing the El Primero movement with 36,000 bph frequency and 50-hour power reserve.
Case/dial: 44mm diameter, matte titanium case, skeletonised dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Zemith calibre El Primero, automatic, 36,000 vph (5 Hz) frequency, 50h power reserve
Strap: Violet and black rubber
Price: £12,400
H. Moser & Cie. Steamliner Centre Seconds Purple Haze
H. Moser love a fumé dial and honestly I can’t think of many colours that look better than purple with a smoky edge. On top of that the Streamliner has that retro aesthetic to it based on old fashioned American trains so there’s just a sense of cool luxury about the watch that’s really appealing. On top of that it’s powered by the HMC 201 with 3-day power reserve.
Case/dial: 40mm diameter, stainless steel case, purple haze fumé dial
Water resistance: 120m (12 bar)
Movement: HMC calibre 201, automatic, 27 jewels, 21,600 vph (3 Hz) frequency, 72h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: CHF 21,900 (approx. £19,370)
HYT T1 Titanium Purple Millésime Edition
If you want a purple watch with a truly unique display, look no further than the HYT T1 Titanium Purple Millésime. It has a single central hand that shows the minutes while the hours are told by a fluidic display nestled just inside the 12-hour scale. Beyond that it’s very pared back with a vertically brushed dial in royal purple.
Case/dial: 45.3mm diameter x 17.2mm thickness, titanium and black coated titanium, purple coated brass dial
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: HYT calibre 501-CM, automatic, 41 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 72h power reserve
Strap: Black or purple rubber
Price: CHF 50,000 (approx. £44,250) Ex. VAT
De Bethune DB28 XS Purple Rain
The purple colour achieved on the De Bethune DB28 XS Purple Rain is not PVD or any of the more common techniques you’d imagine. Instead, the titanium has been thermally treated to actually change its colour, creating a mesmerising iridescent shade. It also has a 6-day power reserve courtesy of the DB2005 movement.
Case/dial: 38.7mm diameter x 7.4,m thickness, grade 5 titanium case, purple titanium guilloche dial
Movement: De Bethune calibre DB2005, automatic, 27 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 6 days power reserve
Strap: Alligator leather
Price: CHF 90,000 (approx. £80,000)
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph
Ok, yes, putting an £83,200 watch in a buying guide is more than a little unrealistic, but hey, it’s purple, it’s Audemars Piguet, it’s a Royal Oak, we had to at least give it a mention. It has an amethyst coloured tapisserie dial and bezel that’s actually set with 32 baguette-cut amethysts, so at least it stays on theme.
Case/dial: 38mm diameter x 11mm thickness, 18k pink gold case, purple dial with “Grande Tapisserie” pattern
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Audemars Piguet calibre 2385, automatic, 37 jewels, 21,600 vph (3 Hz) frequency, 40h power reserve
Strap: 18k pink gold bracelet
Price: £83,200
MB&F LMX
The purple dial of the MB&F LMX is very much the back drop to the drama and technological marvel of the exposed mechanisms of the timepiece. It’s a dual time display with a central flying tourbillon supplied with a 7-day power reserve. It’s a pretty spectacular piece of watchmaking.
Case/dial: 44mm diameter, 18k white gold case, purple sunray dial
Movement: Three-dimensional horological movement developed exclusively by MB&F, manual winding, 41 jewels, 168h power reserve
Strap: Leather
Price: €122,000 (approx. £102,000)
