The color purple has a flinty little mollusk to thank for its expensive reputation. In the past, extracting dye from this sea creature was such a costly and time-consuming process, only royal purses could stretch to such extravagance. Technology has democratized the shade of sovereigns, but our view of the hue is that it’s still high-end. Design houses such as Marc Jacobs, Dior, and Victoria Beckham have been playing with purple for a couple of seasons, and now it’s the most sought-after shade of summer. When partnered with quality watchmaking, the result is a sophisticated statement that exudes power, with a playful undercurrent.
The Ritmo Mundo Persepolis Dual Time Swiss Quartz Model 204/3 Multi Gem watch (shown above, left, $11,000) has a 44mm round stainless steel orbital case. Set with diamonds and multicolored gemstones, it features a display of floating diamond dust. The dial turns over to offer an alternate display.
Omega’s Constellation Quartz 35mm watch (above, middle, $4,400) houses a quartz movement inside the 35mm case. It sparkles with features such as diamond markers on the purple dial, and date indication at 6:00.
The Octea Chrono (above, right, $900) from Swarovski features a 40mm stainless steel case with a clear crystal bezel and purple accents. The violet sunray dial features chronograph sub dials and LumiNova indexes, and the purple rubber strap has six amethyst DTL crystals.
