Why hardstone dials have been the defining watch trend of 2025
Hardstone dials have been the defining watch trend of 2025. Sam Kessler picks three of his favourites
CHRISTOPHER WARD SEALANDER ROCKS
Let’s start with one of the more accessible purveyors of this watch trend: stone dials from British stalwart Christopher Ward. The Sealander collection as a whole is billed as the brand’s ‘everyman’ watch, based on the OG Rolex Explorer and built as a beater. This latest quartet takes that blueprint and narrows the broad appeal considerably with four eye-catching stone dials.
You have the requisite malachite and tiger’s eye, of course, with their green and brown striations respectively. But stepping out of the hardstone box, CW have also opted for turquoise, which taps into the dual trend of stones and bright blues, and grained, purple charoite. The brown and green are the safer options, but when it sets you back under £800 (on leather), it might well be worth trying out something a bit more… unusual. If you’ve been circling stone dialled watches, this is a good chance to get stuck in.
• £795 (leather), £950 (Bader bracelet), £985 (Consort bracelet), christopherward.com
ROLEX GMT-MASTER II IRON TIGER
Every year Rolex launches a new stone dial but this year they’ve been relatively quiet about it – which is a bit of a shame because it’s one of the most interesting for years.
Perhaps it’s just the shadow of the Land-Dweller looming large. Either way, the new tiger iron dial is one of the coolest the marque has ever made.
Only found in Western Australia, Tiger Iron is a combination of different stones (specifically tiger’s eye, red jasper and silvery hematite) that results in incredible, fiery striations of orange, brown and dark grey. Here Rolex has paired it with yellow or rose gold, as is their wont for these additions (though I’d love one in steel for once) and a black/grey take on the collection’s famous 24-hour GMT bezel. Backed by Rolex’s typically superlative watchmaking, if you can get your hands on one of these ferrous felines, grab it.
• £41,500 (yellow gold), £43,300 (rose gold)
PIAGET WARHOL COLLAGE
Stone dials may be in vogue now but Piaget’s had its hand in the trend since the days of legendary pop artist Andy Warhol. So, when they officially named their archival, step-sided dress piece the Warhol Watch, the writing was on the stone-clad wall. Even by their elegant standards, however, the new Collage is an absolute stunner.
The artistically-inclined may recognise the shape on the dial as referencing Warhol’s own collages of Mick Jagger and Lenin, amongst others. It’s there, but it’s not as on-the-nose as other art-based editions you might have seen.
More importantly, the dial is made from wafer-thin shards of four different stones: black onyx base with yellow Namibian serpentine, pink opal and green chrysoprase. It’s incredibly well done and a fantastic combination of metiers d’art and pop art colours, wrapped in the watch world’s obsession with hardstone dials. What’s not to love?
• £67,500, Piaget.com