10 of the best California dial watches making the most of the quirky layout

Charlotte Harris

Just like many of the best watch stories, that of the California dial is another steeped in mystique. While it’s probably not as historically relevant as revealing the watch that was worn on Everest the first time or the purchases of Paul Newman’s Paul Newman, it’s one of those tales that can easily confirm one’s nerdiness. While you could certainly ask Tenzing Norgay or Aurel Bacs to answer the two aforementioned questions, the story about the California dial goes something like this. Created to aid visibility in Rolex-Panerai watches of the 1930s, their popularity waned and soared again in 1980s Japan. To capitalise on this trend, a California-based Kirk Rich fitted Rolexes with these dials, and the name stuck.

Timex Marlin Hand-Wound California Dial

As loud advocates of the value proposition that the Timex Marlin presents, we’re confident in saying that this is one of the best options out there if you’re looking for an affordable California dial. Timex is well-known for its accessible pricing, and the Marlin collection has well and truly satiated those of us with limited funds and a love of mechanical movements. The Marlin California dial is a 1960s-inspired design, placing its Roman and Arabic numerals on a crisp matte white backdrop surrounded by a compact 34mm steel case and a green alligator-style leather strap. Its impressive price tag is largely down to its unnamed Chinese manual-winding movement. Price: US$259

Boldr Ranger

Popular among the microbrand cognoscenti, Boldr is best known for their line-up of affordable, robust and attractive field watches. Their most retro-leaning of the lot is the Boldr Ranger, which merges a no-nonsense field watch case with a California dial. Cased in bead-blasted stainless steel, it’s equipped with 200 metres of water resistance, sapphire crystal, and a Seiko NH35 movement. Both dial variants glow brightly in the dark thanks to their green Super-LumiNova inserts. Price: US$299, available from the Time+Tide Shop

Farer Cayley Verde

The pilot’s watch formula is a pretty simple one – chuck a set of sword hands on a dial with clearly printed Arabics, and you’re pretty much there. Leave it to Farer to play around with colours a bit more, making the Cayley into a pseudo-sector format with a unique sunburst effect separating its green dial into four quadrants. The California dial is just the cherry on top, printed in bold white for the best-possible legibility. Price: US$895

Serica Ref. 6190 Field Chronometer

As a brand, Serica is becoming increasingly appreciated by enthusiasts, and deservingly so. The Field Chronometer is an excellent example of what is behind this rapid rise, featuring many fan-favourite features, whether it’s the field watch styling, the practicality of the Bonklip bracelet, or the brand’s transparency when it comes to sourcing components such as its Soprod M100 movement. The California dial version of the ref. 6190 adds just enough of a design quirk to keep this practical layout interesting without detracting from its pure functionality – for those who follow the brand closely will recognise it as a update to the much-loved ref. 4512.  Price: €990 (∼US$1,060)

Isotope Hydrium California

Isotope’s founder, Jose Miranda, is a true, dyed-in-the-wool enthusiast. How do I know? Well, as the whole reason for the existence of the Hydrium California is the dial design’s murky history and secondary market availability. The micro-blasted case and textured dial are a cool switch-up to the usual watch finishes, and Isotope’s signature handset plays with the quirky dial design really well. Price: US$1,141

Nomos Club Campus

Nomos has a knack for doing things their own way. Whether it be its manufacture movements, pared-back Bauhaus aesthetics, or indeed even the California dial on the excellent Club model – it’s just quintessentially Nomos. What the German watchmaker has done with its interpretation of the traditional Cali dial is essentially flip it on its head — literally. Instead of the top half of the dial being Roman numerals and the bottom half Arabic, it’s the opposite. Nomos has also done away with the VI numeral, and in its place is a snailed small seconds display. These are fun, youthful watches made all the more unique by their brightly coloured dials, and wearable cases. Price: US$1,500

Alpina Alpiner Extreme Automatic California

The Alpina Alpiner Extreme Automatic California is a model of cool contrasts, uniquely combining a retro California dial with an aggressive cushion-shaped case. This is one of those watches with plenty of talking points: the grained black dial is set with off-white lume for the Roman and Arabic numerals and hands, while the case itself is undeniably imposing with its deep bevels and industrial-like brushing. Though its name and design may suggest so, it’s not an oversized watch, measuring in at 41mm across and 11.5mm tall, thanks to the Sellita SW200 ticking away inside. Price: US$1,795

Bremont x Bamford Aurora

The most recent collaboration between British watchmaking brands Bremont and Bamford resulted in this – an avant-garde take on the ETA-powered S502 diver. It’s signature are the oodles of lume all over the dial, hands, and bezel, inspired by the northern lights. And that California dial will glow extra bright thanks to its sandwich construction, resulting in a cool, stencil-like font being used for the numerals. At 43mm across and 16.5mm thick, though, this one is not for the faint of wrist. Price: US$5,450

Panerai Radiomir California

Panerai has a long history with the distinctive dial design. In fact, the Radiomir, Panerai’s first-ever-watch, sported the California dial from as early as 1936. As such, both the Italian watchmaker and the inimitable dial layout are inextricably linked.  The latest Panerai Radiomir California sports the Radiomir’s familiar cushion-shaped case with a 45mm diameter, a dégradé green dial with luminous Arabic and Roman numerals and the manual-winding P.5000 calibre with an eight-day power reserve. Price: US$12,300

Time+Tide Timeless Pick: Rolex Bubbleback ref. 3595

The only watchmaker on earth that could potentially lay claim to having a closer relationship with the California dial aesthetic than Panerai is Rolex, both because the Crown made Panerai’s early watches, and because of their significance of popularising the name in the ’80s. In my eyes, no watch suits the Cali dial better than the Rolex Bubbleback. The first to feature the California dial was the ref. 3595, which is why that’s the one I picked, but there are others out there that may mean you get a more affordable deal – just make sure you don’t pick up one of the many fakes, frankens or redials that trawl the vintage market. Price: ~US$10,000