5 of the best yellow watches

Zachary Moore

You don’t see too many people rocking a yellow watch, which is surprising as it is an easy way to reflect your own boldness and penchant for embracing life’s brighter things. They radiate a rather vibrant and distinctive charm that sets them apart from their counterparts. We know that yellow is often associated with energy, positivity, and creativity, which can provide an immediate sense of exuberance and playfulness to watch designs. From sporty chronographs to vibrant dive watches and intricately brilliant tourbillons, yellow makes an excellent canvas for watchmakers to showcase their artistry and innovation in a playful way.

Too much yellow, then have a look at some watches with yellow dials instead.

Casio G-Shock GDX6930E Lightning Yellow

In 1993, Casio released what would become a very important watch – the DW-6300F. Designed to be a diver that could withstand the harsh conditions of underwater exploration, it has given plenty of inspiration over the years. For its 30th birthday, Casio prepared a little surprise in the Lightning Yellow collection, a nod to the first Frogman. The GDX6930 is a larger sibling of the popular DW6900, with its counterparts have been spotted on the wrists of Eminem, Ed Sheeran and Spike Lee. This vivid yellow variation offers a huge amount of tools for its low price, including 200 metres of water resistance, a 48-city world timer, multiple alarms, and naturally, excellent shock resistance. A tool watch provides you with the relevant and required peace of mind to get on with whatever life throws at you, and if that comes in a brash yellow and at a cost of ~A$200, so be it!

Swatch x Omega Moonswatch Mission to the Sun

The watch world was flipped on its head in 2022 when two iconic watch brands collaborated and created the MoonSwatch, a quartz chronograph watch inspired by the Omega Speedmaster. It’s made of bioceramic, a material made from recycled materials, and available in a variety of different colours, each inspired by a celestial body of the Solar System. At a relatively affordable price point of A$415, it broke the internet – despite never being available online. One of these variations stands out amongst them all – the Mission to the Sun. The literal star of the show sports a yellow bioceramic case, brushed sun yellow dial, and red hands for contrast.

Doxa SUB 200 Divingstar

When Jacques Cousteau, the father of scuba diving, collaborated with Doxa to design a watch that could withstand the rigors of underwater use, the Conquistador was their answer, becoming wildly popular with the diving community. In 1967, Doxa released the Divingstar with its familiar yellow dial, a reference to the diving suits that were popular at the time. Fast-forward to Baselworld 2019, Doxa surprised with the release of the SUB 200, an entry-level, three-handed diver’s watch starting from just over A$1,500, but with few hallmarks the brand has become famous for. Its most vibrant variant has to be the Divingstar, with its highly contrasting dial appliques and the optional matching yellow rubber strap.

Richard Mille RM011 Yellow Storm

Whether it’s Rafael Nadal or one of the F1 drivers sporting them, Richard Mille has been one of the few brands posing any threat to Rolex on the so-hot-right-now scale. Alongside their popularity is their mindset for innovation that helps drive the allure. This fine example – made of NTPT carbon, a strong and lightweight material also used in sailing – is testament to that. Paired with its yellow accents and strap which give the RM-011 Yellow Storm the ability to turn heads in any room, but that could also be the fact that it doesn’t hide its six-figure asking price. Equipped with a flyback chronograph, the skeletonised dial shows off the RMAC1 movement. Limited to 50 pieces, its high-tech nature is likely to be exercised in the south of France on a yacht more than anywhere else.

Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Yellow Neon SAXEM

Hublot has become the go-to brand for fusing innovative design and vibrant aesthetics. The use of SAXEM (Sapphire Aluminum oXide and rare Earth Mineral) not only ensures exceptional durability and scratch resistance, but also lends a unique luminosity to the watch, giving it a captivating neon glow – it’s all in the name. This one will not be for everyone, as you not only need to be deep-pocketed – the Yellow Neon SAXEM retails for half a million Aussie dollars – but you also need to wear your personality on your sleeve, and be happy to showcase your flare for the finer and more exuberant things in life. The incorporation of a tourbillon mechanism is the cherry on top.