Three colors, and none of them plays the same role
A watch store has three ways of measuring color: what people are looking for, what’s on the shelves, and what actually sells. People generally assume that all three are similar. But based on our 3,206 available watches, they’re not similar at all.
Blue is by far the most sought-after color. Black is by far the one we stock the most of. And brown—which nobody looks for—is the one that sells out the fastest and results in the highest-value shopping cart.
| Color | On the shelf | Sold over 12 months | Sales by Reference | Medium Basket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown | 59 | 229 | 3,88 | 224 € |
| Blue | 254 | 311 | 1,22 | 150 € |
| Green | 94 | 94 | 1,00 | 170 € |
| Gray | 51 | 47 | 0,92 | 250 € |
| Red | 46 | 39 | 0,85 | 157 € |
| Black | 571 | 407 | 0,71 | 158 € |
| Rose | 303 | 176 | 0,58 | 68 € |
| White | 129 | 34 | 0,26 | 137 € |
| Silver | 402 | 80 | 0,20 | 187 € |
| Golden | 313 | 56 | 0,18 | 126 € |
Report dated September 27, 2026, on watches available for sale. Replacement straps are excluded from the count: we are comparing watches to watches.
Two color options are worth mentioning in passing. The gray version is available in only 51 units but has the highest average order value in the catalog, at 250 euros: it’s a color for the savvy buyer, never a first purchase. At the other end of the spectrum, the pink version is selling well, with 176 units sold, for an average order value of 68 euros—the lowest of all. Two contrasting markets in the same column.
The column that matters is the second-to-last one. It shows sales relative to the number of SKUs offered, and it is the only way to compare a color we have 59 units of with another we have 571 units of. A brown one sells nineteen times better than a silver one, all else being equal.
Brown: Not a single click, and the best performance
Over our last ninety days of SEO, searches containing the word “marron” resulted in 3,823 impressions on Google and zero clicks. Not a single one. We rank at an average position of 23.8, which is on the third page—where no one ever scrolls down to.
Meanwhile, those same brown watches are selling better than any others. The explanation can be summed up in one sentence: you don’t go looking for brown—you choose it once you see the watch in front of you. It’s a strap color before it’s a dial color, and you don’t type “strap” into a search bar—you notice it in the photo.
Why is the shopping cart the highest?
An average of 224 euros, compared to 150 for blue. Brown leather straps are most commonly found on watches with visible movements and chronographs, and rarely on entry-level models. When someone chooses brown, they usually choose a watch that goes with it.
Pierre Lannier
Pierre Lannier Essential Black Dial, Brown Leather, 218F4
89,70 €
Black dial, brown leather strap: the best-selling combination in our catalog, priced under 90 euros.
Pierre Lannier
Pierre Lannier Automatic Skeleton Brown Leather Strap Dial
218,47 €
A skeleton watch with a green dial and a brown leather strap. Two colors that go well together, on the same watch.
Pierre Lannier
Pierre Lannier Automatic Skeleton Brown Leather 322B164
198,51 €
The same automatic watch in a understated version. The brown leather does all the work.
Performer
Classic Performer Men's Brown Leather with Crocodile-Style Pattern
24,85 €
Brown crocodile-print leather for less than 25 euros. It's the perfect way to start wearing this color.
Michel Herbelin
Michel Herbelin Newport Heritage Chronograph 35664AP2
828,29 €
The Newport chronograph on a brown leather strap. Top of the line—and proof that brown isn't just for entry-level models.
Pierre Lannier
Pierre Lannier Hector Automatic Skeleton Marro Leather
288,34 €
The Hector automatic watch, skeletonized with brown leather. The visible movement is warmed by the brown hue.
Blue: the color people come looking for
In stark contrast to brown, blue is the color that brings us the most traffic: 11,864 appearances in ninety days, with an average position of 4.1. We therefore rank at the top of the first page for “blue watch,” “watch with a blue dial,” and “blue men’s watch.” This is our best ranking across all search queries.
And yet we’re only getting 54 clicks. The reason is simple—and a little silly: until today, we didn’t have a single page dedicated to the color blue. What showed up in Google was a single product listing—a Casio for 59.77 euros—which was doing almost all the work on its own. This article is the page we were missing.
Blue is also the most versatile color in the catalog. It’s the only one that looks just as good on a men’s watch as on a women’s, on leather as well as on steel, whether it’s an entry-level model or one priced at 900 euros.
Casio
Casio Casio Collection Blue Brass Dial MTP
59,77 €
The best-selling watch in this selection, across all colors. Blue brass dial, under 60 euros.
Pierre Lannier
Pierre Lannier Essential Blue Dial Milanese Bracelet 2
108,66 €
Blue dial and Milanese mesh: a sophisticated take on blue, all for under 110 euros.
Casio
Casio G-Shock 2100 Series Analog-Digital Blue GA
148,70 €
G-Shock-style blue, in anadigital. The only blue on this page built to withstand shocks.
Pierre Lannier
Pierre Lannier Elysée Men's Blue Leather 454D126
128,62 €
The blue is on the strap rather than on the dial. It's another way to wear it.
Pierre Lannier
Pierre Lannier Women's Multiples Watch with Blue Dial and Ac Strap
108,77 €
Blue dial, Milanese-style steel bracelet. Blue is the only color that works equally well for both men and women.
Blue isn't always blue
A navy blue dial swallowed up by the light, a sun-kissed blue that turns black in the shade and sky-blue in broad daylight, a perfectly uniform lacquered blue: these are three different watches. In a store photo, lit from the front, all three look alike. It’s the finish—not the shade—that determines what you’ll see on your wrist—we’ll come back to that later.
Green: The latest addition, and already profitable
Green is the latest trend in watchmaking. It was virtually nonexistent in the general catalog ten years ago, but today it’s everywhere. In our collection, there are 94 models in this color, accounting for 94 sales: exactly one sale per model, which puts it ahead of black and far ahead of metals.
In terms of search results, it ranks second behind "blue" with 6,358 appearances, but with an average position of only 9.2. That’s a spot at the bottom of the first page—where users see it but don’t click on it.
Casio
Casio Casio Collection Green Brass Dial MTP
59,77 €
The green version of our best-selling blue product, at the same price and in the same box.
Pierre Lannier
Pierre Lannier Automatic Paddock Watch, Green Leather, 341A477
278,36 €
An automatic watch with a green dial and a leather strap. A sophisticated take on green.
Charlie Paris
Charlie Paris INITIAL Skeleton Green & Rose Gold
444,14 €
Green and rose-gold skeleton: the most eye-catching piece in the collection.
Pierre Lannier
Pierre Lannier Essential Multifunction Green Dial 20
138,60 €
A green multifunction instrument cluster for under 140 euros, including the gauges.
Pierre Lannier
Pierre Lannier Multiples Milanese Mesh, Silver-Plated and V
98,68 €
Green on a silver Milanese mesh strap. The contrast makes the dial appear deeper.
Green doesn't take kindly to sloppiness
It’s the hardest color to get right on a dial. A green that’s too light leans toward khaki and makes the watch look dated, while a green that’s too saturated makes it look like a toy. The greens that work are almost all sunburst or very dark, because the finish compensates for the risks inherent in the shade.
Black: the largest section, average yield
Black is our largest inventory category, with 571 SKUs—nearly one in five watches. It sells well in terms of volume—407 units over twelve months, the second-highest total behind "none"—but its yield per SKU is average, at 0.71.
It makes sense, and it's not a flaw: black is the default color. You don't choose it, and you don't reject it. It absorbs demand that has no preference, and it's the only color that never goes out of style because it's never been in style.
Casio
Casio Vintage Iconic Unisex Silver and Black Backlit
37,91 €
Our best-selling item in black. Silver and black, with built-in lighting, under 40 euros.
Casio
Casio Timeless Collection Black Resin Strap F-91
19,84 €
The F-91W. Black resin, a battery that lasts for years, less than 20 euros. It stands the test of time.
Casio
Casio Vintage Iconic Men's Black Illuminator
69,75 €
The same vintage silhouette, all in black this time.
Casio
Casio G-Shock 5600 Series Digital Watch, Black GW
128,76 €
The black 5600, solar-powered and radio-controlled. Black at its most technical.
Silver and Gold: 715 items, 136 sales
Here is the most troubling figure in this report. Silver and gold models together account for 715 of our 3,206 available watches—more than one in five. Over the past twelve months, they generated 136 sales. Brown models, with twelve times fewer styles, generated 229 sales.
It’s also no coincidence that these are the only two colors for which the store has historically created a dedicated section. We’ve set up display cases for our slowest-selling colors, but none for blue.
That doesn't mean gold-tone watches never sell. It means they sell when it's justified: a rose-gold Milanese bracelet on a smartwatch, a two-tone Art Deco watch where the two metals complement each other. Gold-tone watches that are simply applied as a default on just any watch, on the other hand, remain on the shelf.
Nixon
Nixon Fremont 40 Silver / Midnight
189,62 €
A silver watch that doesn't try to stand out: dark dial, light-colored case.
Michel Herbelin
Michel Herbelin Art Deco Two-Tone Quartz 17478BT08 - A
548,82 €
The two-tone Art Deco design, silver and yellow gold. When these two metals come together, it works.
Ice-Watch
ICE smart 2.0 Round 1.20 Rose Gold Milanese
98,79 €
The Golden Exception: a smartwatch with a rose-gold Milanese mesh strap—and one of our bestsellers.
Daniel Wellington
Daniel Wellington Ophelia Mini Mesh White Gold 22mm
144,71 €
The Daniel Wellington White Gold, featuring a 22 mm fine mesh band.
What the Color of a Dial Really Is
A dial color isn't just a coat of paint applied flat. It's a surface treatment, and that's what determines what you'll see. Here's the terminology, and what we have in our catalog.
| Finish | What It Is | What This Changes | On the shelf |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny | Circular striations radiating from the center, like a disc that has been brushed in a circular motion. | The color changes depending on the angle: light on one side, almost black on the other. It's the most vibrant finish. | 141 |
| Mat | A sandblasted or textured surface that does not reflect light. | The color remains the same regardless of the lighting. Easy to read, no glare. | 197 |
| Mother-of-pearl | A real slice of seashell, cut and sanded. Not an imitation. | Iridescent: It shifts from pink to blue depending on the light. Each dial is one-of-a-kind. | 87 |
| Guilloché | A design mechanically engraved into the metal of the dial. | Adds dimension and depth, even to a solid color. | 14 |
| Lacquered | Several layers of lacquer polished to a mirror finish. | A perfectly uniform, glossy color with no variation. | 6 |
Count based on the titles of our product listings available as of September 27, 2026. A single watch may appear in two entries.
Mother-of-pearl deserves a special mention, because it is not a color but a material. A watch with a mother-of-pearl dial will never look exactly the same twice in a single day, and no two examples of the same model are ever identical. It is the only finish in this collection that can truly be described as alive.
Michel Herbelin
CAP CAMARAT - SQUARE DAME - Mother-of-Pearl & Diamonds
798,46 €
A dial made of genuine mother-of-pearl, set in the watch. Mother-of-pearl is not a color; it is a living material.
Michel Herbelin
Michel Herbelin Octogone Rectangle White Mother-of-Pearl 17446
648,75 €
White mother-of-pearl in an octagonal case. The light transforms the dial with every movement of the wrist.
Michel Herbelin
THREAD - QUARTZ - YELLOW GOLD PVD & WHITE MOTHER-OF-PEARL
419,18 €
White mother-of-pearl and yellow gold PVD. The softest contrast in the catalog.
How to Choose Yours
| Your Situation | The Target Color | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One watch for everything | Black or navy blue | The only two who go from the office to the weekend without anyone noticing. |
| A second watch, next to a black one | Blue or green | Different enough to justify buying a second pair, yet simple enough to wear. |
| You mostly wear leather | Brown | This is the only case where the color of the strap matters more than the color of the dial. And that's what sells best in our store. |
| A dress watch, for the evening | Mother-of-pearl or sunburst dial | The finish does what the color can't do in low light. |
| Are you hesitating because of the photos? | Look for the finish, not the color | A sunny blue and a lacquered blue look alike in photos but are worlds apart when worn on the wrist. |
| Want to give a gift you know they'll love? | Blue | The only color that works equally well for men and women, on all bracelets and at every price point. |
What this survey taught us
We had a massive stock of silver and gold items, and we had set up a section for each. We had nothing in blue—even though that’s the color that ranks highest on Google—nor in brown, which is the color that sells out the fastest. This article is the first update; the catalog will follow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best-selling watch color?
In terms of volume, black is the leader: 407 black watches were sold over a 12-month period in our catalog, ahead of blue with 311. But when measured against the number of models offered, brown dominates by a wide margin, with 3.88 sales per model compared to 0.71 for black.
What color watch should you choose if you only have one?
Black or navy blue. These are the only two colors that can be worn just as easily at the office as on the weekend without drawing attention. Navy blue has the advantage of being a little less predictable than black while remaining just as understated.
Is green just a passing fad?
This is the newest color in mainstream watchmaking, having become widely available in the 2020s. Here, we sell one unit per model, which is better than black and much better than metal finishes—indicating genuine demand rather than mere curiosity. The greens that stand the test of time are dark and sun-kissed greens.
What is a sunburst dial?
This is a dial with a surface featuring very fine circular stripes radiating from the center, created by rotary brushing. Light reflects off it differently depending on the angle, so that the color appears light on one side of the dial and much darker on the other. This is the most common finish on blue and green dials, and we have 141 of them in stock.
Is the mother-of-pearl on a watch face real mother-of-pearl?
As for the watches we sell, yes: it’s a slice of seashell that has been cut, sanded, and mounted on the dial. That’s why no two watches of the same model are ever identical, and the color changes with the light. We have 87 of them available.
Why do gold watches sell less well?
In our catalog, silver and gold models account for 715 SKUs across 136 sales over a 12-month period, or about 0.2 sales per SKU. Gold models don’t sell badly on their own—they sell when their use is justified by the rest of the watch, such as a rose-gold Milanese bracelet or a two-tone case. When offered as the default option, however, they remain on the shelf.
Can you trust the color shown in a product photo?
As for the overall shade, yes. As for how it actually looks, no—because store photos are lit from the front and wash out the finishes. A sunburst dial, which shifts from light to almost black depending on the angle, and a perfectly uniform lacquered dial look the same in a photo. Pay as much attention to the finish described in the product listing as you do to the color.
Inventory and sales figures recorded on September 27, 2026, for watches available from Club de la Montre, excluding replacement straps. Indexing figures: Google Search Console, last 90 days. Prices and availability are subject to change.