Image credit: Xupes
It’s not too hard to see where the linen dial got its name from. Despite being a similar, if somewhat lighter, engraving a la guilloche, the random crosshatching of these kinds of dials gives it the look of a piece of fabric. They softly catch the light like no other finish out there. The technique itself cropped up in the 1960s, with some of the bigger names in watchmaking opting for the tailoringinspired style in their dress watches.
The most famous is of course Rolex, who used it across their DateJust and DayDate models, but there were others, as we’ll get to. It’s a shame though that, despite a few new pieces here and there (the accessible microbrand offering of the Aevig Thor, for example) linen dials just haven’t made the kind of retro comeback they deserve to. Will that change? Who knows?
Brands are getting more collector-conscious as time goes on and I’m pretty sure many a buyer would leap at the opportunity to get their hands on one of these bad boys in a new, archivally-inspired release. For now, however, we thought we’d get the ball rolling with a bit of vintage inspiration from our five favourite linen dials.
Rolex Datejust Ref. 16013
This is the big one and the reason we’re still talking about linen dials today as anything more than a twee novelty of the past. It’s the most iconic of all of Rolex’s textured dials (there have been a fair few) and while it’s not as sought-after as overly patina-laden tropical numbers, it still offers a supremely cool twist on the Watch with the Crown’s dress watch formula, without the same premium. You can find linen dials on plenty of Rolesor and steel watches, though for me the former is the more interesting.
A lovely gold-hued linen dial is hard to beat and the one on the ref. 16013 is a stunner. The mix of bi-colour bracelet and case with that textured dial is pretty much perfect. Vintage DateJusts are relatively affordable entries into the Rolex Pantheon, you can pick up one of these for somewhere between £5,000 and £6,000. It’ll be a bit less if you opt for steel, though not by much.
Tudor Prince Oysterdate Ref. 74000
Among the latest brands to continue using linen dials was Tudor, all the way up until the 1990s in the form of the Prince Oysterdate. In many ways it’s a more modern version of the Rolex DateJusts of the 1960s, complete with a number of metal variations and a fluted bezel. In fact, it’s the spitting image. So, rather than opt for the bi-colour, which is a bit too on-the-nose, we prefer the steel version with a dial the exact white of freshly laundered linen, minus the fluted bezel.
It’s a charming everyday watch that might feel a touch small at under 36mm, but won’t look out of place. Set aside £2,000 and you’ll have your pick of the bunch. Just don’t expect one to hang around if you do see it, as these things are in high demand from collectors that realise there’s more to Tudor than their early references and what they’re releasing now.
Omega Constellation Automatic Linen Dial C-Case
Omega used linen dials sporadically over a good couple of decades and across most of their collections, including the Ranchero of the late 1950s, Seamasters of the 1960s and DeVilles of the 1970s. The Omega collection most ubiquitous with linen dials though is the Constellation. The Constellation as a collection has evolved over the years from a standard, round dress watch into the more off-kilter redesign of today.
One of the most fun watches though is this tonneau-cased version from 1969. It’s sporty, elegant and the specific linen dial is diagonally crosshatched rather than horizontal and vertical. The result is that it looks a little less rigid; silk perhaps rather than linen. As with all vintage Omegas, it also represents extraordinary value, and you should be able to get yourself a good condition version for under £1,500. For a watch that wears this well, that’s a steal.
Seiko Lord Matic Linen Dial
Now that Seiko have revived King Seiko, this is the one I want to see them tackle next. The Lord Matic was an odd duck, produced from 1968 until the late 1970s, it was in the upper tier of the brand until you ventured into Grand Seiko territory. It was billed as a watch for ‘men on the way to the top’.
It was definitely an experimental collection, with a few odd case shapes and dial variations here and there, supported by a killer calibre 5206 automatic movement, complete with a bi-lingual date. Want to learn your week in Japanese? This is the one for you. Price wise… well, it’s a vintage Seiko. It’ll set you back a few hundred pounds at most. For what, at the time, was a seriously great timepiece and one that still holds up today – aesthetically and mechanically – it’s hard to beat.
Eterna-Matic 3000 Linen Dial
If you don’t want to pay through the nose for a Rolex, there’s always the equally handsome but far, far more accessible offering from Eterna. Along with the attractive silver linen dial, the Eterna-Matic houses the watchmaker’s legendary automatic movement from 1948, which uses a rotor mounted on ball-bearings to reduce friction. If you ever wondered why Eterna’s logo was five balls, there you go.
The crosshatching here is very fine and slightly less random than other versions; a bit more uniform. If the Rolex is perfect for tropical climes, then Eterna’s is all about sharp tailoring. Price wise, you’re looking at somewhere between £500 and £600 for an Eterna-Matic 3000 with a linen dial. They don’t come up all that often, so nab one when you can.
