The so-called pandemic era might just as well have been dubbed the “hype era” as far as watches were concerned. And one of the biggest hypes to come out of it was so-called Tiffany Blue dials.
“Tiffany Blue” is not an official name for this color direction. In fact, “Tiffany Blue” is a custom Pantone hue that New York jeweler Tiffany registered as a color trademark in 1998; it even bears the PMS number 1837 in homage to Tiffany’s year of founding; only Tiffany can officially use this color.
What these hype watches have in common – with only one exception – are dial colors that approximate Pantone 1837 (but are not).
How Rolex Sparked the Tiffany Blue Dial Craze
The craze began with the stainless-steel Rolex Oyster Perpetual in “turquoise blue” in 36 and 41 mm sizes, launched at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. While many internet “experts” quickly dubbed this color “Tiffany Blue,” what it really represented was an homage of sorts to Rolex’s historical Stella dials. Today, the style remains one of the most sought-after, with collectors paying significant premiums on the secondary market.
The turquoise-hued dial of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual is similar enough to the historical Stella pieces to be rooted in Rolex’s own traditions. However, the dial color was at the same time very different from what most people view as the “norm” at Rolex, which prompted the attention. “Stella” is more than a nickname: it was used in Rolex’s marketing materials back in the day and most likely referred to the maker behind the richly colored lacquers used on the dials. Launched in the 1970s, the original Stella-dialed models did not sell well in their time. But not so for these modern Rolex Oyster Perpetual models, as we will see further down.
The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Turquoise Blue in 41 mm was discontinued two years later in 2022, making it very coveted. As of today, this colorway is still available in 31 mm and 36 mm. For a closer look at these sought-after timepieces, check out our Rolex Tiffany Blue dial buying guide.
The Hype Watch of the Century: Tiffany & Co Double-Signed Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5711/1A-018
I’m calling it right now: the Tiffany & Co Double-Signed Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5711/1A-018 will go down as the hype watch of the 2000s. Despite all the hype, this is the real deal: a co-signed Tiffany & Co. dial-in the genuine robin’s egg blue that everyone associates with the New York-based (and now LVMH-owned) brand thanks to the famous little boxes and bags that house any item bought at the store. Patek Philippe introduced this watch in a limited edition of 170 pieces, one for each year of Tiffany’s existence.
Though Rolex had kickstarted the hyped-up “Tiffany Blue” dials with its previously mentioned Oyster Perpetual at the beginning of the pandemic era, the Genevan giant obviously never used that word in its own material. It simply put out a watch with a turquoise dial that the online watch world characteristically crowned with a misnomer. The Patek Philippe Nautilus has long been one of the most iconic luxury sports watch collections, with various references gaining collector attention over the years. Among them, the Reference 5711/1A-018 from 2021 is the only watch in recent memory that officially deserves the name.
Then, in December 2021, Phillips agreed to auction a timepiece consigned by a non-profit called The Nature Conservancy. The watch in question was the just-announced Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5711/1A-018 in steel, double signed “Tiffany & Co.” and presented in a “Tiffany Blue” colorway.
The example consigned by The Nature Conservancy was perfectly choreographed with the release of the other 169 pieces through retail channels. The hammer fell at a price of $5.35 million to a collective jaw drop (its official retail price was approximately $53,000).
This watch supercharged what was fast becoming more than just hype. It was becoming a craze, and almost every brand soon had a similar dial color in its arsenal – which may have led to Rolex wanting to discontinue its 41 mm Oyster Perpetual Turquoise. Or it could have been the fact that after that unbelievable auction, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Turquoise was selling for more than three times its retail on the secondary market. And we know how much Rolex dislikes flippers.
We’ll never know exactly why Rolex discontinued the watch just two years after its launch; Rolex is more than mysterious when it comes to explanations.
However, to add fuel to the fire, Patek Philippe retired the classic 5711 Nautilus in 2022, making the 170-piece “Tiffany Blue” variation its swan song.
And now: Tudor Black Bay Chrono Flamingo Blue
But has this hype passed?
No, not really. Watches with blue dials similar to the official “Tiffany Blue” color continue to appear from diverse brands.
Perhaps the most notable of these so far in 2025 is the very recently announced (and super fun) Tudor Black Bay Chrono Flamingo Blue. “Flamingo Blue,” though? That’s an unusual moniker since flamingos are generally pink, so let’s take a closer look at what could be behind it.
I am certain that the “flamingo” is a reference to Florida, and even more specifically to Miami, where David Beckham – international superstar and not so coincidentally Tudor ambassador since 2017 – co-owns a professional soccer team. The giveaway might have even been Beckham posting a picture on Instagram of himself with the watch just hours before its official launch. For their part, Tudor tends to be about as secretive as older sibling Rolex. And so the marketing materials only state, “You already know flamingos aren’t blue. Tudor does, too, but if you were to describe ‘flamingo blue’ to someone, chances are you would come up with this very tone of turquoise so distinctive of the tropical waters flamingos are known to love.”
The 41 mm Tudor Black Bay Chrono Flamingo Blue, which is spec-wise exactly the same as every other Tudor Black Bay Chrono, comes about six months after the surprise launch of this very same watch with a bright pink dial that is still selling above its retail price online and was indeed inspired by the colors of Beckham’s Miami team, Inter Miami CF. Officially, Inter Miami’s colors are pink, white, black, and blue. Its crest was designed in a style and colors that recall Miami’s art deco tradition in South Beach: the crest displays two great white herons with interlocking legs forming the letter M, which at the beginning of its existence were speculated to be flamingos before being cleared up by a later announcement from the team.
Therefore, I believe that Tudor is in some ways using (or, more likely, making fun of) the “Tiffany Blue” hype while continuing to support its ambassador, David Beckham, on the down-low.
Now, whether that is fact or fiction, we will never know. Tudor surely won’t tell…. But the hype is definitely real.
