There are watches that tell their story straight away. And then there are watches that reveal themselves a little at a time — depending on how the light falls, the angle you hold your wrist, whether you are sitting inside or out. Dennison’s new ALD Dual Time “Shades” Dial firmly belongs to the second category.
What makes this dial special is the concept behind it. Designer Emmanuel Gueit — best known as the man behind the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore — has worked with a surface brushed both vertically and horizontally, so the light breaks in different ways depending on movement. The result is that one and the same dial can look dark green in one moment and almost light yellow-green the next. Not a gradient, not a fade — but a kind of living finish that never quite lets itself be photographed fairly. It is the type of watch that really has to be tried in person.
Three colours, infinite shades
The collection launches in three executions: green, blue, and brown. Green moves between a dense forest tone and almost light-green highlights. Blue flows from deep navy to softer chambray. Brown is warm and earthy with hints of bronze and tobacco. We watch nerds tend to love it when a colour name actually means something — and here that seems to be the case.
A milestone for Dennison
The curious thing about the press release is that it highlights indices as news. For Dennison it is actually true — this is the first time the brand has put markers on a dial. And it is done with a twist: each dial is split, one half brushed vertically with baton indexes and Arabic numerals, the other half brushed horizontally with baton indexes and Roman numerals. The combination of Roman numerals and Art Deco-inspired forms is a deliberate balancing act: classic enough to feel well made, modern enough not to be dull.
Pebble Link — a new bracelet in the family
For “Shades”, Dennison also launches a new link bracelet in stainless steel — the Pebble Link. Softly rounded links, a concealed clasp, organic geometry. The idea is that each link should resemble a polished stone. It sounds like a copywriter’s line, but look at the pictures — it actually holds up. With the Shades dial the case is offered only in polished stainless steel, which suits the bracelet’s flowing, jewellery-adjacent character.
Practical facts
At the heart of the ALD is the dual-time concept itself: two independent time zones, each with its own set of hands and its own crown, sitting side by side — an unapologetically retro idea lifted straight from the 1970s jet-set playbook. The watch measures 37 × 35.6 mm with a 6.1 mm thickness, sapphire crystal, 30 metres of water resistance, and runs on two Swiss Quartz Ronda Cal. 1032 movements (one per time zone). Price: USD 820 on the steel Pebble-link bracelet, USD 740 on the taupe leather strap. It launched officially on Friday 27 March 2026. Is it a watch for someone who wants complex mechanics and maximum spec-chasing? No. But for anyone after a well-designed, thin, discreet, and slightly mysterious travel companion for time zones, this looks like a strong option. For another design-first microbrand, see our look at the MAEN × Pride and Pinion Grand Tonneau Ultra-Thin.
What is the Dennison ALD Dual Time “Shades”?
A dual-time watch from the revived British brand Dennison with two independent quartz time zones, each with its own crown, and a new “Shades” dial designed by Emmanuel Gueit that shifts colour with the light.
What is new about it?
It is the first Dennison with indices on the dial — Arabic numerals on one brushed half, Roman on the other — and it debuts the new stainless-steel Pebble Link bracelet, in three colours: green, blue, and brown.
What are the specs and price?
37 × 35.6 mm, 6.1 mm thick, sapphire, 30 m water resistance, two Ronda 1032 quartz movements; USD 820 on the Pebble-link bracelet or USD 740 on leather.
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