IN-DEPTH: Meteorite dials make their mark on the mid-tier market

Once the reserve of high-end watchmakers, meteorite dials are being increasingly used by mid-tier watchmakers to add a dollop of prestige and collectibility to their offering.

Meteorite was first popularised for watch dials by Rolex, which used the material for its Day-Date and Daytona models in the 1990s. It was then adopted by other luxury watchmakers, who were searching for rare and distinctive materials to differentiate their watches in a crowded market. 

Of course, it also makes for a great story: buyers loved the idea that their watch contained material older than Earth itself, and that no two meteorite dials are exactly the same.

However, until recently, including meteorite on a dial also came at a cost premium. As well as being rare, it can be extremely difficult to work with. It’s brittle, susceptible to oxidation if not properly treated, and must be cut into extremely thin slices before being etched to reveal its unique crystalline structure — known as the Widmanstätten pattern — without damaging the surface. All of which is to say, it’s traditionally been the preserve of the high-end watchmakers charging high-end prices. 

Now, however, meteorite watches have been launched by the likes of Orient Star, Kurono Tokyo, Vulcain, and Furlan Marri, with an average price point hovering in the low thousands. This opens up the material to a much wider raft of watch fans, who can now also boast of having a 4.5 billion-years-old slice of rock on their wrist.

The price might be lower, but the one-off nature of meteorite means that all of the mid-priced watches were launched in very limited numbers. Orient Star’s M34 F8 Date model, of which 255 were made priced at £2,824.99 / $3,500 each, was released as part of its 75th anniversary collection. The watch was inspired by the Perseid meteor shower, which can be seen during July and August every year. 

Kurono Tokyo, the accessible line by independent Japanese watchmaker Hajime Asaoka also dabbled in meteorite this year. Its Special Projects 37 mm INSEKI ‘隕石’ model (approx. £1,450 / $1,850), featuring a grey dial from the Muonionalusta meteorite in Sweden, sold out immediately via its online-only sale. It’s now worth around double on the secondary market.

Vulcain reimagined its Skindiver Chronograph Meteorite this year with a meteorite dial, which was limited to 100 pieces at £2,960 / $3,450 each. It also sold out quickly.

Finally, Swiss indie Furlan Marri, which launched in 2021, brought out its Mechaquartz Meteorite chronograph in April to pre-order for ten days only. Priced at a very reasonable £670 — a steal for a four million-year-old dial, surely — it features the Seiko VK64 hybrid mechanical-quartz movement and a pulsometer scale for measuring heart rate. 

These watches demonstrate a new strategy being deployed by indie and mid-tier watchmakers, who are taking notes from high-end brands about leaning into collectability. The limited edition watches are no doubt meant to appeal to a new generation of watch collectors, who are after the scarcity and clout of a meteorite watch without the price tag of a Rolex or an Omega. 

Gen Z is now the growth engine of the watch industry, with data showing that younger buyers are now acquiring luxury timepieces — first or secondhand — at rates significantly higher than Millennials or older generations ever did at the same age. By producing buzzy collectible models at more accessible prices — which may well rise in value on the secondary market — watch brands are showing that they’ve got them well and truly in their sights.