What is a sunburst dial?
A dial brushed with fine lines radiating from the centre, so a band of light sweeps across it as you tilt the watch. Also called sunray or soleil.
How it's made
The metal dial blank is brushed with fine grooves running out from the centre before it's coloured, usually by galvanic plating, PVD or lacquer. Because the grooves all point a different way, each catches the light at a different angle, so a bright streak swings across the dial as the watch moves and the colour shifts from light to dark.
It's one of the cheapest ways to give a dial depth, which is why it's everywhere, from $200 Seikos to Rolex, and why it's often called the most popular dial finish there is.
What it looks best in
Blue, green and grey show the effect most, flashing from bright to almost black. A sunburst can make a busy dial harder to read in direct sun, and photos rarely capture it, so judge one in person if you can.
Sunburst dials in our catalog
29 current watches in our catalog have a dial described this way, least expensive first:
- Fossil Everett 42mm Automatic ME3220$295
- Citizen Tsuyosa 37mm NJ0200-50L$495
- Movado BOLD Quest 40mm 3601223$750
- Halios Seaforth IV$765
- Movado Heritage 1917 Quartz 3650247$850
- Frederique Constant Classics Moneta Moonphase 37mm FC-206N3S6$1,495
- Movado Heritage 1917 Automatic 3650253$1,595
- Raymond Weil A.R.T. Automatic Date 38mm 1000-ST-50001$1,995
- Longines HydroConquest 41mm L3.781.4.56.6$2,000
- Monta Atlas 168CH00SB$2,150
Current watches in our catalog, which is weighted to popular enthusiast models.
Questions
- Is sunburst the same as sunray?
- Yes. Sunburst, sunray and soleil all describe the same radial brushed finish.
- Does a sunburst dial fade?
- No more than any other plated or lacquered dial. Keep it out of strong sun for long periods, as with any watch.