Colorful Pens And Watches From Caran D’Ache, Oris And Tag Heuer

No other attribute has quite the same effect as color. We choose it for our home and office décor with nearly the same deliberation we use in choosing a name for a child. We carefully pick our wardrobe and accessories according to what shade best enhances our look, and we pick flowers less for their fragrance than for their mesmerizing hues. But did you ever consider the effect color has on emotions and what this means for the selections we make?

I’d had a peripheral understanding that color could calm or excite, spark creativity or rest your soul. But I never knew the extent to which color psychology was a “thing.” Used mostly in marketing and branding, it influences many areas you might not consider, such as medical therapies (the color of pills matters), sports, hospital settings (cool colors are soothing), and even game design. There are reasons Valentine’s Day is awash in red and that fast-food chains favor red and yellow.

Watches and pens have witnessed a trend toward color during the past several years, with vivid pen barrels and caps, watch dials and straps adding some pizzazz to the mix. An antidote to the pandemic? A further appeal to our senses? You decide.

Pens

Caran d’Ache’s new limited edition collection, Claim Your Style: Pastel, follows earlier Claim Your Style editions that also focus on color. This fourth 849 ballpoint pen series draws inspiration from nature: pink and garnet stones, green leaves, yellow citrus fruits, and varying shades of blue skies. The pens are refillable and use the famed Goliath ink cartridge, and each pen carries the seal of the Swiss Made label, having been crafted entirely in the Caran d’Ache workshops in Geneva.

“We have a team of designers who are tasked with spotting the next color trends,” Caran d’Ache President Carole Hubscher told me. “The Caran d’Ache 849 pen [introduced over 50 years ago] is a design and fashion accessory that can be paired with anything, from your wardrobe to your home interior. It is therefore crucial for us to be on-trend when it comes to launching limited editions.”

Watches

Oris

Last year’s Oris Divers Sixty-Five Cotton Candy colldction, with vibrant dials in sky blue, wild green and lipstick pink, is augmenting its sunny demeanor this season with the introduction of precisely matching recycled Perlon straps. The 38mm bronze watchcase is water-resistant to 10 bar and is fitted with an automatic Swiss Made mechanical movement, the Oris 733, with a power reserve of 38 hours. The hands and applied indices are filled with bright Super-LumiNova.

Tag Heuer

The TAG Heuer Carrera Red Dial Limited Edition features a sunray brushed décor while the three chronograph counters—hours, minutes and seconds indicators—have snail finishing. The 39mm stainless steel case is fitted with the in-house high-precision chronograph movement, the Calibre Heuer 02, with a power reserve of 80 hours. The movement also features touches of red, which may be enjoyed through the watch’s sapphire crystal case back. There are just 600 pieces within the edition.

How does that make you feel?