Textured dials, enamel, and engine turned decoration are brilliant, but there’s something irresistible about a watch that works with absolutely everything. Enter monochrome. Shot with a slightly arty eye for the print magazine, these greyscale picks prove that restraint can be the most confident look of all, even in a world full of dial drama.
Junghans Max Bill Automatic
Germany is famous for being the cradle of modern minimalist design, playing home to the legendary Bauhaus school of design. Junghans’ Max Bill series takes that aesthetic style to heart with a clean curved dial in white, thin hour and minute markers in black, and only a hint of lume at the essential points. It measures 38mm with the J800.1 automatic calibre and £1,395 price tag.
Model: Junghans Max Bill Automatic
Case/dial: 38mm diameter x 10mm thickness, stainless steel
Dial: White
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Junghans J800.1, automatic, 38h power reserve
Strap: Black leather
Price: £1,395
More details at Junghans.
Cartier Tank Must de Cartier
The Tank is one of the most famous rectangular watches of all time. The Must is a slightly later variation designed to make the model more accessible to a wider range of collectors. It also uses the softer, rounded shape of the Louis Cartier model which has become the standard. It measures 29.5mm x 22mm x 6.6mm with a quartz movement.
Model: Cartier Tank Must de Cartier
Case/dial: 33.7mm length x 25.5mm width x 6.6mm thickness, stainless steel
Dial: Black
Water resistance: 30m (3 bar)
Movement: quartz
Strap: Black alligator leather
Price: £3,500
More details at Cartier.
Hublot Classic Fusion Original Titanium
While Hublot have a reputation for maximalist, over the top design in collections like the Big Bang, the Classic Fusion presents a more restrained option. A black dial without hour markers sits like a void surrounded by the industrial walls of the broad bezel with visible screws. It’s made from titanium with a diameter of 42mm powered by the HUB1110. It’s priced at £6,800.
Model: Hublot Classic Fusion Original Titanium
Case/dial: 42mm diameter x 10mm thickness, titanium
Dial: Black
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Hublot HUB1110, automatic, 48h power reserve
Strap: Black rubber
Price: £6,800
More details at Hublot.
VPC Watch Co. VPC Type 39VM
VPC Watch Co. is a Dutch watch brand founded in 2023 producing minimalist tool watches. The VPC Type 39VM is a 300-piece limited edition diver with a very legible monochrome dial in black. It measures 39mm in diameter in steel with a ceramic bezel insert, offering 200m water resistance. It houses the COSC chronometer Sellita SW300-1b and is priced at €2,768 (approx. £2,400) excl. taxes.
Model: VPC Watch Co. VPC Type 39VM
Case/dial: 39mm diameter x 9.34mm thickness, stainless steel
Dial: Black
Water resistance: 200m (20 bar)
Movement: Sellita SW300-1b, automatic, 56h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: €2,768 (approx. £2,400) excl. taxes
More details at VPC.
Nomos Glashütte Tangente neomatik 39 Platinum Grey
Nomos Glashütte is another German champion of minimalist and Bauhaus design. The neomatik presents a no-nonsense layout with understated hour markers in black against a white background. A small seconds subdial with circular graining completes the display. The watch itself measures 38.5mm in steel and is priced at £2,960 with the DUW 3001 movement.
Model: Nomos Glashütte Tangente neomatik 39 Platinum Grey
Case/dial: 38.5mm diameter x 7.2mm thickness, stainless steel
Dial: Grey
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: DUW 3001, automatic, 43h power reserve
Strap: Black leather
Price: £3,160
More details at Nomos.
echo/neutra Rivanera Piccolo MB
The Rivanera Piccolo MB from echo/neutra is basically what happens when the Cartier Tank gets overhauled by Le Corbusier – all brutalist hard edges and post-modern sensibilities. Crafted from grade 5 titanium, it’s lightweight, scratch resistant and moody thanks to the gun-metal colour paired with that Musou Black dial. It comes in around £1,470.
Model: echo/neutra Rivanera Piccolo MB
Case/dial: 33mm length x 26mm width x 6.9mm thickness, titanium
Dial: Musuo black
Water resistance: 30m (3 bar)
Movement: Sellita SW1000, automatic, 46h power reserve
Strap: Black rubber
Price: £1,500
More details at echo/neutra.
De Rijke & Co. Capri Onyx Black
Rijke & Co. are another Dutch microbrand that produce a sleek monochrome wristwatch, so evidently monochrome design is popular in the Netherlands. The watch in question is the Capri, which uses the minimalist style of its dial to balance the unusual shape of its case with a curved rectangle design banded at the top and bottom by its lugs. It’s €2,195 (approx. £1,900) excl. taxes. It’s powered by a La Joux-Perret D100 movement.
Model: De Rijke & Co. Capri Onyx Black
Case/dial: 38mm length x 28.5mm width x 6.5mm thickness, stainless steel
Dial: Onyx
Water resistance: 30m (3 bar)
Movement: La Joux-Perret D100, manual, 50h power reserve
Strap: Black rubber
Price: €2,195 (approx. £1,900), 50 pieces
More details at De Rijke & Co.
Oligo Black
The Oligo Black takes minimalism to another level with a dial devoid of any details except the floating hour and minute hands. It gives the hands an appearance of celestial objects floating through space. Beneath the monochrome dial is the Soprod M100 automatic movement with 40-hour power reserve. For price, it’s CHF 3,200 (approx. £3,000) excl. tax.
Model: Oligo Black
Case/dial: 41mm diameter x 9mm thickness, stainless steel
Dial: Black
Water resistance: 30m (3 bar)
Movement: Soprod M100, automatic, 40h power reserve
Strap: Vegan ecosuede
Price: CHF 3,200 (approx. £3,000) excl. tax
More details at Oligo.
