Lightweight carbon has made its way wholeheartedly into the world of watchmaking. It makes sense; it’s lighter than titanium (click here for the best titanium watches you can buy) and offers a non-organic grain that makes each piece unique – both features that many watchmakers simply can’t pass up on.
And that’s in addition to its incredible durability and scratch resistance, which makes it superb for sports watches. So, from fitting haute horology tributes and legendary car makers to near weightless beaters ready for action, these are some of the coolest carbon-cased watches around right now.
Victorinox I.N.O.X Carbon
Victorinox understood the assignment when it came to creating a carbon-cased watch. The I.N.O.X Carbon is the fusion of a bold, angular case measuring 43mm in diameter and a simple uncluttered dial.
With its thick, hexagonal bezel, the case allows the carbon composite to showcase its unique texture while the field watch style display emphasises the material’s adventure ready specs. Considering the composite can withstand atmosphere re-entry, it can survive any knock you can throw at it.
Case/dial: 43mm diameter x 14mm thickness, carbon case and bezel, matte black dial
Water resistance: 200m (20 bar)
Movement: Quartz
Strap: Paracord bracelet
Price: £820
Artel Rotec V2
The aesthetic inspirations behind the Artel Rotec V Series are clear to see in the lines of its 41mm x 51mm tonneau case. Specifically, it riffs on urban, street watches from established watchmakers like Richard Mille and Franck Muller. It’s made from forged carbon composite, making it lightweight and durable.
Maintaining the technical appearance of the watch, the V2’s dial is partially skeletonised, revealing the ART052 movement. The periphery features an hour and minute track while the inner circle of the dial showcases some of the watch’s inner workings.
Case/dial: 41mm width x 51mm height (46.5mm lug to lug) x 14mm thickness, matte forged carbon composite case, Swiss Super-luminova® on all indexes and hands, curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on interior
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Calibre ART052, in-house, automatic, 33 jewels, 50h power reserve
Strap: Black FKM rubber with additional colour matched nylon pressed leather strap
Price: £2,200, limited to 100 pieces
Bamford Carbon B347 Navy Monopusher Chronograph
Bamford are no strangers to carbon watches, specialising in luxury personalised products such as customised carbon cases and more. They also produce the B347, a bicompax chronograph with a carbon fibre case.
This is the Navy variant, with its deep blue dial and yellow accents. It houses the Sellita SW510 automatic movement and has a price tag of £2,500. The carbon case helps to justify that price.
Case/dial: 41.5mm diameter x 14.5mm thickness, carbon fibre case, navy dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Sellita calibre SW510, automatic, 27 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 62h power reserve
Strap: Black rubber with steel or black finished buckle
Price: £2,500
Doxa Sub 300 Carbon Whitepearl
The Doxa Sub 300 has been around for over 50 years so it’s little surprise that in that time there have been a handful of carbon versions. However, it took until just last year for the Sub 300 Carbon to become part of their permanent collection. It has a 42.5mm diameter case with a water resistance rating of 300m.
The version pictured here is the Whitepearl, although the most historically significant colour for Doxa is orange, as they revolutionised its use on diving watches. Inside is the ETA 2824/2 COSC chronometer movement with 38-hour power reserve.
Case/dial: 42.5mm diameter x 13.4mm thickness, forged carbon case, white dial with Super-LumiNova® luminescent compound
Water resistance: 300m (30 bar)
Movement: Sellita calibre SW200-1, automatic, 38h power reserve, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 26 jewels, COSC certified Chronometer
Strap: FKM rubber with black PVD coated folding clasp with ratcheting dive suit extension, exclusive DOXA fish logo
Price: £3,790
Panerai QuarantaQuattro Submersible Carbotech Blu Abisso
Panerai’s QuarantaQuattro collection was launched earlier this year as a new flagship size for the Submersible, at 44mm. Along with a range of steel models Panerai launched this, the QuarantaQuattro Submersible Carbotech Blu Abisso, which reimagines the watch’s broad design in Panerai’s carbon fibre based Carbotech material.
Even though the QuarantaQuattro isn’t the largest Submersible, it’s still fairly hefty, making the lightweight carbon case even more impactful. Inside the case, it houses the P.900 automatic calibre with 72-hour power reserve.
Case/dial: 44mm diameter, Carbotech™ case, blue dial, luminous hour markers and dots
Water resistance: 300m (30 bar)
Movement: Panerai calibre P.900, automatic, 23 jewels, 171 parts, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 72h power reserve, Incabloc® anti-shock device
Strap: Dark blue caoutchouc (rubber)
Price: £15,800
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Chronograph Aston Martin F1 Edition
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Chronograph Aston Martin F1 Edition has a hybrid carbon case that contains carbon elements taken directly from two of Aston Martin’s 2021 F1 cars. It measures 44mm in diameter and has been combined with titanium powder to provide extra durability for surviving the knocks of high speed racing.
The strap is also a hybrid with a composition of carbon and FKM rubber, designed to make it more supple and resistant, finished with a fabric weave façade in Aston Martin Racing Green. It houses the calibre GP03300 with 46-hour power reserve.
Case/dial: 44mm diameter x 15.15mm thickness, titanium & carbon case (carbon extracted from two Formula One™ race cars used during the 2021 season), sunray “Aston Martin Racing Green” dial with cross-hatching pattern
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: GP calibre GP03300-1058, automatic, 63 jewels, 419 parts, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 46h power reserve
Strap: GP rubber alloy in Aston Martin Racing Green (mix of rubber and carbon extracted from two Formula One™ race cars used during the 2021 season) with titanium PVD folding buckle
Price: £21,500, limited to 306 pieces
Franck Muller Vanguard Carbone Grande Date
Hyper sports watches will always be a safe space for carbon-cased watches. Their urban aesthetic and bombastic designs suit the durable and lightweight properties of carbon down to a T. Franck Muller’s Vanguard Chrono Grande Date Carbone fits this category of watches precisely with a 44mm tonneau case bearing the classic rippled texture of carbon.
The titular grande date function can be seen at 6 o’clock, comprised of two oversize rotating discs.
Case/dial: 44mm width x 53.7mm height, carbon fibre tonneau case, skeletonised dial
Water resistance: 30m (3 bar)
Movement: Automatic, 33 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 46h power reserve
Strap: Alligator leather
Price: £22,200
Zenith DEFY Extreme Carbon E Copper x Prix
There are a lot of motor racing themed watches out there, just look at the Girard-Perregaux also featured in this article. However, few watches have been themed around the niche motor sport of Extreme E Electric Rallying. The latest edition of the Zenith DEFY Extreme is a limited edition created in celebration of the rally championship’s next leg of racing in Chile, a region known for its copper mines.
Which is why the carbon fibre and titanium case has been embellished with copper coloured numerals and scales. It’s powered by an El Primero chronograph movement with 50-hour power reserve.
Case/dial: 45mm diameter, carbon and titanium case, tinted sapphire dial with three black coloured counters
Water resistance: 200m (20 bar)
Movement: Calibre El Primero 9004, automatic, 293 parts, 36,000 vph (5 Hz) for standard timekeeping, 360,000 vph (50 Hz) for chronograph frequency, 50h power reserve
Strap: Black rubber with additional red rubber strap and black velcro strap, microblasted titanium triple folding clasp
Price: £22,700, limited to 20 pieces, exclusively available at Zenith boutiques
Hublot Big Bang Unico Golf
Golf has rapidly become one of the most technologically advanced sports in recent years. There’s a wealth of tech and gadgets designed to help you improve your swing.
But for all the smart watches out there, none of the scratch the same watch collecting itch as the Hublot Big Bang Unico Golf, which functions as a shot counter through entirely mechanical means. It has a carbon fibre case with a coloured texalium layer, which is what gives it its characteristic finish.
Case/dial: 45mm diameter, carbon fibre and black Texalium® case, matte black skeletonised dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Hublot calibre HUB1580, automatic, 43 jewels, 72h power reserve
Strap: Black rubber with carbon fibre texture décor and black ceramic/black-plated titanium deployant buckle clasp, additional black calf leather straps included
Price: £26,000
Singer Track 1 SKLT Carbon
The carbon case of the Singer Track 1 SKLT Carbon adds a dramatic aesthetic to the piece, darker and more serious than the gold original. The striations of the forged carbon fibre add shape and texture to the tonneau case, making the curve of its surface more pronounced.
However, it does retain the proportions of the original with a 43mm diameter and 15mm thickness. Capping off the case is a polished black bezel that adds a bit of shine to the predominantly matte piece. The movement is the Singer 6361 with 60-hour power reserve and rotating displays.
Case/dial: 43mm diameter x 15mm thickness, tonneau shaped stratified forged carbon case
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Singer calibre 6361, automatic, 67 jewels, 477 parts, 21,600 vph (3 Hz), 60 hours power reserve
Strap: Singer Reimagined black caoutchouc (rubber) with black DLC coated stainless steel folding buckle
Price: CHF 60,000 (approx. £52,350) excl. VAT, limited to 25 numbered pieces
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Tourbillon Carbon
In recent years Bulgari have done everything they possibly can to prove that they’re absolute masters of cutting edge horology. The Octo Finissimo collection is where they explore extreme watch concepts such as the world’s thinnest complications so it’s little surprise that over the years there have been a handful of carbon editions.
Currently the only available one is the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Tourbillon Carbon, which houses the 1.95mm thick calibre BVL 288.
Case/dial: 42mm diameter x 5.38mm thickness, carbon fibre case, skeletonised dial
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Bulgari calibre BVL 288, automatic, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 52h power reserve
Strap: Carbon fibre bracelet with 3 blade folding buckle
Price: £122,840, limited to 50 pieces
Richard Mille RM 035-03
Richard Mille has dozens of carbon TPT watches that could have been included on this list. However, one of the most intriguing is the RM 035-03, which is part of their partnership series with Raphael Nadal.
What makes it so intriguing is the bright blue colouration of its carbon case, whereas the majority of carbon watches are black. In addition to the unique case, it has a highly innovative butterfly rotor movement, the calibre RMAL2.
Case/dial: 43.15mm width x 49.95mm height x 13.15mm thickness, White Quartz TPT® and Carbon TPT® case with caseband in Carbon TPT®
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: In-house calibre RMAL2, automatic, 38 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 55h power reserve
Strap: Light blue rubber
Price: £204,630
