Round-UpWhy Carbon And Its Composites Are Dominating Horological Trends

Time moves on and industries evolve, and so does craftsmanship in luxury watchmaking. From meteorite dials to the use of recycled materials for sustainable luxury watches, the world of watchmaking thrives on innovation. One of the youngest materials to join this force is carbon. As a reinforced plastic material and a composite of carbon, carbon fibre is lightweight and sturdy, easier to mould, as seen in some of the most avant-garde watches it has shaped. Touted to be five times stronger than steel, carbon fibre has received much attention in haute horlogerie, kicking off a race to create limited-run, high-performance carbon watches that stand out. Several noteworthy carbon watches worth exploring range from the accessible Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Carbon to the nonconformist Ulysse Nardin Freak X OPS, including the striking Zenith Defy El Primero 21 Black Carbon 1/100th chronograph powered by the legendary El Primero movement.

Carbon Watches: Born Out Of Crisis

Carbon as a material can eat steel for breakfast, as it is more corrosion-resistant, durable, and light weight. After the 1970s quartz crisis, mechanical watchmakers felt the push to reinvent themselves to sustain. This resulted in experiments with new high-tech materials like titanium, ceramics, and carbon. By the end of the 20th century, carbon debuted as a TAG Heuer dial and the case of a Candino Watch.

Borrowing it from the aerospace industry, Audemars Piguet introduced forged carbon in 2007 on the Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Team chronograph. Richard Mille unveiled the groundbreaking carbon watch RM 027, created specifically for tennis star Rafael Nadal in 2010. It became one of the world’s lightest wristwatches weighing an astonishing 18gm, minus the strap. It features a carbon composite case; carbon mixed with quartz glass fibre.

The Richard Mille RM 027 case, composed of a composite containing carbon, provides a tough and resilient enclosure for the tourbillon movement at its centre

The 2007 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Team is a limited-edition chronograph with its flyback function packed in a forged carbon case

Carbon Watches: The Highly Innovative World Of Carbon Composites

Carbon composites are the high-performance ‘alloys’ of the materials world. High-end watchmaking has embraced a variety of innovative carbon composites, each with its own unique properties and visual appeal. Carbon serves as a fundamental component or a raw material for composites, carbon fibre and forged carbon watches, which have the same DNA, but different personalities. Carbon fibre keeps it neat with perfectly woven sheets, creating a structured pattern. Forged carbon on the other hand is wild and free-spirited because when the fibres are mixed with resins, it creates unique marble-like swirls. Result? Every forged carbon watch is one-of-a-kind.

The noteworthy strides in carbon construction have paved the way for modern-day carbon timepieces. From the popular Tissot PRX collection, the Powermatic 80 Carbon is a 40.5mm watch with ample stealth vibes. This watch offers unparalleled lightweight durability with its forged carbon case. Carbon fibre gives each watch a unique character due to the manufacturing process of carbon composites, and the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Carbon is no exception. Its tonneau-shaped and black and grey marbled forged carbon case packs a black carbon dial and features a black rubber strap. Powered by a Swiss automatic movement, the watch achieves a solid 80-hour power reserve.

The Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Carbon In A Nutshell

• Case: Black and grey marbled forged carbon; 40.5mm; 316L stainless steel caseback with black PVD coating; scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with antireflective coating, up to 100m water resistance
• Functions and display: Black carbon with luminescent indexes and hands; hours, minutes, and seconds; and date aperture
• Movement: Swiss automatic; 80-hour power reserve
• Strap: Black rubber

Rooted In Aerospace, Carbonium®

Take Carbonium®, for example. This composite is crafted using recycled carbon fibres sourced from the aerospace industry, combined with high-performance epoxy. Each preparation results in a unique texture, showcasing the material’s individuality while also promoting sustainability by repurposing materials that would otherwise contribute to waste. Carbonium® made its debut in the Ulysse Nardin X collection in 2019, with Ulysse Nardin’s Diver NET OPS And Diver X Skeleton OPS watches being the latest to feature the composite.

The Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton OPS In A Nutshell

• Case: Black DLC titanium-finished case; 44mm; concave Carbonium® unidirectional rotating bezel with domed sapphire glass; black DLC titanium open sapphire caseback; up to 200m water resistance
• Functions and display: Polished and satin-finished ‘X’ shaped black PVD dial; black indexes and hands with beige Super-Luminova®; hours, minutes, and seconds
• Movement: Automatic skeleton Manufacture movement UN-372; 72-hour power reserve
• Strap: Khaki green fabric

A Hit With The Military: Carbotech™

Then there is Carbotech™, which blends carbon fibres with a specialised polymer. Developed by Italian luxury watch brand Panerai, this carbon composite makes for a robust, matt black case that has a tough, refined look suitable for adventurous watch enthusiasts. The material first appeared on the Luminor Submersible 1950 Carbotech™ in 2015 and now has made its way to Panerai watches such as the Submersible Tourbillon GMT Luna Rossa Experience Edition and Submersible Marina MilitareCarbotech™.

The Panerai Submersible Marina Militare Carbotech™ In A Nutshell

• Case: Carbotech™; 47mm; up to 300m water resistance
• Functions and display: Black carbon with luminous hour markers and dots; date at 3 o’clock, small seconds at 9 o’clock; calendar aperture; minutes; small seconds; and hours
• Movement: Automatic P.9010 calibre; 72-hour power reserve
• Strap: Caoutchouc accordeon black

On the other side of the carbon composites, carbon glass is truly in a league of its own. Its density is close to that of water while being 100 times more robust than steel. This means, it literally floats in water. The composite allows for a smooth, uniform surface that can even be infused with coloured glass fibres for added visual appeal. Girard-Perregaux have truly made carbon glass their own, creating watches like the Laureato Absolute Rock—a carbon glass chronograph in black and blue, which somehow also reminds of the carbon and titanium composite watch, the Laureato Absolute 8Tech.

The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute 8Tech In A Nutshell

• Case: Carbon/titanium composite; 44mm; sapphire crystal caseback; up to 100m water resistance
• Functions and display: Gradient grey; chronograph; date; hours and minutes; and small seconds
• Movement: Self-winding GP03300; 46-hour power reserve
• Strap: Black rubber

A motorsport icon named aptly; the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph is another watch that makes it to the list of finest carbon watches. Its racy carbon fibre-textured midnight dial is complemented by a 43mm fine-brushed steel case and tachymeter fixed bezel in black ceramic. This quartz chronograph offers functions like 1/10th second, minute, and hour chronograph counters, and a permanent second indicator. The 60-second/minute scale flange in bright yellow and silverish steel bracelet offer a peppy contrast against the dark carbon fibre dial.

The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph In A Nutshell

• Case: 43mm steel; fine-brushed/polished; fixed ceramic bezel; up to 200m water resistance
• Functions and display: Black, carbon fibre-textured dial; hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph; 1/10 second; 30 minutes counter; and date aperture
• Movement: Quartz
• Bracelet: Steel

Talking of chronographs and carbon watches, Tudor’s Pelagos FXD is a cycling-themed chronograph housed in a 43mm carbon composite case in a matt finish. Tudor have shown great attention to detail with the matt black dial of this carbon watch, which features red accents on the chronograph counters and a tachymeter scale. Apart from carbon, this Tudor comes equipped with a titanium screw-down crown that is offered on a single-piece black fabric strap. The self-winding Calibre MT5813 drives this chrono carbon watch, generating a 70-hour power reserve.

The Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono In A Nutshell

• Case: 43mm black carbon composite; matt finish; domed sapphire crystal; up to 100m water resistance
• Dial: Matt black; red accents on the chronograph counters and tachymeter scale
• Functions and display: Running seconds register at nine o’clock, 45-minute totaliser at three o’clock; and date window at six o’clock
• Movement: Automatic Manufacture Calibre MT5813 (COSC); 70-hour power reserve
• Strap: Black fabric

The Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono is housed inside a 43mm black carbon composite case that is paired with a black fabric strap

Ulysse Nardin unleashed chaos with their Freak X OPS; a daring departure from traditional watchmaking. Its case flanks, a combination of carbon fibre and green epoxy resin, lend an easy-going, sporty character to the watch, which is packed inside a 43mm black DLC titanium case with a matching bezel. The Freak X OPS is paired with a khaki green fabric strap and is powered by the automatic Caliber UN-230 Manufacture movement, which offers a 72-hour power reserve.

The Ulysse Nardin Freak X OPS In A Nutshell

• Case: 43mm titanium/carbon composite; sapphire glass; up to 50mm water resistance
• Functions and display: Black; open-worked dial; Hours, minutes; indexes and bridges in khaki green Super-LumiNova
• Movement: Automatic Caliber UN-230; 72-hour power reserve
• Strap: Khaki green fabric

Today, carbon’s revolution in horology has exploded beyond its experimental roots. From Hublot to Bulgari and Panerai to Roger Dubuis, the world’s most prestigious watchmakers have gladly embraced carbon, each developing their signature iterations. As these innovations continue to evolve, one thing is clear; the dark appeal of carbon watches has permanently changed the face of time.

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