Yahoo Lifestyle 10 Stealth All-Black Watches That Will Add Understated Cool to Your Wrist
Blacked-out watches have been around sporadically since the 1970s when Porsche introduced an all-black fashion watch, and cool tastemaker Karl Lagerfeld famously wore an all-black custom Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, which debuted in 1972. What seemed downright brazen at the time emerged as a trend in the late 1990s and early aughts, and it was solidified once Bamford began customizing luxury watches in black DLC starting in 2004. Brands did not authorize those customizations, but eventually, LVMH would get hip to the hype in 2017 to create all-black versions of TAG Heuer, Bulgari, and Zenith pieces in collaboration with Bamford.
Lately, we’ve seen more solid black timekeepers, proving the lasting appeal of the design. Visually, black tends to carry a lot of volume, so even though today’s black watches are a little more pared down, they look heavy compared to lighter styles. Technology has progressed over the past 15 years as well, with more finish options, which are more permanent. Cases are PVD-coated, DLC-coated, ceramized, or outfitted in micro-blasted titanium, ceramic, or carbon. With matching straps and dials, and in some cases hands and indexes, it may not always be easy to tell the time, but the style statement is strong. Here are 10 blacked-out beauties to add to your collection.
More from Robb Report
Here's Why Greubel Forsey's Latest Handmade Watch Is So Important
Here's Why the New Breitling Avenger Watch Plays to Canadian Sentimentality
Dress Watches, Stone Dials, and Jeweled Pieces: What Dealers Saw in Miami Beach
Best of Robb Report
Sign up for RobbReports's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Click here to read the full article.
Panerai Luminor GMT Ceramica PAM 01674
The Luminor, Panerai’s flagship model, has long been dubbed the ultimate tough-guy watch, due to its size and patronage of eternal tough guys Sly Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Now, it looks even tougher in an all-black version with a ceramic case and bracelet. The “Ore” on the dial is Italian for hour, and refers to the 72-hour power reserve.
Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25
The case of this elegant jump hour is white gold rather than blackened, but the unmistakable glow of grand feu enamel on the dial is the overwhelming focal point of this version of the Quattro Spirit. The original was rose gold with a white enamel dial—a consistent look in the classic L.U.C collection. The black dial takes it to another level.
Breitling Avenger Night Mission
Breitling’s Avenger line was designed for fighter pilots and acrobat pilots, and the Night Mission is designed in the spirit of stealth and adventure. The collection is affiliated with the United States Naval Academy (USNA) and at least two of the U.S. Navy’s elite air test squadrons. The case is ceramic, with a camo-look forged carbon dial.
Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu All Black Pavé
Just over two carats of black diamonds add some tone-on-tone bling to the edgy darkness of the latest Big Bang Sang Bleu, a collaboration with tattoo artist Maxime Plescia-Buchi. In its press release, Hublot refers to the watch as an expression of understated luxury, conceding that it took “a new approach where aesthetics take precedence over immediate readability.” The case is black plated, and the caseback is black ceramic.
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Chronograph 8Tech
This modern take on the integrated bracelet sports watch has one of the most interesting black cases out there. It’s carbon, made in what’s called an 8Tech technique that layers carbon fibers with a titanium powder, fused with heat and pressure, and formed into an octagon. The result is a swirly gray matrix in the carbon that adds a new dimensio to the all-black look.
Zenith Chronomaster Revival Shadow
This modern version of the Chronomaster is also a vintage remake: it was inspired by a Zenith chronograph all-black prototype from the 1970s but with modern materials. The case and bracelet are microblasted titanium, producing a color that is dark gray rather than full black. The open-link bracelet is a nice retro touch.
Bulgari Octo Roma DLC
Bulgari is full steam ahead in the rejuvenation of its Octo Roma collection, and the latest is this blacked-out automatic with a DLC-coated steel case and a black dial that shimmers in a Clous de Paris pattern. The black rubber strap repeats the pattern but can be switched out for a black alligator version for more formal occasions.
Omega Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon Apollo 8
Omega has turned out some of the best designs in the watch segment based on its heritage as the first watch to the moon. The Apollo 8 commemorates a 1968 orbit mission, with astronauts wearing Omega watches. The bezel and caseback are ceramic. The skeletonized dial is made from black anodized aluminum, and the movement components are coated in dark gray.
TAG Heuer
This black and pink edition of the Monaco kicks off LVMH’s new 10-year deal to take over the Formula 1 sponsorship starting this year, previously held by Rolex. The case is DLC-coated titanium, and the strap is calfskin and rubber. All the accents, including subdial borders, indexes, and chronograph seconds hand, are a contrasting pink.
Urwerk UR-150 Scorpion
Urwerk reinvents its iconic wandering satellite hours complication this year in a rounded case with a sloped profile made of anthracite PVD-treated steel. The 240-degree arc of the minutes sector is inspired by a scorpion’s tail when positione to attack. The imagery, combined with the large retrograde minutes hand, adds to the edgy, ominous look of the blackened case and strap.
