The dark side: 7 irresistible black-dial watches to own

Chanel’s Monsieur Édition Noire features a 42mm matte highly resistant black ceramic case along with a grained matte black dial with minutes on a 240-degree retrograde scale, jumping hours within a window at 6 o’clock and a small seconds counter. With
a limited run of 55 pieces, it houses the Calibre 1 hand-wound movement with twin barrels and has a 72-hour power reserve.
The sleekness of the watch is further amplified with raised silver markings and an alligator strap.

Designed by Henri d’Origny in 1978, the emblematic Arceau watch gets an all-black update to show off a crescent moon and stars that form the constellation of Pegasus in a new adaptation for women, the Hermès Arceau Ronde des Heures. Its 36mm round case in brushed steel – coated with glossy black PVD featuring 66 black spinels on the bezel – still rests on signature asymmetrical fasteners, which give it its unique silhouette. The moon and stars in white mother- of-pearl are revealed by luminescent lacquer, while the hour numbers move on a rotating matte black hoop. Issued in a limited edition of 300, the Swiss-made quartz timepiece comes with a black alligator strap crafted by Hermès artisans.

The Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport” is one of two timepieces IWC has dedicated to Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport. Limited to 10 pieces, it is housed in a case made of matte black zirconium oxide ceramic and features a carbon fibre dial. The striking black design with Petronas Emerald green accents was inspired by the team colours of the six-time world champion and IWC partner. With a mechanical programme that won’t require adjusting until the year 2100, the perpetual calendar automatically detects the different number of days in the month and adds an extra day at the end of February every four years. It is powered by the proprietary Calibre 52615 with a Pellaton automatic winding system and features a black calfskin strap.

A 20-piece limited edition, Hublot’s Big Bang MP-11 SAXEM features the debut of a high-tech material never seen before in a watch case. Used in applications such as satellites, SAXEM (or sapphire aluminium oxide and rare earth mineral) is harder and more brilliant than emerald. Additionally, the absence of tension within the matter ensures greater stability in terms of shaping, while its structure guarantees the same shade and intensity when seen from any angle. The bezel of this 45mm case model features six H-shaped polished and microblasted black titanium screws, and a black titanium crown with rubber inserts. On the dial are seven barrels of the skeletonised, manual-winding manufacture Calibre HUB9011 that offers an impressive 14-day power reserve.

An update of the Urwerk UR-111C, which comes in a stainless steel case in gunmetal finish, the UR-111C Black Cobra is a new 25-piece edition featuring a black PVD-coated case in stainless steel and Grade 5 titanium. The case had to be built around the unprecedented construction of the UR-111C Black’s self-winding calibre movement with stop seconds, which put the indications at various and seemingly peculiar positions on the face. There are no hands on the UR-111C Black. Instead, time is shown on a linear scale on a rotating cylinder. Indications are placed on the bottom of the case, so that you can tell the time at a glance without turning your wrist while your arm is in its natural position as you walk, sit or drive.

Vacheron Constantin updates its popular Overseas Dual Time model with a sporty yet sleek translucent black lacquer dial with red and white accents. Launched in 2018 with a 41mm steel case, the watch – equipped with the 5110 DT self-winding manufacture movement – allows for the simultaneous display of two time zones, complete with date and day/night indication. It also has a 60-hour power reserve. Delivered with a steel bracelet and alligator leather and rubber straps, this practical all-occasion timepiece is the only one you’ll need on your travels.

Only available in white with blue accents, Omega expands the Globemaster collection with a new black dial for its Annual Calendar range. With a 41mm stainless steel case, the Constellation Globemaster Annual Calendar is driven by the Omega Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8922. Well known for its classic fluted bezel crafted in tough and scratch-proof tungsten carbide, the diamond-polished black dial in the pie-pan style is inspired by the first Constellation model from 1952. Each facet includes a month of the year, while the hands, indexes and Constellation star are in white gold.