Lightweight, hypoallergenic, robust, scratch resistant — ceramic has a lot going for it. First used in serially produced wristwatches by Rado in the 1960s, the high-tech material was then employed by IWC in its Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph in the 1980s, by Chanel in its J12 sports watch in the 1990s, and by Bell & Ross in its inspired pilot’s watches in the 2000s. These days, all manner of medium to large brands seem to make a ceramic watch, with prices ranging from a few-hundred dollars for a MoonSwatch to several hundred-thousand for a special Royal Oak.
While there’s generally a premium to be paid for ceramic — which is more difficult to machine than stainless steel — many find it worth the price of admission: Lightweight and easy wearing, ceramic pieces are often colored black or, increasingly, other compelling shades such as deep blue, forest green, or bright white. And while one should take care not to drop a ceramic watch — the material doesn’t scratch easily, but it can crack — the benefits of the material are myriad: Hypoallergenic and robust, it makes for excellent watch cases in addition to bezel inserts.
Here, we have a smattering of the ceramic pieces currently available at Analog:Shift, ranging from an entry-level Dior to a beautiful green Girard-Perregaux Laureato to a modern take on an old IWC favorite. No matter what your preference, there’s a healthy chance that there’s a ceramic timepiece that’ll fit your taste!
Girard Perregaux Laureato Green Ceramic Aston Martin Edition ($17,500)
Girard Perregaux Laureato Green Ceramic Aston Martin Edition - IN THE SHOP
Rather than beating you over the head with a poorly advertised partnership, historical Swiss watchmaker Girard-Perregaux opted for a subtle, Easter egg-laden automotive design in this cool pair-up with Aston Martin. Taking the form of a Laureato integrated-bracelet luxury sports watch, it features a wildly neat, 38mm green ceramic case inspired by the high-end car maker’s livery. The dial, meanwhile, forms a sunburst webbing pattern similar to a sports car grille. Powered by an in-house automatic movement and shipping with its factory goodies, it’s a thoroughly modern sports watch par excellence.
Dior VIII ($2,185)
Dior VIII - IN THE SHOP
This cool black ceramic Dior VIII occupies the intersection between dress and sports watches — moreover, its pricing makes it a perfect entry point into the world of ceramic timepieces. Measuring 38mm and featuring an awesome, studded black ceramic bezel insert and a matching multi-link bracelet, it features a black dial with applied ‘dart’ and ‘Roman’ indices and a luminous ‘sword’ handset. Powered by an automatic movement visible via a sapphire caseback, it ships with its factory goodies including inner and outer boxes, paperwork, and extra bracelet links.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Amvox 5 World Chronograph ($9,850)
Jaeger-LeCoultre Amvox 5 World Chronograph - IN THE SHOP
La Grande Maison may be best known for its more traditional and dressy Reverso, but that doesn’t mean that Jaeger-LeCoultre can’t pull out all the stops and create a completely futuristic watch. To wit, check out the Amvox 5 World Chronograph: Created in partnership with Aston Martin, it features a 44mm black case manufactured from cermet, a material made of an aluminum core that’s covered in a protective ceramic coating 40 microns thick. Furthermore, it can both track a second time zone as well as measure up to 12 hours of elapsed time.
IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph 'Tribute To 3705' ($10,880)
IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph 'Tribute To 3705' - IN THE SHOP
1994’s Ref. 3705 was well ahead of its time: Made in roughly 2,000 examples, it was far from the world’s first ceramic-cased watch, but it anticipated a surge of interest in such models — many of them made by IWC itself — that would follow in the 2010s and 2020s. 2021’s “Tribute to 3705” put another 1,000 pieces into the world, this time upping the case size to 39mm and swapping out the ceramic material for the brand’s more modern Ceratanium. Powered by the in-house Calibre 69380 rather than a modified Valjoux Calibre 7750, its dial utilizes ever-glowing Super-LumiNova rather than tritium.
Bell & Ross BR-03 Chrono Multimeter ($4,450)
Bell & Ross BR-03 Chrono Miltimeter - IN THE SHOP
Paris-based Bell & Ross is well known for its ceramic-cased pilot’s watches inspired by aeronautic instrument clusters, but this BR-03 Chrono Multimeter takes that conceit to new heights: Measuring 42mm in a square-shaped case and featuring dual ‘paddle’ pushers, a knurled crown, a screwed bezel, and a sapphire crystal, it features a wildly cool and colorful multi-scale dial with a dual-register chronograph display and date window. With a pulsometer, asthmometer, tachymeter, and other useful tracks on offer, there’s virtually nothing that this incredible tool watch can’t time or calculate.
