Collecting Time: 5 Lightweight Watches Made of Scratch-Resistant Ceramic, From Hublot to IWC
We are always scouring the web for the most amazing watches currently available, and each week Shopping Time shares five standout timepieces with you.
The use of ceramic in the watch world was pioneered by the likes of Rado in the 1960s and later with IWC and Omega in the 1980s. Largely experimental in its early phases, the material showed promise thanks to its lightweight, scratch-resistant nature, but it needed some proper taming before widespread use. IWC was the first to use material readily identifiable as ceramic (i.e. not a hybrid ceramic material) with the release of the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar in 1985. Modern production methods have made the material more accessible across a broad range of genres and price points, with some brands even figuring out how to weave in color stories to their ceramic creations.
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This week, we’re celebrating ceramic watches with a curation of some of the most interesting examples available on the market right now. These watches showcase the versatility of the material and the creative processes of the brands that endeavor to use it. Interesting colors, shapes, and textures are at work here, and each brings something exciting to the table.
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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Ceramic – $265,000
Audemars Piguet has proven quite adept at working with ceramics in recent years, even figuring out a way to produce the Royal Oak’s timeless (and delicate) integrated bracelet in the material, all while utilizing a range of finishing techniques. This ceramic transitions between vertically brushed and polished surfaces that break up the ashy grey color of the material. Here, it serves as a host to the innovative openworked double balance concept, which utilizes two balance wheels and hairsprings on either side of the escape wheel to provide a greater level of stability to the timekeeping. It’s as horologically impressive as it is visually arresting, and it pairs with the ceramic case and bracelet beautifully.
This example Royal Oak reference 15416CE Double Balance Openworked comes to us from European Watch Company, and is listed in like-new, unworn condition. The 41mm case measures just under 10mm in thickness, and retains crisp lines throughout. This watch is a full kit, and represents one of the finest implementations of ceramic across the board.
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Aston Martin Green Ceramic – $20,900
In 2023, Girard-Perregaux released a pair of green ceramic Laureato references in celebration of the brand’s partnership with automotive brand, Aston Martin. The Laureato is another integrated bracelet design, and once again, the bracelet is also constructed of ceramic components matching the case. This lightweight watch also features a mix of brushed and polished surfaces, and the green itself is highly dynamic in person, with a deep richness meant to evoke the famous British Racing Green colorway used by Aston Martin. The color is followed through to the dial, as well, which gets a diamond pattern texture, and a color matched date wheel.
This Aston Martin Green Ceramic Laureato is currently listed on the Chrono24 marketplace, and the condition is marked as very good. Being ceramic, this material is not prone to small surface scratches, so the overall quality should remain as near new with minimal signs of wear. This is the 42mm variation and comes as a full kit, and with just 388 pieces produced, this is a relatively rare opportunity. It’s worth noting that the caseback does feature the Aston Martin wings directly on the sapphire of the exhibition caseback.
IWC Pilot Top Gun Double Chronograph Ceratanium – $12,200
Okay, so this one isn’t entirely ceramic, but rather IWC’s proprietary material that is a mixture of ceramic and titanium (Ceratanium), combining the best traits of both. Additionally, IWC has always been a pioneer in material sciences, and were among the first to use ceramic commercially. They deserve a spot in this list, and this example brings together even more of IWC’s strengths into a single package. This Pilot Top Gun is a double chronograph, a complication the brand is known for, meaning it has two timing seconds hands that can be started together and stopped independently. This is a complete package of old-school IWC tool watch goodness.
This specific example is currently available from Swiss Watch Expo, and is listed in excellent condition. There are small signs of wear here as the material will show light scratches on the surface. Ceratanium has a unique matte finish that’s not quite black, and not quite grey. It’s also lightweight in nature, which is a good thing here as it mitigates the heft of the 44mm x 16.5mm case, making it about as wearable as it can possibly be with those dimensions.
Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Chronograph Sky Blue Ceramic – $27,400
Say what you will about Hublot, but there is no denying the vibrancy of their exotic materials, including ceramic. The Spirit of Big Bang rendered in ceramic takes on incredibly bright colors in a way you just don’t often see with this material, and the results aren’t shy on personality. With this watch, Hublot has achieved a sky blue color that carries through from the rubber strap, to the ceramic case, and right on into the dial. Black accents push the focal point to the color itself, and make this one of the more unique experiences when it comes to the use of ceramic. Hublot has been working with this material for many years, and their ability to yield colors like this is second to none.
This Spirit of Big Bang Chronograph Sky Blue Ceramic is currently available from The 1916 Company and is in new condition with warranty. The 42mm rectangular case is affixed to a blue rubber strap that can be swapped out for any of Hublot’s proprietary strap options with the press of a button. The skeletonized dial reveals the HUB4700 chronograph caliber within, nearly equaling the drama found elsewhere with this watch.
Louis Vuitton Monterey II – $10,500
This ceramic watch is a little different from the others, and is one of the first commercially available ceramic watches ever produced. This is the Monterey II from Louis Vuitton, released in 1988. The unique design comes from Gae Aulenti, and sets this watch into its own category altogether. The 37mm lugless case is crafted from black ceramic with a high sheen finish, and it frames a white dial with black and red accents. The watch uses a quartz movement, and features a pointer date complication. The open syringe style hands track time against an wholly original design underneath, with a railroad track minutes, and fully index Arabic numeral hour track along the inner portion of the dial. One final unique detail is the crown positioning at the top of the case.
This rare Louis Vuitton Monterey II comes to us from The Keystone, where it is listed in excellent overall condition with only minimal signs of wear. The ceramic case looks to have held up brilliantly, with the original finish entirely intact. There is no lug here, not even in hooded form. Rather, the strap passes through an open cavity in the caseback, and this watch comes with an original Louis Vuitton strap. This is a remarkable example not just of an early ceramic watch, but of Louis Vuitton design.
Please note that we are not affiliated with the sellers of the watches we recommend. We may point out aspects of a listing that we feel are positive, but only you can vet a seller. We can recommend viewing our video “How to Collect It: Vintage Watches” to glean some best practices, however.
