Encased in Carbon
In September 2023, our Editor-in-Chief Vivek Amarnani checked out three unique watches made from the case material of the future – carbon. In this edition, we highlight offerings from D1 Milano, Bvlgari, and IWC, each watch entirely unique in their approach to incorporating carbon material.
For each “Collecting” feature, we’ll be taking a look at distinct, notable watches (from any era) that we are obsessed with, exploring their story and showing off some of our favorite references. By spotlighting these watches, we aim to bring attention to great watchmaking wherever we can find it.
D1 MILANO POLYCARBON BLACK SKETCH
Founded in 2013, D1 Milano is an Italian manufacturer headquartered in Dubai and Hong Kong. A relatively unknown name in watchmaking, D1 Milano is one of many ‘fashion watch’ brands hoping to make waves in the ever-commercialized world of modern watchmaking. D1 Milano’s catalog is largely uninspired, with most watches resembling luxury stainless steel integrated sports watches. As is the case with most fashion watch brands, most of these watches are boring and highly forgettable, feeling more like homages or unfaithful replicas rather than a creation of their own.
But at only $195 USD, the quartz-powered D1 Milano Polycarbon Sketch is a truly inspired piece of watch design. Appearing to be two dimensional, the Polycarbon Sketch seems like an illustration, popping off the page of a comic book. Broad sketch-like strokes adorn every corner and edge of the watch’s case, dial, bezel, and bracelet, which tapers from 27mm to a 19mm butterfly clasp (that looks seamlessly integrated with the rest of the bracelet). The simple, uncluttered dial features twelve sketched indices and similarly styled hour and minute hands, surrounded by a thick sketched border. Despite bearing resemblance to watches like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak (down to the octagonal bezel) and the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo, D1 Milano’s creation is entirely their own and undeniably unique.
The Polycarbon Sketch lends a heavy wrist presence, both through its starkly contrasting two-dimensional design but also through its bulky dimensions. Its 40.5mm case stands at 8.8mm tall, but notably features a nearly 58mm measurement from one link to another on either side of the case. The polycarbon (plastic) case and bracelet contradict the heft of the dimensions, its construction extremely light and toy-like.
Behind the PVD-coated steel caseback is a Seiko VJ21 quartz movement, adjusted with a push-pull crown. With an impact-resistant polycarbon construction, ultra light and thin dimensions, and a non-mechanical movement, the Polycarbon Sketch is a highly robust timepiece that delivers a conversation-worthy statement piece at an affordable price.
BVLGARI OCTO FINISSIMO CARBON GOLD
The Octo Finissimo collection is nothing if not a huge accomplishment in watchmaking. Bvlgari’s flagship family is an exceptionally engineered array of ultra-thin watches featuring one of the most intricate and forward case designs ever conceived. Sharp, angled corners and straight edges make the Octo Finissimo what it is – an strong display of modern design with world-class construction and finishing.
Introduced at Geneva Watch Days 2023, the Octo Finissimo Automatic and the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar feature textured anthracite dials, cases, and bracelets, with gold accents highlighting the pieces’ handset and indices. Cleverly extenuating the aggressive lines of the case and bracelet, the harsh ‘brushing’ of the black matte carbon material is perhaps the most unique implementation in the highly popular carbon watchmaking trend. Using the texture on the dial alone would be enough to warrant praise, but here, Bvlgari proves their willingness to fully commit to strong design choices.
When viewed head on, the thin gold indices and hands feel refined and luxurious, contrasting the CarbonGold material, which seems raw and austere. The strong Italian design cues are juxtaposed by the ultra-thin movements and cases, and the very nature of carbon material seems wholly unreal in both its robustness and its weightlessness. At the core of the Octo Finissimo is this brilliant balancing act of extremes, displayed in full in this CarbonGold implementation.
The objective was to enhance the dynamic tension, this unique proposition between having a watch that was, when viewed straight on, very muscular and even aggressive, yet when you turned it on its side, it was really surprising in how thin it was.
Fabrizio Buonamassa, Director of Watch Design, Bvlgari
As per usual, the Octo Finissimo Automatic is delivered in a 40mm square case, this reference with a thickness of 6.90mm. The in-house calibre BVL 138 is a mere 2.23mm thick and has a 60 hour power reserve for its 3 Hz oscillation rate. The sapphire exhibition case back reveals decadently finished gold-tone movement bridges and a gold-plated platinum micro-rotor, with carbon composite components housed in a titanium container.
Consistently since 2014, Bvlgari has managed to break world record after world record in ultra-thin implementations, with the Octo Finissimo collection still holding the world records for thinnest automatic watch, thinnest tourbillion, thinnest mechanical chronograph, thinnest tourbillion chronograph, and thinnest perpetual calendar. Touted by publications as a modern icon, Bvlgari continues to evolve the collection by innovating in any way they can, including their use of unconventional materials. Available in the standard stainless steel, titanium, and gold options, the collection has served as a canvas for the creation of ceramic, tantalum, marble, and now carbon (or CarbonGold) implementations.
IWC BIG PILOT’S WATCH AMG G 63
Continuing their partnership with AMG and Mercedes-Benz, IWC Schaffhausen has brought yet another collaboration between the two Germany-based luxury manufacturers to their historic catalog of pilot watches. Distinctly IWC, the Big Pilot line is perhaps IWC’s flagship model family – touted by watch enthusiasts, including John Mayer, as one of the undeniable icons of the watch world. September 2023 saw the release of a pair of IWC Big Pilot Watch AMG G 63 watches based on the legendary Mercedes-Benz G 63 ‘G-Wagon’ cars.
In traditional flieger-style watchmaking, this newest reference has a substantial 46.5mm case diameter, effectively extended by Germanic long, straight lugs. On the dial, highly legible applied indices and numerals lay around the outer edge, completed with standard lumed IWC-style hands. A criss-cross diamond pattern resembling the car’s air intakes serves as a background texture, contrasted by subdials enveloped in thick silver-tone rings, drawing inspiration from the G 63’s headlights. A color-matched black date window sits at six o’clock with minimal dial text to prevent any additional clutter on top of the busy dial texture. This specific dial configuration is uncommon but somewhat familiar among the Big Pilot collection; as usual, a seven-day power reserve register sits at three o’clock, but a large central seconds hand is swapped for a nine o’clock subdial. IWC’s in house Caliber 52010 is self-winding with seven days of power reserve that oscillates at a 4 Hz beat rate. The timepiece features a decorated sapphire case back with a Mercedes logo within a black bar, resembling the wheel on the back of the G 63.
The matte black case is a proprietary ceramic composite, made in collaboration with the German Aerospace Center. By blending carbon fibers within a ceramic matrix, IWC seems to have created a lighter and stronger construction to improve the wearability and robustness of the timepiece. The textured lines of the carbon-ceramic blend feel fluid, providing a slight marbling effect, but manage to seem visually aggressive and masculine.
Available in IWC’s Ceramic Matrix Composite, the Reference IW506201 was released alongside the Reference IW501201 in Armor Gold, both references featuring the same movement, dials, and case design.
