The 13 Sexiest Black Minimalist Watches for Men

Black. Murdery black. Black so black that people fall into a hole, not realizing it’s an actual hole. The fact is that the trend of black dials in the watch world has been around for a long time. A subset of this trend has been the black-on-black look that exploded onto the world of horological design about a decade ago and has remained one of the more contemporary design directions for a lot of minimalist watch brands. While we love that look and have featured many black-on-black designs in our previous piece, the best minimalist watches, the work we put into discovering the timepieces featured here wasn’t limited to just that subset design trends. So buckle-up and get ready for some of the most excellent minimalist watches for men in some shade of murdery black.

1. Nordgreen – Pioneer | Black Dial – Black Leather Watch

When I first laid my eyes on this astoundingly beautiful watch, I knew I had to own it. Produced by Danish watchmaker Nordgreen and designed by Jakob Wagner, this Scandinavian Chronograph has clean lines throughout the entirety of its beautiful design. This means that the clean and minimalist dial strikes all the right notes when it comes to balancing the info presented by a chronograph without cluttering it. Inspired by the fact that Denmark is a global pioneer in clean energy technology and production, this watch has small but significant details related to its inspiration. For example, the red tips found on the Chronograph second hand represent the same coloured tips found on wind turbines in its country of origin. Made of the super-high quality materials our readers have come to expect from watches we feature here, the Pioneer watch is available in three dial colours: blue, black and white. To top that off, it is also available in three case colours – super sexy gunmetal, silver and rose gold. A genuinely superb men’s minimalist black watch!

If you want to know about what I think about this watch, check out my review.

2. Solios – Solar Black | Black Mesh Watch

The sleek minimal Solar Black offers a black dial with a recycled stainless steel case and index markers.

Solios’ objective was to create the most elegant and minimalist solar watch – they have achieved it. The brand’s sustainable watches perfectly combine technology, aesthetics and durable materials. The solar technology allows the watch to recharge itself forever, meaning you’ll never have to change your battery. That’s a mighty mandate for an 8mm case including a solar panel within it.

The Canadian watch brand is the first to be B Corp certified in the watch industry. Each watch sold helps restore an acre of the rainforest through their partnership with Rain Forrest Trust. Proving that a small accessory can have a big impact.

3. Nixon – Corporal SS 48mm

Nixon is well known in the watch world for their design prowess, but also the absolutely ginormous timepieces they’re capable of producing, that honestly can feel like you’re walking around with a battleship attached to your wrist. The Corporal SS is a beast. With a 48 mm case size, it’s definitely a commanding presence. There’s no pretense with this watch. It’s black and bold and definitely built to last.

4. Komono – Winston Regal All Black

At a very blue-collar friendly price of $99, the Winston Regal All Black watch from Komono is actually a pretty amazing looking watch. It’s beautifully inset, and sleek dial conveys a sense of class that can quickly go with any casual or more refined outfit. Inspired by the art deco era, this timepiece will likely get mistaken for something much more expensive. And if you’re really not into the black look (though really, why would you be reading this article), it also comes in three other color options.

5. MVMT – BLACKTOP CAVIAR WATCH

Bezel-less smartphones are all the rage these days. And depending on when in time you’ve managed to arrive at this blog piece, you may be asking yourself, what the hell is a Bezel? As of 2020 (yes I updated this article recently), bezels on most smartwatches are still around, albeit shrinking fast. The MVMT Blacktop Caviar  watch seems to be taking design cues from that idea. The edge of the watch, at least from a head-on perspective is almost indistinguishable from the dial of the watch, and that alone gives this watch a highly cultivated character.

6. Movado Bold

I can’t quite decide whether there is more gunmetal grey or black in this watch. Nevertheless, at 42mm, the rather large Movado BOLD watch earns its name. My only quibble with Movado watches is I wish they would just get rid of that small logo at the bottom of the dial. Still, Movado has taken great care in producing a timepiece whose elements seem to feed off each other with one complimenting another in an endless loop of purity.

7. Nixon – 51-30 Tide

All you need to know about this watch is that I own one of these. Not the exact color combination, but close. As a result, I can tell you that this is less of a watch and more of a wrist-clock if such a category of timepieces were to exist. At 51mm, it’s probably more apt to call this a black and foreboding battleship. So if you’ve got any level of thin or weak programmer arms, I suggest you don’t even look at this watch, because honestly, wearing it all day is kind of exhausting. Made out of some psychotically Mjölnir-like heavy metal, you may as well be wearing a barbell on your wrist. If all that sounds like a challenge to your manly beefcake ambitions, it kind of is. To wear this thing you have got to have some sort of masochistic tendencies, and excellent taste in black semi-minimalist watches. It’s a real thing of beauty.

8. Uniform Wares – M42 Chronograph

There’s probably some unwritten rule that defines a chronograph as decidedly not minimalist, but you know what, there’s too much to like about this black watch to have it omitted here. That said, this Swiss made piece features Uniform Wares typical lugless design which adds a level of refinement not often seen. Detailed and defined, the M42 Chronograph touches down in the more expensive end-zone of watches listed here, but I think for any serious collector is a watch to covet.

9. Instrmnt – K-100

Designed in Glasgow, the K-100 is a great example of what happens when a watch is conceptualized with inspiration from mid-century design. Redolent of famous 20th-century furniture designers such as Eames, Jacobsen, and Bertoia, this timepiece is simple, bold and delicate at the same time.

10. Skagen – Jorn Black Steel-Mesh

Maybe I’m just a sucker for watches with black steel mesh (also known as Milanese) straps, but this finely crafted 3-hand movement watch with a sandblasted dial is both affordable and stylish. Like most of the watches on this list, the Jorn can be easily combined with outfits both wild and sensible. And if you’re a big fan of watches with think profiles, you’re in luck as this Skagen is a mere 8mm thick.

11. Ochs & Junior – Date

By default, this watch is not adorned in black, but given its highly customizable nature and semi-astronomical price tag, the Ochs & Junior Date watch can be turned into a genuinely obsidian masterpiece. The analog date display is more readable than most watches, and that is in fact at the core of the design philosophy of this remarkable piece of engineering. And if none of that is enough, just consider the fact that Ochs & Junior only manufacturers about 10 of these per year. That’s rarefied air when it comes to the watch collecting world.

12. Matte Black – Walt Black Mesh

If the budget is really tight right now, yet you still have a hankering for some good old black minimalist goodness sprucing up your wrist, the Matte Black Walt Black Mesh is a good choice. Did you know that mesh watch straps were first worn in Milan, Italy in the 13th century? Neither did I, and yet it’s true. There’s not much else to say about this watch except that for its price point it’s a rather handsome piece.

13. MVMT – Carbon Grey Chrono Watch

Another chronograph to grace this list may be venturing into the dark realm of sacrilege when it comes to minimalist watches, but given the fact that it’s the final watch on our list, we thought you’d make an exception. While some reviewers complain of readability in direct sunlight, this battery-powered 6 hand chronograph hits all the right shades of grey and black.

---

You might also like these articles:

29 Best Minimalist Watches

18 Gorgeous Minimalist Wood Watches

20 Beautifully Minimalist Watches for Women