8 of the best ultra-light watches that won’t weigh you down

Russell Sheldrake

There is an old adage in the world of luxury watches that the heavier a watch is, the more it must be worth. But if that were truly the case, we would be lining our lugs with lead to make our watches as hefty as possible. We could, and have, gone into far more depth on how certain precious metals can add value to a watch, and which ones are worth more in real terms – and while a certain gravitas can be lent to a weighty watch that is cast in these precious metals, there are plenty of excellent watches out there that are super light without having this detract from their value.

The first element that comes to mind when we talk about lightweight watches is of course titanium, and for good reason. The 22nd element on the periodic table, it has the highest strength-to-density ratio of all known metals, it’s particularly corrosion-resistant and hypoallergenic, which can be extremely useful for something that sits on your skin all day. To get a little nerdy for a second. There are different grades of titanium and we already explored what they mean, but the most common in watchmaking, as well as nearly all other industries, is grade 5, otherwise known as Ti-6Al-4V. That code of letters and numbers corresponds to the makeup of this alloy. So there is 6% aluminium, 4% vanadium, 0.25% iron, 0.2% oxygen, and the rest pure titanium. All of the grades below grade 5 are known as “commercially pure”, as they are unalloyed and far more supple and malleable.

While there will be a lot of titanium watches on this list, it certainly won’t be the only material on display. As the watch world has progressed, the experimentation with materials and material science has gone with it. Perhaps the most well-known for their experimentation in the realms of materials is Richard Mille, playing around with carbon composites and injecting carbon nanotubes far before anyone else even knew they existed. All in the pursuit of more strength and less weight.

One small caveat that I need to put in before we get to the list is that I have stayed away from plastic watches. I wanted to stay in the world of metals, carbon, and other hi-tech composites instead of going down the Bioceramic and plastic route as they would pretty much take a clean sweep of the list. Similarly, we’re also purely talking about mechanical watches here – there are plenty of light plastic quartz watches, but that’s not a particularly interesting list. But enough talk of materials and science – let’s take a look at some of the best ultra-light watches that I think would never need to go on a diet.

Ming LW.01 – 8.8g

Unofficially, this is the lightest mechanical watch on the market today. Coming from the cult brand Ming, two versions of this watch were made in a limited run of just 200 pieces, one being manual-winding (weighing 8.8g) and another being automatic, which added an extra 2g to the weight. Something that I appreciate about this watch is that Ming did not want to detract from the act of actually wearing this watch. They placed restrictions on themselves while designing it to ensure that it would still wear and function as a normal watch should. To ensure the case is as light as possible without compromising the feel of the watch, it’s constructed from AZ31 magnesium-aluminium-zinc-manganese. This superlight material weighs less than carbon and still retains a metallic feel after two coatings have been applied to it.

Even the crystal has been carefully considered. Instead of a standard sapphire, they have used Corning Gorilla Glass 6 (similar to the screen of your iPhone) which loses out to sapphire on the Vickers hardness scale by nearly 1,500 points, but it’s crucially lighter. With no dial to speak of, there is no clever material use here, rather the hands glide over the movement holder, and the movement is hidden from sight by a gradient print on the crystal, which is also where you find the markers. Overall, there is very little to the watch, but there is a lot to say. It’s a wonderful execution of material science and horological creativity. Price: CHF 19,500 (RRP, sold out)

Behrens BHR030 11G – 11g

This is an impressive watch by nearly any stretch of the imagination. Double retrograde, fully in-house movement, and a curved case, all weighing only 11g? Madness. While the design of the watch might not be to everyone’s liking given its rather avant-garde styling, the inspiration for this piece has come from an ancient Chinese note-taking device, linking it to Behrens’ home. With the case made from a carbon fibre composite, no dial, and a completely skeletonised movement, it’s clear to see where the grams have been shaved off.

With the brand only dating back to 2012, Behrens is still a relatively new name in the watch world. With this youth comes the ability to experiment and to be free of the weight of tradition and history, allowing their team to explore unexpected designs and follow concepts that other brands may never get the chance to explore. This freedom could not be more clear here, as they look to break the stigma around Chinese-made watches by leaning into their country’s traditions in a way that doesn’t rely on stereotypes and simplistic imagery but rather channels the characteristics of high watchmaking in an entirely genuine way. Price: US$11,800 (RRP, sold out)

Richard Mille RM27-01 – 18.3g

I told you we would get to Richard Mille at some point. This is the lightest watch the brand has ever made, and the first model they produced for tennis icon Rafael Nadal. There are a lot of technical details to get into here, so I will try not to get too geeky, but to start with, we have to talk about the case. Made from a polymer that has been injected with carbon nanotubes to help with its rigidity and resistance to shocks, it also makes it an incredibly light material given the inherent properties of carbon.

Once we get inside the distinctive case of the RM27-01, we see a movement that seems to defy logic and all watchmaking standard practice. It is quite literally suspended in mid-air by a system of stainless steel cables that measure 0.35mm in diameter. We even see tough but lightweight materials being used in the construction of its movement: the baseplate and tourbillon cage are both made from grade 5 titanium, while the barrel bridges and gear train are formed of aluminium-lithium. While this is one of the lightest watches on this list (that’s 18.3g including its heaviest component, the strap), it’s also likely the toughest, as it’s listed to be able to withstand up to 5,000 G of acceleration (far more than I ever could!) Price: US$740,000 (RRP, sold out)

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC – 43g

It would have been very easy for me to turn this article into one that looks at ultra-thin watches, as they are, as a by-product, extremely light. But I wanted to only take one ultra-thin watch as the main example from this cohort, as I feel it is the most impressive in terms of its weight reduction given that it’s the only one out of the main contenders that features a fully integrated bracelet.

Made completely out of titanium (or platinum, but that is far too heavy to make this list), the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC measures just 1.7mm thick. This is accomplished through many of the same techniques that we’ve seen above for reaching peak weight reduction, the traditional sense of a dial and movement construction are completely done away with. Having everything mounted directly onto the caseback allows for this completely futuristic construction to take place, and the crown has been split in two and laid flat into the caseback with one setting the time and another for winding the 1.5mm thin movement. Is this watch possibly too thin to wear? Probably, but only 20 are being made, and I didn’t get to see it during Watches & Wonders, so I will likely not get another chance to find out. But is it light enough to make this list? Absolutely. Price: €600,000

Hublot Big Bang Unico Novak Djokovic – 49.5g

Currently holding the record as the lightest automatic chronograph on the market, Novak Djokovic’s special-edition Hublot Big Bang has some interesting material choices. To start with, the case is made from a composite formed from the star’s match-worn polos and tennis rackets, mixed with a high strength resin, and then to save weight on the front and back glass, they opted for Gorilla Glass over sapphire crystal, much like the Ming earlier in this list. And then on the inside, the Unico movement is made entirely from aluminium – an unusual choice for calibre construction, but one that helps reduce this Hublot’s weight even further. Price: US$52,700.

Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light – 55g

Titanium is known for having a subdued, grey finish, which is an aesthetic Omega really leaned into for this watch – going all-out monochromatic for this lightweight take on its everyday Aqua Terra. Not only has the brand gone all-out on this titanium aesthetic, the use of the featherweight metal runs to the very heart of this watch. The movement itself is constructed from ceramised titanium, which supposedly aids in reducing friction between the many moving parts.

The case, solid caseback, and crown are all made from an alloy called Gamma Titanium, which is just another name for titanium aluminide. This alloy is often used for turbine engine blades thanks to its ability to withstand temperatures over 600°C. The Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light was designed in collaboration with Rory McIlroy, and while not specifically aimed at being a golf watch, the idea was to make it practical for athletes to use when competing – although it’s unlikely they are going to be reaching temperatures of up to 600°C in the real world… Price: US$53,400

Zenith x Revolution Chronomaster Revival A3818 Cover Girl Carbon – 55g

Completing the trilogy of Revolution’s collaborations with Zenith, this picturesque carbon-cased chronograph adds a moody finale to this triumvirate, ranking as the lightest Zenith ever made and one of the world’s lightest mechanical watches. With it clocking in at just 55g when on its Velcro strap, and not much more when swapped to its eye-catching carbon ladder bracelet, the A3818 Cover Girl Carbon not only visually disappears on the wrist, but it will be hard to tell it’s there from its near-nonexistent weight. Unfortunately, they’re only making these in very limited numbers, with 150 on a strap, 10 on the case-matching bracelet, and an exciting 50 with Eastern Arabic numerals that are exclusive to the Middle East. Price: US$12,320 (Velcro), US$27,210 (bracelet)

Nivada Grenchen F77 Titanium Meteorite – 86g

This may be the heaviest watch on this list, but it still deserves a spot as it manages to have a fully integrated metal bracelet, meteorite dial, and still come in at under 100g. Unashamedly inspired by the original luxury sports watch, the Royal Oak, the references to AP are clear from the outset, but that doesn’t detract from what Nivada Grenchen has been able to accomplish here with the F77 Titanium Meteorite. The amazing value that this piece offers by using a more affordable movement in the form of the Soprod PO24 means that the tried-and-tested style of watch is suddenly made available to a much wider audience.

Having a full case and bracelet made from titanium can make these sports watches far more comfortable to wear. The use of this metal is also still considered quite a contemporary touch, given that traditional watchmaking only happened with precious metal cases, and only ventured into stainless steel when absolutely necessary. But here, titanium feels like a natural choice for the style of watch, it’s utilitarian, practical, with a hint of cool factor. What really gets me with this piece is the play between the titanium and meteorite, with one ever-matte material next to another that catches the light from all angles, it seems like a wonderful juxtaposition that plays with different types of texture. Price: starting at A$2,390 from the Time+Tide Shop (also available in the UK)