16 of the best minimalist watches
Buffy AcaciaSometimes, less is more. Minimalistic design language covers a number of visual elements, at times translating to having fewer of those elements, but often it can just be a simplistic representation of a unique concept. It’s a fantastic style to apply to watches, because it can incorporate the use of simple colour palettes, basic shapes and textures to give a clean and subtle aesthetic, rich in functional simplicity. Whether you’re a conceptual architect, a connoisseur of the Bauhaus movement, or just prefer a more modest appearance with your watch, there’s a minimalistic watch for you.
Casio MQ24-1E
It may be the best-selling watch brand of all time, but Casio’s usual style is anything but minimalist. On the outskirts of the digital watches with intense designs are a few analogue quartz watches that use Casio’s formula of affordable watchmaking with pure simplicity, and the MQ24-1E is a perfect example. The resin case and strap make for a lightweight combination that’s more elegant than most Casios due to its glossy case finish. The gold printing and baton handset bring warmth into the darkness with no unnecessary gimmicks in sight. The fact that it comes in below US$25 is pretty incredible for any brand-new watch, let alone one with such a distinctive style. Price: US$22.95
Swatch Skin Classic Caricia Negra
In terms of Swiss watches, you can’t really get more accessible than Swatch. The brand with the plastic cases pretty much saved the entire Swiss watch industry, and its products are still adored for their design inventiveness and lightheartedness. The Caricia Negra isn’t just another black watch though, because it’s in an ultra-thin, Bioceramic case measuring just 4.3mm in height. The result is a surprisingly elegant wearing experience, backed up by a total lack of markers on the blacked-out dial with a small dish to contain the stark, white hands. The 34mm diameter is gender-neutral, and all Swatch watches get free battery changes at Swatch stores. Price: US$135
Braun BN0211 Classic
Braun’s design applications are legendary. The company is known as the first to introduce “good design” to the mass market, producing kitchen appliances, electric shavers, and radios to name a few. A minimalist design classic, the German-made Braun BN0211 has simplicity in abundance. The proportions are understated, with a 38mm diameter and 6.6mm thick stainless steel case linked to a fine mesh bracelet. The black dial is perfectly balanced and uncluttered, featuring a simple minute track and three-hand setup, connected to a simple, no-nonsense quartz movement. Even the hands are simple, thin rectangles, free of complication. Price: US$250
Orient Bambino Classic Champagne RA-AC0M04Y
As another budget-oriented Japanese watchmaker owned by Seiko, one of Orient’s most popular watches is the Bambino — an elegant mechanical dress watch that has seen many evolutions over the years. Each generation has explored a distinct style of classicism, but it wasn’t until the 38mm references were released that it hit upon a perfect formula with no compromises. The Orient Bambino Classic Champagne has a domed dial with a sumptuous cream tone, complemented by blue hands in a lithe, tapered dauphine shape. Orient’s coat of arms may be a little bit extra, but the rest of the watch knows the importance of informed restraint. The Orient calibre F6724 is a charming automatic movement with a. 21,600vph beat rate and a 40-hour power reserve, plus the hacking and hand-winding we’ve all come to expect from our mechanical watches now. Priced below US$400, you can almost always find it with significant discounts too. Price: US$370
Seiko Presage SPB113
Seiko is a infamous for having product photography that doesn’t capture the true essence of its dials, and that’s still true for watches as seemingly simple as the Presage SPB113. As part of Seiko’s Craftsmanship Series, the SPB113 has a vitreous enamel dial which is fired in a traditional manner. This results in a white that’s far from plain, as the glossy surface diffuses light softly in a subtle yet romantic glow. Keeping the printing to a bare minimum of baton hour and minute markers prioritises the appearance of the enamel, and allows you to appreciate subtle details such as the recessed date window and the poire hour hand. It’s a little bigger than you may expect at 39.9mm in diameter and 47.2mm lug-to-lug, but it’s also surprisingly water resistant to 100m should you want to take it swimming. The calibre 6R35 is Seiko’s slightly upmarket movement with a 70-hour power reserve and a 21,600vph beat rate. Price: US$1,100
Frederique Constant Quartz Chronograph Triple Calendar
Is minimalism inherently at odds with a watch having multiple complications? Frederique Constant doesn’t seem to think so, and the execution of the Quartz Chronograph Triple Calendar proves its point well. There’s a lot of information available on this dial, but absolutely all of it is accessible and legible without strain. Each element, from the train-track minute markers to the chronograph subdials, is self-contained and easy to follow. Thought has also gone into the dull grey hands that are much easier to read above the crisp white dial than something brighter and more reflective. The quartz FC-296 based on a Swiss Ronda movement means you don’t need to worry about power reserve, and it keeps the overall cost down for what is otherwise a high-end and well-finished watch. The five-link bracelet is also a fantastic touch with its alternating polished and brushed links. Price: US$1,395
Junghans Max Bill Automatic
Junghans is one of the pioneers in German watchmaking, and part of this journey was the iconic Bauhaus-inspired Max Bill collection. Max Bill was a Swiss artist, product designer, architect, and student at the famous Bauhaus art school, and was commissioned by Junghans to design a wristwatch. The result was a minimalistic and functional timepiece, which Junghans has now formed a whole collection around. The Max Bill Automatic is a slim 38mm stainless steel watch with a classic domed crystal covering a white dial, with the thinnest indices you’ll ever find. Its caseback features Max Bill’s signature, and the watch is finished with a simple black calfskin strap. Its uncluttered details were described by Max Bill as “logical”, and this sums the watch up perfectly. There’s nothing unnecessary, it simply tells the time in the most functional way possible. Price: US$1,490
Rado DiaStar Original 60th Anniversary Edition
The best thing about stripping back details is that it allows for experimentation in other areas, and that’s exactly what the Rado DiaStar Original 60th Anniversary Edition does best. With a healthy amount of inspiration from the original watch, the cushion case capped with scratch-resistant Ceramos flows easily into its Milanese mesh bracelet. Above a brushed silver dial sits the hexagonally faceted sapphire crystal, creating subtle layers of distortion and shadow. There’s a small date display at 6 o’clock and a slot above it for the weekdays, but instead of words the slot merely fills up as the week progresses, keeping the minimal effect going. Price: US$2,050
Cartier Tank Must
For all of Cartier’s extravagance as a brand, sometimes its best results come from reining it in. With a focus on colour, the Cartier Tank Must in green, red, blue or black are all elevated to an artistic realm beyond dress watch traditions. The case architecture is borrowed from the Tank Louis Cartier, offering a more affordable taste of perhaps the most iconic rectangular watch of all time. Paired with a quartz movement, the simplicity of its design extends to its utility and reliability. The “large” model wears beautifully at 33.7mm long, 25.5mm wide, and just 6.6mm thick, and the colour-matched alligator straps allow the perfect balance between decadence and minimalism. Price: US$3,450
Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour Raven Black
One of the latest releases from Fears, a revived British watch brand with unmatched character, is the Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour Raven Black. The Brunswick case is based on an archival Fears reference from the mid-1920s but reworked for modern impact. The sector dial is arranged with a variety of brushing and concentric guilloché, with just a single hand to display the minutes. Hours are displayed in the large aperture at 12 o’clock, making it an incredibly easy dial to read at a glance. Jump hour watches usually have a mystical quality to them, but Fears has leaned heavily into the Art Deco simplicity. The movement is the JJ01, which is based on a Sellita SW200 but modified with an in-house module from Christopher Ward that is now exclusively used by Fears. Price: US$4,400 (Ex. VAT) from the Time+Tide Shop.
Grand Seiko SBGW301
With a delectable eggshell dial and a stainless steel case that could easily have time-travelled from 1958, the Grand Seiko SBGW301 proves that the Japanese brand doesn’t need to rely on flashy dial textures to reel us in. Sharp dauphine hands and cleanly faceted applied indices are all it needs to be captivating, and its 37.3mm case is spot-on for vintage accuracy. The gothic-style GS logo is about as loud as the dial dares to get before you turn the watch over and get to see the beautiful calibre 9S64. It’s hand-wound with a 72-hour power reserve and an average daily rate of -3/+5 seconds per day. Price: US$4,800