Black watches: How luxury watchmakers made dark dials their own

Presented in a slew of materials, shapes and sizes, the black watch is the perfect canvas for watchmakers to demonstrate their creativity and imagination The monochromatic dial reveals a jazzy assortment of one emerald-cut black jade, mother-of-pearl marquetry, grey mother- of-pearl cabochons and 88 brilliant-cut diamonds, creatively set in layers to create a dramatic spectacle of depth and glamour Pictured here is a debonair 18k yellow gold variant featuring a polished black ceramic bezel with Roman numerals in Ceragold, a sun-brushed black dial and a date window at 6 o'clock.

Like an optical illusion, two-thirds of the 18k white gold case are clad in black ceramic, while the remaining one-third - lugs, crown guards, bezel, flange and dial - is set with baguette-cut diamonds Incorporates avant-garde material Vantablack into the Venturer Vantablack Black Hands XL timepiece Made up of carbon nanotubes arranged vertically like a forest of tall trees, they absorb 99965 per cent of visible light, which results in a surface akin to a black hole.

With a new signature monochromatic look, the Octo Finissimo Automatic Black Sandblast-Polished Ceramic expertly plays with light where some facets of its ceramic case and bracelet dazzle, while others are muted in matte. . Source