A Selection Of Sleek And Scratch-Proof Ceramic Watches

Watches come in all sizes, shapes, colours, styles and materials, which is why there’s always something to be found that ticks personal boxes. One of the options in terms of case material, or beyond for that matter, is ceramic. Pioneered by brands like Rado, it has come a long way and can be found in anything from a robust diver or sleek luxury sports watch to a complex calendar watch. Its main attribute is the fact its virtually impervious to scratches, plus the fact it can be crafted in pretty much any colour. With that said, here’s a selection of bold ceramic watches to satisfy our needs!

Blancpain Bathyscaphe quantiEme complet

As the more compact and streamlined take on the iconic Fifty Fathoms, the Bathyscaphe collection is often a platform of complications for Blancpain. Where we could have gone for the time-and-date model or even the chronograph, we went for the Quantième Complet instead. Its brushed black ceramic case is matched to a full ceramic bracelet which Blandpain added only recently. The sunray-brushed blue dial shows you not only the time but also the day of the week, date and month, as well as the phases of the moon courtesy of the Calibre 6654.P. The price for this full ceramic Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet is set at CHF 23,900.

For more information, please visit Blancpain.com.

Quick Facts – 43.6mm x 14.10mm – black ceramic case, brushed & polished – ceramic unidirectional bezel – sapphire crystals front & back – 300m water-resistant – sunray brushed blue dial with complete calendar display – blackened hands with white SLN inserts – red-tipped seconds hand & pointer date hand – Calibre 6654.P, in-house – automatic winding – 28,800vph – 72h power reserve – full ceramic bracelet – reference 5054-0140-01S – CHF 23,900

IWC big pilot perpetual calendar top gun lake tahoe

A favourite among the MONOCHROME editorial team, the Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN Lake Tahoe puts a bright white spin on IWC’s legendary Big Pilot’s Watch. Yes, it’s big and bold, but it’s also quite brilliant. The white ceramic case is fitted to an equally bright white rubber strap and has a perfectly contrasting black and white dial. With plenty of real estate for all the indications of the perpetual calendar movement, it’s still a very legible watch despite its complexity. Everything is spread evenly across the four subdials, a genius solution we have Kurt Klaus to thank for. It retails for EUR 43,700, making it this list’s most expensive option.

For more information, please visit IWC.com.

Quick Facts – 46.5m x 15.5mm – white ceramic case – stainless steel screw-in crown – sapphire crystal front & back – 60m water-resistant – matte black dial with luminescent indices – QP display with date, day, month, four-digit year, perpetual northern & southern moon phase – 7-day power reserve – calibre 52615, in-house – automatic winding – white rubber strap with textile inlay & deployant clasp – IW503008 – EUR 43,700

Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton

Of course, we can’t ignore Rado when it comes to ceramic watches, as the brand is a true pioneer in the field. Rado regularly showcases this expertise through watches like the Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton. The latest editions come with a navy blue ceramic case and bezel with orange or yellow ceramic inserts and a blue rubber strap to match. The blue-tinted sapphire crystal dial pulls back the curtains on the Calibre R808, Rado’s adaptation of the Powermatic 80. Its proprietary movement architecture includes a golden central wheel bridge. Naturally, the anchor logo is still there. At CHF 4,300 it’s on the more attainable side.

For more information, please visit Rado.com.

Quick Facts – 43mm x 14.6mm – polished navy blue high-tech ceramic case and bezel – orange or yellow ceramic bezel insert – sapphire crystal front & back – 300m water-resistance – blue-tinted sapphire crystal dial – applied markers & hands with SLN – pivoting anchor at noon – Rado Calibre R808, automatic – proprietary architecture – 21,600vph – 80h power reserve – navy blue rubber strap with fold-over clasp – CHF 4,300

Tudor black bay ceramic blue

With the introduction of the Black Bay Ceramic Blue, Tudor gave its popular retro diver a vibrant makeover. The Black Bay Ceramic has been part of the collection since 2021, and now welcomes this not-so-subtle blue dial. All the hallmarks that make the BB so great are still there; the applied markers, the snowflake handset, and so on. And not to be overlooked, it packs the brand’s METAS Master Chronometer certified MT5602-1U movement, which can be seen through the back. It’s worn on a leather and rubber hybrid strap with a black PVD-coated steel folding clasp. As part of the permanent collection, it costs EUR 5,200

For more information, please visit TudorWatch.com.

Quick Facts – 41mm x 14.4mm – matte black ceramic case & bezel, brushed & polished – sapphire crystal front & back – screw-down crown – 200m water-resistant – vibrant blue dial – applied markers & hands with SLN – MT5602-1U, in-house automatic – METAS Master Chronometer certified – 28,800vph – 70h power reserve – silicon hairspring – variable inertia balance – hybrid leather & rubber strap with folding clasp – part of the permanent collection – EUR 5,200 – CHF 4,800

Zenith Defy Skyline White Ceramic Skeleton

Last but certainly not least, is the Zenith Defy Skyline White Ceramic Skeleton, which says what it does on the tin. Next to stealthy black ceramic, this edgy luxury sports watch now also comes in white ceramic, with a blue skeleton movement for good measure. Size-wise we’re looking at 41mm across, and 11.6mm in height so it should fit most wrists perfectly. With its fully openworked high-beat Calibre El Primero 3620 SK, it almost literally holds nothing back. You can swap out the full ceramic bracelet, in white of course, for a white rubber strap, both supplied with the watch. Retailing for EUR 18,300, it’s said to be produced in low numbers only.

For more information, please visit ZenithWatches.com.

Quick Facts – 41mm x 11.6mm – white ceramic case, brushed & polished – 12-sided bezel – sapphire crystal front & back – 100m water-resistant – openworked with star-shaped bridges in blue – applied markers & hands with SLN – central hours, minutes, 1/10th of a second – Calibre El Primero 3620 SK, in-house automatic – 36,000vph – 60h power reserve – silicon escape wheel and lever – white ceramic bracelet and white rubber strap – not limited – EUR 18,300