30 Best Carbon Fiber Watches at all Price-Points for 2023

When it comes to watches, material is incredibly important to a lot of collectors. While steel watches are far and above the most popular options, we’ve started to see a resurgence of popularity in materials like Ceramic (which you can read about our favorites here) and Titanium (guide coming soon).

One material that is often overlooked, but becoming more popular these days is carbon fiber. There are some variations in the way the material is composed, with each brand doing it a little differently to provide aspects of the watch like hardness, finishing, and weight. Some carbon watches are extremely lightweight, but not as hard as something like gold or steel, while others are scratch-proof bricks capable of being smashed against a rock. Overall, we thought we’d highlight some of our favorites here, with some information about all of them. So without further ado, let’s get into it.

Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Crystal Rock

When it comes to the big guys of the sport watch scene, Girard Perregaux tends to be overlooked, despite punching the same punches as brands like Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. Though, we’d argue that the brand is a lot less stuffy and does a lot more cool collectors models. One of our favorites is the Laureato Absolute Crystal Rock. Despite just loving the Laureato as an underrated sport chronograph, the Crystal Rock gives it a more “Blacked out” look, fully fitted with a carbon case. The more masculine design gives an almost tactical element that’s both brooding, and fun. And when you’re talking about the level of craftsmanship Girard-Perregaux puts into their watches, $20,900 USD feels like kind of a steal.

Oris ProPilot Altimeter

Oris hasn’t missed the mark this year. Recently coming off of Watches and Wonders 2023, the two main releases from the brand were a Kermit Pro Pilot, and a really unique carbon cased pilot watch they’re calling the Pro Pilot Altimeter. While it definitely is a watch on the larger size at 47mm, the inclusion of the carbon case and bezel make the watch extremely wearable, and Oris has done a good job with the crowns to keep the case from looking and feeling like a hockey puck. The watch features the slimmer 793 Caliber, making it a little less thick than it’s older brother, and the inclusion of a mechanical Altimeter makes it a solid watch for pilot’s looking for dynamic tools in the air. Price for the Oris Pro Pilot Altimeter is a modest $6,500 USD.

IWC Big Pilot “Black Carbon”

Another larger pilot watch, the IWC Big Pilot has always been a staple in any serious collectors pilot watch collection. The large crown allows for pilot’s to set or adjust the time with gloves on, and under airtime circumstances, firmly rooting the watch into a tool. This time, the brand has outfitted the typically steel watch with a carbon case. The Big Pilot “Black Carbon” is a stealthy fighter jet of a watch, that’s both lightweight and maneuverable despite its 46.5mm size. It’s easy to wear and looks great at $17,500 USD.

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater Carbon

Bulgari has long had fun with materials in their sports watch lines the Octo Finissimo. But one of the brand’s high horological offerings is a little known record breaking version with the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater Carbon - A serious contender for one of the coolest watches in Bulgari’s entire catalogue. Featuring the brand’s Calibre BVL362, the movement is the thinnest Minute Repeater on the market at just over 3.1mm. Paired with an ultra-slim Carbon case, and Bulgari had a real challenge creating a durable, yet thin case that still allowed for a hollow chamber for the Minute Repeater Complication to sound good. Yet, they did it, and it’s available in a limited 50 piece run at $160,000 USD.

Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 Carbotech 3 Days Automatic

Despite some initial Quality Control issues with the first iterations of the Carbotech models from Panerai, the brand has set right the ship. The Carbotech Submersible 1950 Carbotech is a solid contender for those looking for a carbon case diver in the luxury segment. The oversize case measures in at 47mm, making it much larger as a dive watch compared to many of it’s competition. Normally, this would be a very heavy watch, but due to the compound used to create Carbotech cases, it’s both lightweight and very hard - Allowing for it to withstand a variety of conditions without scratching or breaking. The watch features 300m of water resistance, and comes with a price tag of $18,000 USD.

Formex Essence Leggera FortyOne

Positioned in a bit more of an affordable price point, the Formex Essence Leggera FortyOne is a solid option for someone looking for a hyper legible version of a Carbon watch. If you’ve followed us for any amount of time, you’ll know that we’re big fans of Formex and the work they create. For the Essence Leggera, the brand has opted for an in-house made carbon composite case weighing on 1.2oz. At 41mm, that’s quite a feat. Further, the brand is known for its customization options, so you can swap out the strap and dial for a number of other options including our favorite, a textured black dial. Depending on the customization options, the price starts at $1,849 USD and goes up from there.

Shinola Forged Carbon Monster Automatic 45mm

A unique take on the carbon fiber craze, Shinola has released an automatic movement dive watch with a unique color feature. The Shinola Forged Carbon Monster finds itself both Carbon, and colorful. We love it cause carbon fiber cases tend to be dark, or black, and brooding, but Shinola found a way to include a pop of fun to the entire carbon case design. The watch comes on a various slew of quick-release straps, but we find that the orange fits the watch the best, and looks the nicest. Price for the Shinola Forged Carbon Monster is $2,995 USD.

Zenith Defy Classic

The Zenith Defy line has breathed a lot of new life into the brand via updating the El Primero (the brands staple offering) with some modern energy. While Zenith started with the Defy El Primero, enthusiasts wanted a 3-hand option, and Zenith obliged with the Defy Classic - A more futuristic take on the skeleton dial. Naturally, with a brand that’s often known for it’s unique play on materials, Zenith has given the Defy Classic the carbon treatment, complete with a fully integrated carbon bracelet to up the ante a little bit. Price for the Zenith Defy Classic is $20,100 USD.

Bell & Ross BR-X5 Carbon Orange

If there was a model ripe for the Carbon Fiber option, it’s the Bell & Ross BR-X5, and thankfully the brand has given up the Carbon Orange - An oversized square-shaped pilot watch in a carbon fiber case. The brand has positioned the watch as the next generation of the BR-05, opening up the date window and adding a power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock to showcase its modest 70 hour power reserve. It’s a super avante-garde model from a brand that’s been known to do it well. Price for the Bell & Ross BR-X5 is $11,800 USD.

RedBar x Bamford B347

One of the more unique watches on this list is a super limited edition made with a marriage of two major entities in the watch industry - Redbar and Bamford. The two powerhouses came together and designed an exclusive limited edition built on the Sellita 510 in a really cool Carbon Fiber case. The watch features a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock actuated by a single pusher, with an all-black quadrant dial. The watch is presented in some exclusive packaging, and comes on a cool Cordura strap with stitching to match the dial. Overall, it’s a really cool watch exclusively for 100 Redbar members, and comes with a price tag of $2,700 USD - A fair price for something so unique and limited.

Richard Mille RM 66 Flying Tourbillon

Of course, what would the “Best Carbon Fibre Watch” list be if it didn’t include the Richard Mille RM-66 Flying Tourbillon. The rockstar of the industry, the RM-66 features a skeletonized dial, in two ways actually, with a predominent golden skeleton hand throwing up the “Rock On”. A cool feateure of the movement, is if you flip the watch over, the hand actually acts as a bridge with functional fingers holding the flying tourbillion at 12 o’clock. Of course, the watch is housed in a Carbon TPT case, an exclusive material to Richard Mille. The case is structured and machined in such a way that it looks like Damascus steel, but is actually carbon fiber. The watch was limited to 50 pieces, and is selling for over $1,000,000 USD on the grey market.

Casio G-Shock GWR-B1000HJ-1AJR HondaJet Collaboration

You don’t always need to sell a kidney to pick up a carbon fiber watch. Casio has offered a G-Shock in Carbon Fiber in collaboration with HondaJet for quite a reasonable price. You get all the features you know and love about G-Shocks, with a unique pilot take on the otherwise more traditional GWR case. It’s a lightweight watch despite its 50mm case size. The watch was super limited and only available in Japan, occasionally you can get one on Amazon for $925 USD.

Hublot Big Bang Unico Golf Black Carbon

If golf is your thing, Hublot’s got you covered. The traditionally shock-intensive sport has been challenging for a lot of brands to tackle, but Hublot has made a golfing-specific watch that can handle the shock, but isn’t too heavy that it affects your swing. The carbon fiber case measures in at a modest 45mm, and comes in a variety of colors. What’s uniquely Hublot about this watch, is the HUB1580 Calibre actually uses a counting complication to allow it’s wearer to track the hole, and the shot right on the dial. By simply pressing the pusher on either side of the case, it’ll jump and track your shots to give you a course total at 6 o’clock - A unique use for a watch. Price for the Big Bang Unico Golf is $31,500 USD.

Graham Chronofighter Superlight Carbon Skeleton

Graham is largely known for it’s oversized pilot watches, so naturally, the brand would release its Chronofighter in Carbon Fiber. The 47mm case is formed out of an epoxy resin, while the bezel, caseback, and crown guard are 3K forged carbon. This makes the case light and wearable, even for a smaller wrist of someone who doesn’t mind a big watch. The watch features a skeletonized dial with a really cool blue lume ring with green hand accents making the Chronofighter quite the looker in the dark. Price for the Graham Chronofighter Superlight Carbon is $15,950 USD.

Victorinox I.N.O.X. Carbon

Another entry in the more affordable range is the Victorinox I.N.O.X. Carbon. The traditional Swiss watch brand is known for their rugged “survival” style watches, with the Carbon being a hyper legible watch that also comes on a paracord strap that can be cut and utilized as a chord in the outdoors if one finds themselves in a precarious situation needing a little rope. Price for the Victorinox I.N.O.X. Carbon is $775 USD.

Squale Forged Carbon

Squale is known for their traditional, vintage-inspired dive watches. They’re often colorful with some unique features and a really cool color-block handset with quadrant lume qualities. The brand has recently released an all carbon fiber case model in the Squale Forged Carbon. What we love about this watch is it still channels a lot of the qualities Squale brings to the table, but still offering a modern carbon fiber offering with a splash of color. It’s hyper-legible, and an easy wear. The price for the Squale Forged Carbon T-183 is $1,500 USD.

Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Carbon 45mm

In the more haute horology space, we have Roger Dubuis always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. The Excaliber Spider Carbon is as much a work of art, as it is a timepiece. The watch comes in a complete carbon case and bracelet, and paired with the already incredibly minimal 509SQ caliber, the Spider Carbon weighs less than 50 grams altogether - A mind-bogglingly low weight for a wristwatch. Unfortunately, the price tag isn’t as light, costing $303,000 USD. A beautiful piece from the watchmakers at Roger Dubuis.

Code41 NB24 Aerocarbon

While you can read our review of a Code41 here, the brand has released a number of really cool watches in the last couple of years. The NB41 is one of the newer versions, and it comes in a really cool carbon fiber case. Code41 utilizes its fans to crowdsource their watches, taking design queues via a series of votes and discussions with their clients to determine what comes next for the brand. They’ve also built a backbone of transparency in their costs and pricing. It’s a really cool concept that has produced a number of unique offerings. Price for the NB24 Aerocarbon is $6,725 USD.

Luminox Master Carbon Seal

Luninox itself is a really cool brand because they have a number of watches that are licensed by the military. They’re considered “First Line” gear in a number of branches. The Luminox Master Carbon Seal get’s it’s name from the Navy Seals. It’s housed in a really light carbon fiber case with a textured dial and ultra-contrasting hour markers to make it really legible, especially at night. The watch comes in a few different colors, with a few different strap options, but price starts at $920 USD.

Doxa Sub 300 Carbon

Doxa first started emerging post World War II. The war was done, the country was prospering, and diving became a lot more accessible as a hobby. With some steep competition, Doxa was up against Rolex and Omega. So they created the Doxa Sub 300 - A uniformly designed tool watch with a depth gauge. The watch came in Orange, as it’s the easiest to see underwater. The brand has recently overhauled the watch with some modern upgrades. As one of the limited editions, Doxa gave it’s flagship watch the Carbon treatment. Paired with the orange colorway (Though the was has 7 colors available), it’s a fun dive watch that’s super light and wearable. We love it at a modest $3,890 USD.

Zelos Vitesse Forged Carbon Limited Edition

If you’ve followed us for any amount of time, you’ll know we’re big fans of Zelos watches. We find the brand has a penchant for textures, colors, and materials that many smaller brands tend to struggle with. The Zelos Vitesse Forged Carbon is a classic example of what Zelo's does really well - Combine textures, colors, and materials in a coherent and easily digestible way. The Vitesse uses a soft blue to contrast against a full carbon case and dial. The watch feels “unfinished” and that’s something we love about it. The watch is limited to 50 pieces, and price for the Vitesse Forged Carbon is $1,499 USD.

Davosa Argonautic BG Carbon

Davosa has long made some really unique dive watches. One of the things we’ll say about Davosa, is the psedo-vintage divers mix an almost pilot watch element to them, and it simply works. One of their more avant-garde options is the Argonautic BG Carbon. The watch is a fully carbon-cased version of it’s traditional diver. It features highly legible orange indicators and the brand’s signature arrow handsets. Price for the Davosa Argonautic BG Carbon is $1,199 USD.

Casio G-Shock Mudmaster GWG-2000-1A1JF

The second G-Shock on our list is another oversized model, but this time the Mudmaster GWG-1A1JF. While it’s a mouthful of a reference, the Mudmaster is surprisingly affordable considering the dizzying array of features packed into the watch including a barometer, a compass, a radio, a world timer, and a temperature gauge. The ruggedized Casio comes equipped with a whopping 55mm carbon fiber case fitted to the brands signature rubber resin strap. This makes the watch incredibly light considering it’s size. It’s a great hiking companion, and while the retail price is around eight hundred dollars, you can often find the watch on amazon for a more modest $579 USD.

Venezianico Nereide Carbonio

Italian brand Venezianico is starting to become a favorite of ours. The value propositions they offer in a modestly sized watch is often unrivaled in the pricepoint. The brand even has a solid carbon fiber diver called the Nereide Carbonio. Measuring in at 42mm, the diver features a full carbon dial and bezel uniquely finished, while still allowing for that maximum legibility that’s important for dive watches. Price for the Venezianico Nereide Carbonio is a modest $840 USD.

ProTek Official USMC Series 1016D

While not necessarily a new brand, Protek has really stepped up their game in the last couple of years. Their ruggedized military style watches utilizing Tritium lume provide a lot of value for those that want military grade watches at a reasonable price point. The brand has released a full Carbon Fiber watch in conjuction with the United States Marine Core, with the Series 1016D - A super rugged, 42mm carbon model with 300 meters of water resistance. The lume utilized in this watch is called ProGlo T25 and doesn’t really need to be “charged” to glow in the dark. If you’re a watch enthusiast in the market for a military inspired tool watch, you can pick up the Protek Official USMC Series 1016D for a modest $450 USD.

U-Boat Chimera 46mm Carbon/Titanium

As we’ve said in a recent review, U-Boat has really stepped up their game in the last few years. One of the more interesting releases we’ve seen from them, is the Chimera 46mm Carbon/Titanium - A hybrid case construction that focuses on being lightweight and resistant. When you’re making a 46 mm watch, it’s important for it to be wearable, and the Chimera utilizes carbon lugs, case and bezel paired with a Titanium dial, pushers, and crown guard to make the watch less heavy on the wrist - Despite it’s oversized nature. Price for the Chimera is $8,700 USD.

Gorilla Fastback Galaxy Blue Carbon

In a similar vein as the Bell & Ross, the Gorilla Fastback has carved its own little niche in a more affordable price point than luxury brands, without compromising on the quality of the watches. The Galaxy Blue Carbon packs a lot of features into it’s 44mm carbon fiber case. For starters, an integrated rubber strap is seemless, with carbon lugs giving it a uniform look. The watch is said to be inspired by classic muscle cars, and that influence is apparently on almost every aspect of this carbon watch. Uniquely, the watch is equipped with a polished ceramic bezel, adding a bit of texture to the top of the carbon. Price for the watch is a modest $880 USD.

Reservoir GT Tour Carbon

Reservoir has long had an interesting take on telling the time. The brand modifies an ETA 2824 to equip it with a jumping hour, a power reserve indicator, and retrograde minutes to mimic the dashboard of a car. What results is a really cool way to display the time for those racing and motorsport enthusiasts looking for something a little different. Now, Reservoir has released a cool Carbon Fiber case for it’s GT Tour, in the GT Tour Carbon - A lightweight watch with the brand’s signature time-telling. It’s simple, black and red with white accents but it works so well. Price for the Reservoir GT Tour Carbon is $6,300 USD.

Franck Muller Krypton Racing Skeleton Grande Date

Franck Muller has never been a brand that particularly follow the crowd when it comes to watch design. The Krypton Racing line takes inspiration from the Vanguard Skeleton, and combines the two lines to create a wholly racing themed watch in a carbon fiber case. The skeleton dial is open to reveal the movement, while copious amounts of lume cover the dial components, and is fused into the carbon fiber case - This allows the entire watch to glow instead of just the dial. It’s a really cool feature that you don’t see very often in carbon cases. The watch is by appointment only, so the price is pretty well hidden, but it seems to be selling for around $27,000 USD.

Singer Track1 SKLT CARBON Edition SR009

The Singer Track1 SKLT is a unique watch in that the dial structure literally floats over the movement, which is truly a site to behold at 477 components. The hand-wound chronograph utilizes a series of hands and pushers to actuate the jumping hour and minute chronograph, while the indices are printed on a sapphire ring, really ensuring that viewing the movement is the top priority. The brand has recently launched the Track1 SKLT in an ultra-limited edition carbon case (even though looking at the watch one might confuse it for being PVD or ceramic). The watch is limited to just 25 pieces and comes with a price tag of $71,800 USD.