The Best Carbon Fiber Watches For Every Budget

Weighing in at just 1/3 the weight of steel yet offering a whopping 5 times its strength and two times the stiffness, carbon fiber is — simply put — a miracle material. What’s more, it’s actually manufactured from one of the single most abundant elements on the planet — which means it could eventually eclipse its metallic counterparts in abundance because, at some point, it will be quite inexpensive to manufacture. You don’t have to wait for that bright future, however, if you’re already interested in integrating this unique substance into your everyday carry.

As many folks probably already know, there is actually a wide variety of pieces of everyday carry gear with carbon fiber used in their construction — including things like knives, wallets, and even wristwatches. It’s the latter category that interests us today, as we’ve compiled a list of what we think are the best carbon fiber watches you can get your hands on right now. All you have to do is thumb through the options and pick out the one that suits your EDC loadout best.

What Exactly Is Carbon Fiber?

Created around the mid-20th century, carbon fiber has been rising in popularity in recent vintage as EDC becomes more and more prominent, although it had already been widely used in the aerospace and automotive industries. Recognizable by its pseudo-metallic, woven appearance, the material is not metal at all but made from literal carbon.

Is Carbon Fiber Just a Gimmick?

While carbon fiber definitely has advocates who can’t help but love its unique presence in their EDC loadout (and on their wrists, cars, etc.), there’s much more to the material than a mere gimmick. Its benefits come from its durability, with an incredible tensile strength, and its lightweight nature compared to actual metals of similar strength. For instance, when made correctly, carbon fiber can be five times stronger than steel and twice as stiff. It’s also significantly more malleable, which makes it easier to work with as a material.

Are There Any Downsides to Carbon Fiber?

As fantastic as carbon fiber is, it can be fairly expensive as a material on gear thanks to its complicated manufacturing processing and refinement. Not to mention, many people don’t like the inherent aesthetic of carbon fiber, especially in the world of watches. However, the material certainly has its hardcore fans as well.

Luminox Navy SEAL Watch

Best Budget-Friendly Carbon Watch: Luminox’s connection to the US Navy SEALs is not just in the name of their watch series. Rather, they’ve actually been building timepieces tough enough for these elite soldiers for years. The good news is, you don’t have to make it all the way through Hell Week to get your hands on one — like the blacked-out one you see before you today. Just pay the $395 entry fee and you can don this quartz-powered diver whenever you’d like. And that means you can take full advantage of its CARBONOX case, carbon compound rotating dive timer bezel, 200m water resistance rating, and durable PU strap. This watch isn’t as flashy as some of the others on this list, but that’s sort of the point, isn’t it?

Victorinox I.N.O.X. Watch

Best Quartz Watch: When a watchmaker goes to the trouble of running over one of their offerings with a legitimate military tank to prove just how tough it is, you should probably take note. And that’s exactly what Victorinox did to illustrate the extreme durability of their I.N.O.X. watches. In fact, this series has to be able to withstand 130 rigorous tests before the brand will release it to the public. This particular offering, which has a carbon fiber case, is even more special because — along with its reliable quartz movement — it comes with a strap crafted from 550 paracord, which is perfect for use in emergency and survival situations. It’s a bit tactical, but — so long as that doesn’t turn you off — it’s worth every penny.

G-SHOCK Master of G Mudmaster GWG2000-1A1

Best Solar Watch: Standard G-SHOCK watches are plenty tough and durable enough for most people. But this one is in a class of its own. A member of the brand’s Master of G series, this limited-edition Mudmaster is definitely on the more expensive end of the spectrum with its $800 price tag, but it has the design and construction to back it up. In fact, it’s built from both carbon fiber and stainless steel — making it damn near as indestructible as a watch can get. Furthermore, it boasts a full suite of onboard sensors and built-in protection to keep it as accurate as possible, even in the face of electromagnetic fields or impacts. Even better, it comes with G-SHOCK’s Tough Solar solar-powered movement. That means, as long as it gets some sunlight here and there, it will keep right on ticking indefinitely.

Squale T-183 Forged Carbon Blue

Best Overall: Squale is incredibly good at making timepieces that are versatile, can do a lot, and are offered at a fair price point. This T-183 Forged Carbon variant sports the material of the hour on its case, while the unidirectional ceramic bezel contrasts in gray, bookended by the black dial with white hour markers and a touch of light blue around the minute hand. It’s not strictly a diver, yet can be worn as such, with a modest 60m of water resistance, and its style isn’t so loud that it can’t be transposed for wearing in dressier situations – a rarity in the carbon fiber category. Adorned with a black rubber strap with blue accents, the automatic watch is powered by a Swiss-made Sellita movement with 38 hours of power reserve.

Unimatic x Huckberry Modello Quattro U4S-Carbon Limited Edition

Best Minimalist: Unimatic’s minimalist style opens itself up well to new variants and collaborations, such as this version of the Modello Quattro in partnership with the watch blog Hodinkee. Sporting a forged carbon fiber case for extra toughness, this isn’t the first time these two brands have teamed up but it is the first time they’ve handled the U4S together. With a beautiful contrast achieved by giving the dive watch an asphalt gray dial and TPU strap, the tool watch is limited to just 250 pieces. The other specs are similar to the standard U4S, with its 40mm case, 300m water resistance, and Sellita automatic movement.

Oris ProPilot Altimeter Automatic

Best Altimeter: Known for its remarkably simple yet classy dress watches, Oris is a formidable presence in the pilot and tool watch world as well, never more evident than with this remarkable altimeter version of its famous ProPilot, an automatic watch with a mechanical altimeter function that can measure your elevation up to 19,700ft. To reflect the importance of the carbon fiber material, Oris has constructed this watch’s case — using a proprietary manufacturing technique — out of multiple pieces of carbon fiber and has mated it to titanium and given it some black PVD plating to up the ante even further. Pair that with its automatic movement and a slew of other features and it’s clear to see the beauty and value in this timepiece.

Doxa SUB 300 Aqua Lung US Divers ‘Sharkhunter’ Watch

Best Diver: Interestingly, most dive watches nowadays are still primarily made from steel. Perhaps this is just because carbon fiber isn’t quite as widely available, as — logically speaking — the fact that carbon fiber is non-metallic and, therefore, not subject to the negative effects of rust and saltwater in the same way as metal makes it ideal for aquatic usage. Whatever the case, the folks a legendary dive watch manufacturer Doxa have figured it out, which is why they used it to craft their smart and ever-so-slightly sinister SUB 300 Aqua Lung US Divers ‘Sharkhunter’ watch you see here. This automatic watch has a 38-hour power reserve, an internal pressure-protected titanium chamber to protect the movement inside, and (as the name suggests) is good for depths up to 300 meters. Fully COSC-certified, this watch won’t be around forever.

Bell & Ross BR-X5 Carbon Orange

Best Upgrade: Last year, Bell & Ross debuted the BR-X5, which is based on the BR-05 series, taking a giant leap forward by foregoing the typical Sellita-based movement for the newer Kenissi-manufactured automatic movement. The change bumped the power reserve up from 40 hours to 71 hours and now certified itself according to COSC standards for precision. Along with the upgrade came a new carbon fiber edition, which retained the watch’s attractive octagonal case and integrated bracelet while giving it a new level of physical appeal. The Carbon Orange is limited to just 500 pieces.

Panerai Luminor Marina Carbotech Watch

Best Upgrade Diver: Though you might not know it, the Panerai Luminor actually has a fairly significant military history. In fact, it was used by the Italian Navy — specifically wrapped around the wrists of their manned torpedo pilots. Even without historical significance, this oversized diver is pretty spectacular, especially in this form with its hefty Carbotech case. Boasting light tan markings and a recycled PET strap, this ocean-going watch is part utilitarian part style accessory and boasts an automatic movement with a 3-day power reserve, a 300-meter water-resistance rating, a shielded crown, and much more. It doesn’t feature a rotating dive timer bezel, but modern divers don’t really need that unnecessary addition, what with how advanced technology has become. Still, it hits all the other style points.

Girard-Perregeaux Laureato Absolute Crystal Rock

Best Chronograph: For a luxury brand on the higher end of the spectrum, Girard-Perregeaux certainly knows how to make a good sports watch. It recently debuted its Laureato Absolute, which paid homage to the 1975 original. Already, the Swiss heritage brand has followed that up with the Crystal Rock variant, sporting a futuristic design and a case made of a blend of carbon fiber and fiberglass, weighing just 94g in total. Adorned with a rubber strap with a titanium PVD folding buckle, the 44mm watch is powered by the in-house caliber GP03300 automatic chronograph movement, boasting 46 hours of power reserve and a date window.

Zenith DEFY Extreme Carbon

Best Skeleton Watch: Zenith has a long history that dates back to 1865, with a reputation for producing ultra-accurate movements. It’s also credited with making the first in-house wristwatch back in the early 20th century. Today, it’s become one of the brands synonymous with skeleton dials and futuristic designs, especially those of its Defy series. This Extreme Carbon iteration is par for the course, named after and inspired by the Extreme E electric rally races. Featuring a case made of carbon fiber and titanium, it sports a dial that shows off its iconic El Primero 21 automatic chronograph movement with dual escapements, as well as a black rubber strap.

Hublot Big Bang Unico Golf Watch

Best Golf Watch: You’d have to be super into golf in order to consider getting yourself a watch made specifically for hitting the links, especially one that costs upwards of $30k. But if you have aspirations of hitting the green on a regular basis, you can’t do much better than the Hublot Big Bang Unico Golf Watch you see here. This outstanding sport-focused timekeeper boasts a beautiful carbon fiber and Texalium (a fiberglass-based fabric) case, a rubber and calf leather strap, a HUB1580 UNICO manufacture self-winding movement, golf-tracking functionality built right into the face, and so much more. This isn’t a timepiece for the faint of heart — but if your love of golf is inching into obsession territory, it’s definitely worth considering adding to your watch collection.

The Best Titanium Watches to Buy

If carbon fiber isn’t your style, you can check out another lightweight material with our guide to the best titanium watches to buy.