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Nothing can change the way a casual or a formal outfit looks quite like a beautifully designed minimalist watch. And it’s not just about the look either. This small accessory can inspire more confidence or even make you see the passage of time differently. Thankfully, there are many minimalist watch brands who produce stunning timepieces. So, we have gathered some of the most impressive watches we could find. Because the best minimalist watch men who love good design can buy is the one that is timeless yet also creative. From almost spartan to artistic, abstract, industrial, and classic, these are our favorite minimalist watches.
What does minimalist watch mean?
A minimalist watch has a simple, understated style. These watches usually don’t have decorations, text, logos, or more than one window on the dial. Even with two windows, for example a date window and a moon phase, these watches have clean, pure dials. Additionally, some of them don’t have traditional numerals or even minute markers, but imaginative designs that show the passage of time in a creative way.
What style of watch is this?
A minimalist watch is often the same as a dress watch, but not always. Minimalist designs can also have more casual styles or sporty features for everyday wear. Most dress watches, however, could be described as “minimalist” as they are made for more formal wear including black and white tie outfits.
What is a minimalistic watch?
Thanks to their timeless good looks and versatility, minimalistic watches have steadily grown in popularity over the years. They have simple dials that not only look great, but also enhance legibility. Plus, they suit a wide variety of styles, from formal to business casual and even everyday wear.
What is the purpose of a minimalist watch?
The best minimalist watches add an elegant touch to an outfit without being too eye-catching or loud. They are also much more convenient to pair with different outfits, as they can take you from the office to a business meeting and a formal wear party. Stylish and elegantly simple, these watches are also functional and focus on the essentials: showing the current time while making the wearer look good.
What do the watch hands represent?
Talking strictly about the dial, the watch hands mark the hours, minutes, and seconds. Some watches have a fourth hand that may indicate a different timezone. The hour hand is usually the shortest, while the seconds hand is often the slimmest. When it comes to wearing a watch, people usually choose their non-dominant hand. So right-handed people wear their watch on the left hand, and vice-versa.
Miansai M24 II Black
An effortlessly stylish design.
Part of the Miansai collection, the M24 II Black watch celebrates the beauty of minimalist style. The face is simple and elegant at the same time, with two hands and minimal line markers. Only the brand’s name and “M24” appear on the black dial in contrasting white. The 39mm case houses a quality quartz movement. On the front, there’s a flat mineral glass window. Finally, this minimalist watch comes with a black strap made from genuine Italian leather. Plus, this watch can be customized with a monogram, making it the perfect gift.
Now Watch
A design that encourages you to live in the moment.
Made by Amsterdam-based TheWatchNow, this product offers a creative twist on classic watch designs. Instead of a standard dial with hands and markers, it features only the word “NOW” to remind the wearer to live in the moment and enjoy every second. One of the best minimalist watches, this product is handmade and comes with a stainless steel case and a strap made of leather. The brand also offers the design in a Bold edition, with black, forest green, cognac, or navy blue straps.
Mudita Moment
A watch designed for mindfulness.
Winner of the Red Dot, iF and A’Design awards, the Mudita Moment watch is specially designed to become the perfect tool for mindful breathing exercises. The minimalist dial features the usual hour and minute markers, hour and minute hands, and a second hand. At the center, a second dot scale with a separate hand provide a fantastic solution to practice mindfulness. Crafted meticulously from high-quality materials, every Mudita Moment watch comes with a stainless steel case, a sapphire glass, transparent caseback, and a Japanese Miyota 9015 automatic movement. A choice of plant-based, cruelty-free vegan straps offers a great way to accessorize and complement this minimalist wristwatch.
Sinn 1739 St I S
An elegant watch.
Simple and stylish, the Sinn 1739 St I S is extremely versatile as it truly has a timeless design. The black dial boasts a sunburst decorative pattern and hand-applied silver hands and indexes. The polished case measures 39mm and boasts a subtly curved sapphire crystal at the front with an anti-reflective coating on both sides. At the back, there’s transparent sapphire crystal glass. Water and pressure resistant to 10 bar, this watch comes with a SW300-1 self-winding movement. As for the straps, they range from calfskin and cowhide to Alcantara, alligator, or canvas leather, among others.
Stock Watches S005C
A minimal dial with only line markers.
Melbourne-based Stock Watches makes high-quality, elegant timepieces and men’s watches with minimalist styles. Even among the other understated products from the brand’s collection, the S005C watch stands out with its ultra-clean and minimal aesthetic. The dial boasts only lines, both for the minute and for the hour markers, with matching slender hands. Only one other element appears on the face, the brand’s logo, the numero sign (Nº). Made with a bead-blasted stainless steel case, the watch features a sapphire glass front and comes with a Japanese movement and an Italian Nappa leather band.
Stowa Antea 1919
A watch that celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus.
Made by Stowa, a brand that has been making timepieces since 1927, the Antea 1919 watch is as high-quality as it is beautifully minimal. It features a simple dial without any unnecessary decorations or detailing. That’s because this design celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus (1919-1933), hence its name. Available in black or white, the dial features white matte or black matte coated hands and markers. Other details include a sapphire crystal glass and a mechanic Sellita movement made in Switzerland.
Tissot Heritage Petite Seconde
A design inspired by a vintage watch.
Inspired by a 1943 dress watch, the Tissot Heritage Petite Seconde is as stylish as you’d expect it to be. The dial is a pale silver and features Arabic numerals, leaf-shaped hands, a vintage-style brand logo, and a sub-dial at the 6 o’clock mark. Larger than a traditional vintage watch, the Tissot Heritage Petite Seconde has a 42mm case. This watch comes with a ETA 6498-1 caliber movement with a 46-hour power reserve, an exhibition back, and a black or a brown strap made from leather.
4th Dimension Concrete Watch
A design inspired by architecture.
A minimalist watch doesn’t have to look too simple or even spartan. Take the 4th Dimension Concrete Watch from 22 Design Studio, for example. Inspired by architectural elements, the watch features a spiral staircase dial made of high density concrete. Three golden hands complete the creative design. Like other products from this series, the watch comes with a Miyota movement and a 42mm case with a durable PVD finish and a sapphire glass lens. This version comes with a green strap made of strap.
Normal Timepieces Tokiji
A minimalist watch that pays homage to the ‘70s.
Some minimalist watch brands like Tokyo-based Normal Timepieces create fun timepieces that tell a story. In the case of the Tokiji T22 watch, it’s the story of the seven-segment digit system introduced in digital watches in the ‘70s. However, this watch is analog. Its name also means “numerals that represent time” in Japanese, making for a great conversation starter. The 38mm case has three pushers and comes with a hardened mineral glass. Underneath, there’s a liquid crystal display (LCD) that features a glare-free surface. This watch is also function-packed, featuring a date, second timezone, stopwatch, and an alarm.
Vacheron Constantin Patrimony
A design focused on the essentials.
Stylistic purity and a focus on essential elements define the Patrimony series from Vacheron Constantin. These watches also pay homage to the brand’s 1950s models with thin cases that have a slightly curved silhouette. Both the dial and markers follow the curvature of the case. The curved hands move along a circular-grained pattern that indicates the minutes. To fit the narrow case, the movement is more delicate and compact, measuring only 8mm in thickness. The Vacheron Constantin Patrimony collection comprises watches with different case sizes, movements, colors, finishes, and straps.
NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn
An award-winning, automotive-inspired watch.
The best minimalist watch men can buy is the one that best showcases their interests. The NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn is perfect for automotive fans. Why? Because this design draws inspiration from racing cars. Created in a collaboration between designer Werner Aisslinger and NOMOS Glashütte’s design department, this minimalist watch has a sporty aesthetic. Underneath the sapphire glass, there’s a curved dial with a three-lane date window, a subdial, and design cues that remind of a car’s speedometer. Other features include an exhibition back and innovative NOMOS neomatik date caliber movement. This watch has received several awards, including the Red Dot Design Award, Good Design Award, and German Design Award.
Laco Pilot Watch Original Heidelberg
An authentic reconstruction of a 1940s pilot watch.
Unlike other designs that take inspiration from vintage watches, the Laco Pilot Watch Original Heidelberg actually reconstructs observation watches from the 1940s. Used by pilots, these huge watches measured 55mm in diameter and doubled as navigation instruments. This watch comes with a 39mm case, the iconic vintage-style dial without logos or text, straight lugs, an easy-grip crown, and rivets on the strap. Made in Germany, the Pilot Watch Original series comes in a series of different sizes, including the original 55mm.
anOrdain New Model 1
A watch with a beautifully crafted enamel dial.
Made by anOrdain, the New Model 1 watch is a natural choice for our list of minimalist timepieces. The series comes with small, medium, and large case sizes, and with dials in colors that range from Iron Cream to Japanese Oxblood, Parisian Blue, and Teal. All of these versions come with a vitreous enamel dial and with Glasgow-made, heat-treated hands that feature a hand-applied finish. Additionally, the numerals and markers take inspiration from cartographic maps of the Highlands, Scotland. anOrdain offers a choice between hand-wound and automatic movements, along with the option to customize the case with engraving.
Aark Collective Interval
Bringing color to minimalist watch design.
Made by Melbourne-based watch brand Aark Collective, Interval is an effortlessly elegant watch designed to brighten any outfit. This watch boasts a clean dial with only small line markers and three hands. The use of different hues for the dial and hands ensures optimal legibility but also adds a pop of color to the simple design. Made with a brushed and polished 36mm case, the watch features a sapphire coated mineral glass cover, a quartz movement, and a strap made from Italian calfskin leather. This design also comes in different colorways.
Unimatic U1 Classic
A diving watch designed and made in Italy.
Maybe the best minimalist watch men with active lifestyles can wear, U1 Classic is also a great example of modern Italian style. The watch is part of the Unimatic Classic series. However, this design offers more than a minimalist take on sporty designs. It’s a professional diver watch that is specially crafted to handle depths of up to 300m/1000ft, meaning that is has a water resistance of 30atm. Plus, it’s made in Italy. U1 Classic comes with a 40mm case with a mono-directional security bezel, 2.5mm thick double domed sapphire glass, and a black matte dive dial with a Super-LumiNova® C3 pale green coating. Each watch has an individual number and comes in a special Unimatic rigid case.
Bulbul Watches Pebble 03
A minimal watch inspired by river and beach pebbles.
Bulbul Watches is one of our favorite minimalist watch companies, so we had to include one design from their collection on our list. Designed by Danish design trio KiBiSi, Pebble 03 references the smooth curves of the pebbles found on Scandinavian coasts. The watch has a distinctively shaped case and an ultra-minimal dial that boasts only two hands. Crafted to last and to look beautiful at the same time, this timepieces features a gold-plated movement with 4 jewels, a sapphire crystal glass, and an Italian leather band. This design also comes with a German-made steel band.
Eone Bradley Apex Nylon Black
A creative watch designed for everyone, including blind people.
Eone is also one of the minimalist watch brands we love. Not just because they make stunning timepieces, but also because they create watches for everyone, including sighted or blind people. The Bradley Apex watch features the brand’s signature design with ball bearings that mark the hour and minute on the side of the case and front of the dial, respectively. This version comes with a silver case and a black NATO strap. Inside the 40mm ceramic case, there’s a Ronda movement made with Swiss parts.
Zenith Elite
A textured, sunburst pattern dial.
Featuring a patterned dial, the Zenith Elite Classic adds a tactile feel to a minimalist dial. A sunburst texture seems to radiate from the center of the dial, with the hands and indexes matching the pattern’s dynamic rhythm. Made with a 40.5mm case, this watch is ultra-thin and comes with an in-house made Elite automatic movement with a power reserve of 50 hours. Other details include a date window at the 6 o’clock mark and a blue alligator strap with protective rubber lining.
MIH Gaïa Series II
A limited-edition timepiece designed for a good cause.
All these minimalist watches are beautifully designed, but the MIH Gaïa Series II timepiece also helps to support a good cause. Musée International d’Horlogerie (MIH) launched the watch as part of a campaign to raise funds for the restoration of the museum’s 19th century Tellurium. This second version of the Gaïa timepiece features several updates on the original. Upgrades include a black, nickel-plated sunburst dial and a rhodium-plated hour disc along with a domed minute disc. Other features include a 39mm case, anti-reflective sapphire glass, and a self-winding mechanical SW400-1 caliber movement with 26 jewels. This design is one of only 75 pieces, so it’s a great collector’s watch.
I—AD’s The Field Watch
A solar-powered timepiece.
Named The Field Watch, this timepiece stands out in our list of minimalist men’s watches thanks to its innovative design. The best minimalist watch for men who are passionate about environmental issues, this product is specially designed to charge under natural or artificial light. Under the custom dial, there are solar cells that power up the Seiko VS37A solar movement for up to three months on a single charge. Instrmnt Applied Design (I—AD) created the watch with an aesthetic reminiscent of early 20th century military watches. This timepiece is beautifully crafted with a three-part steel case. Each watch also comes with several extras, including a recycled microfiber cloth and a special cleaning agent that suits the chosen strap.
Ochs & Junior Settimana Raw
A watch with an industrial-style design.
Designed by Ludwig Oechslin, co-founder of minimalist watch brand Ochs & Junior, Settimana Raw is a great choice for those who love industrial design. Similarly to other products from the company’s collection, this watch is ingeniously simple. It features a minimal dial with cut outs that mark the day of the week and simple black hands that boast a Super-LumiNova coating. Both the case and the dial feature an unfinished surface that showcases the traces left by the machining process. A gray palette completes the industrial-style design. This watch comes with a Sellita SW 200-1 automatic movement and a handmade textile strap.
10:10 by Nendo Buckle Watch
A minimalist watch with an innovative strap system.
Like its name suggests, the 10:10 by Nendo Buckle series draws inspiration from the belt buckle system to revamp the classic wristwatch strap. In the Buckle Watch Colors collection, the original design remains the same, but the timepieces come in a range of gorgeous monochrome palettes. The limited-edition watches have a clean dial with three-dimensional markers and three hands. Made with 36mm cases, the watches come with a quality movement and a strap that matches the color of the dial. The collection features five color options, including red, green, blue, and beige.
Max Bill Automatic Bauhaus
A Bauhaus-inspired watch.
Junghans is one of the minimalist watch manufacturers we love because they draw inspiration from Bauhaus design principles to create elegant and modern timepieces. The Max Bill Automatic Bauhaus watch is a great example. Clean and minimal, the dial optimizes legibility without losing one ounce of refinement. This timeless watch has a matte white dial with slender hands and red accents. An environmentally friendly luminous coating ensures that the user can tell the time even in low lighting conditions. At the back, the exhibition case offers a beautiful view of the J800.1 self-winding movement. Other features include a convex sapphire crystal glass with an anti-reflection coating and a calf leather band.
Max Bill Chronoscope
A design that celebrates the beauty of simplicity.
Like other watches from Junghans’ Max Bill collection, this watch is as effortlessly elegant as it is timeless. The Max Bill Chronoscope has a Bauhaus-style design with a minimalist dial. Even though it has a stopwatch and a date function along with a separate subdial for the small seconds, the dial is clean and simple. Perhaps the best minimalist watch for men who are fans of the iconic Max Bill and the Bauhaus movement, this product is also made to last. It features a 40mm case with a durable PVD finish and a domed hard plexiglass with a scratch-resistant coating. Inside the case, there’s a self-winding J880.2 movement with a power reserve of up to 48 hours.
Archimede 1950-3
A watch inspired by vintage timepieces.
Part of Archimede’s 1950 collection, the Archimede 1950-3 watch stands out in the series with a more minimalist design. Similarly to the other designs from the same line, the watch draws inspiration from vintage watches. It features a signature domed dial and curved hands as well as an Ickler case with an onion crown and an exhibition back. The watch comes with either black or blue dials with a brushed and polished finish and with vintage-style leather straps or more modern Milanese metal straps. Finally, you can also choose the movement. The SW 200-1 automatic movement comes as standard, but this minimalist watch brand also offers an optional hand-wound SW 215 movement.
TID Watches No.1
A simple and versatile watch.
Stockholm-based TID Watches make timepieces with a forward-thinking designs. Their No.1 watch is the best minimalist watch men who love versatile, timeless designs can buy. Indeed, this design is so popular, it’s currently sold out on the brand’s website. And it’s easy to see why. Minimal and stylish, the watch has a simple dial with hour makers, small dots that indicate the minutes, and three hands. Made of stainless steel, the case features either a monochromatic brushed steel finish or a black ion coating. Other features include a mineral glass dial window, a quartz movement, and a strap made from quality leather.
Defakto Vektor Orbit
A retro-futuristic watch with a minimalist style.
Following on the footsteps of the original Defakto Vektor series, the Vektor Orbit watch combines subtle retro and futuristic cues in a simple, minimalist design. The dial appears deceptively simple at a glance, but it features distinctive elements. Among them, the convex dial and a domed sapphire crystal glass. Thin lines mark the minutes and hours, while subtly rounded hands and a sweeping seconds hand show the current time with precision. Made in Germany, the watch comes with a 40mm Ickler case, an automatic Eta 2824-2 movement, luminescent hands, an exhibition caseback, and a leather strap.
Bólido Elegance
A watch inspired by precision.
Designed in a collaboration between designer Simon Husslein and Ventura Watch Company founder Pierre Nob, the Bólido Elegance watch offers a minimalist take on contemporary watch design. The timepiece draws inspiration from the concept of precision, with the name Bólido chosen for its Spanish meaning of “meteor.” Boasting a distinctive silhouette, the case is made from surgical grade steel and has a monocoque construction. Other creative details include a crown placed at the 12 o’clock position and dual-tone hands, with the seconds hand boasting a red tip. This watch has received some prestigious design awards, including the Red Dot Design Award and the Good Design Award.
Anicorn X Order TTT2 Watch
A new way of showing the time.
For the second design of the The Trio of Time (TTT) project, Hong Kong-based minimalist watch brand Anicorn partnered with Brooklyn-based design studio Order. The Anicorn X Order watch has an imaginative design that puts the passage of time in a new light. Inspired by the concept of slow living, the watch has a dial with no hands or classic markers, but a pattern of dots and lines. The dial rotates, with the dots revealing the hour and the minute. Precision becomes less important here, as time seems to slows down. The watch has a 40mm case with a K1 mineral glass window and comes with a high-grade Swiss Ronda Caliber 515 movement and straps that match the dial’s color.
Hodina Oslo Black
A watch inspired by Scandinavian design.
Based in Auburn, WA, Hodina is one of the minimalist watch companies to watch for, as they make elegant and versatile timepieces. Passionate about minimalism in general, founders and husband and wife team Vadim and Dasha have put together a beautiful collection of simple and stylish designs. Oslo Black has caught out attention. Inspired by Scandinavian design, it features a clean dial with subtle line markers and numerals along with two hands and a small date window. Italian and Japanese components combine in a quality build. Oslo comes with a 38mm surgical grade stainless steel case with a PVD brushed finish, a highly scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass, a quality movement, and an Italian leather strap.
Braun BN0278 Automatic
An award-winning watch.
Creative details make the BRAUN BN0278 automatic watch lead in a crowd of modern timepieces. The dial is simple and understated, but also features two signature BRAUN details. The central second hand has a vibrant yellow color, while the date window boasts a red chevron accent. On the front, the sapphire crystal offers excellent scratch resistance. On the dial, Super-LumiNova accents enhance legibility in different lighting conditions. The watch comes with a 40mm case and an automatic movement with a power-reserve of 41 hours. A black rubber strap completes this sportier minimalist watch. The BRAUN BN0278 watch has received the Red Dot Design Award.
Uniform Wares M37 PreciDrive
An elegantly simple watch.
The best minimalist watch men can buy is one that works well with virtually any outfit. Like the Uniform Wares M37 PreciDrive three-hand watch. Versatile and simple, the watch features a black dial with three, diamond cut hands and traditional pad printed line indexes. The M-line lunette case is made from stainless steel and comes with a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with a multilayered, anti-reflective coating. Inside, there’s an ETA F03.401 PreciDrive movement with 3 jewels. This watch comes with a selection of strap options, including Italian rubber, leather, or laser-fused titanium mesh.
Linjer’s The Classic Watch
A modern classic.
Linjer is a minimalist watch brand that sells watches and jewelry directly to customers. This allows the company to use high-end components like Swiss movements and ethically soured stones, but keep the prices affordable. The Classic Watch is a beautiful design from their collection. Inspired by the Oslo Opera House, the watch features a two-layer lacquer varnish dial with debossed minute markers. The case boasts a brushed finish while the domed sapphire features anti-reflective coating. The watch comes with a Ronda 5 series movement and an Italian full grain vegetable-tanned leather band with a quick-release system. Finally, you can choose between two case sizes: 38mm or 41mm.
Void Watches V01MKII
A digital watch with a rectangular case.
Swedish designer and mechanical engineer David Ericsson launched Void Watches with a series of digital timepieces, the V01 series. Their distinctive rectangular shape and modern take on retro digital dials made them a huge success. The V01MKII watch is a natural choice for our list of minimalist watches. Perfect for anyone who loves digital timepieces, this watch features an LCD dial with a backlight and a signature half-size sapphire crystal. Made from stainless steel, the case has a matte IP black finish. This watch also comes with an Italian black leather band with a quick-release mechanism.
Monofore M01 Silver Watch
An elegant rectangular watch.
If you love rectangular watches AND minimalist design, the Monofore M01 might be the perfect choice. This elegant and classic watch is timeless and versatile. It has a rectangular case that measures 38mm x 28mm. On the curved dial, polished indexes add a lustrous accent to the matte white face. Embedded in the case, the crown remains hidden when the watch is seen from above, enhancing the clean, minimal look. Other features include a domed mineral glass, a Seiko movement, and a full grain Italian leather band.
Ochs & Junior Perpetual Calendar
A creative dial with multiple disks.
Designed by Ludwig Oechslin, the Ochs & Junior Perpetual Calendar watch has a creative design that uses only dots and lines instead of numerals or classic indexes. The dial is complex but minimal and clean. It features a date disk and a month disk as well as a leap year wheel, a seconds disk, and a power reserve indicator. Made with a brushed gray finish, the dial features rhodium markers and brushed platinum hands. The watch comes with a 42mm grade 5 titanium case. Different versions include an all-titanium design, watches with red, orange, and blue accents, and a version with a patinated brass dial.
