Alvin Wong 16 March 2019

A wallet-friendly option for fans of carbon cases.

Though not new, timepieces with carbon cases are, more often than not, found on watches offered by brands that occupy the higher price strata. The likes of Audemars Piguet, Hublot and Richard Mille come to mind. But if a six-figure price tag is too much to bear, there are also more affordable options out there – such as the Edox Automatic Carbon Chronograph we have in our sights here – that offer comparable aesthetic allure.

At slightly under five grand, the latest quartet of carbon-cased chronographs from Edox is decidedly tantalising, price-wise. Just as impressive is how they look. There are four models available, featuring gold-plated, red, blue and black bezels, matched by carbon case components in black, red or blue.

It must be said, though, that the  case is not made entirely in carbon. The Edox Automatic Carbon Chronograph’s six-part case construction comprises a stainless steel movement container and case sides made of carbon. The carbon case sides sport a layered design – a look found on pricier carbon watches from the aforementioned luxury brands – that is achieved by applying coloured resin between each layer of carbon, and compressing the layers using extreme heat and pressure.

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While the watches look flamboyant and the matching colourways are an obvious draw, the Edox Automatic Carbon Chronographs are backed by credible performance features. The day-date chronograph is based on the Sellita SW500, a widely used industrial-standard engine, and the watch itself boasts proper dive-ready credentials such as 500m water resistance, uni-directional bezel and helium escape valve.

On the wrist, the Edox Automatic Carbon Chronograph feels appropriately substantial, combining sporty heft and ostentation. Elsewhere, an open caseback parades the movement with Edox’s gold-etched logo against a black rotor, according the watch a feeling of horological quality.

Incidentally, the watches are created in partnership with sailors, Pal Virik Nilson and Brett Luhrmann, for the Australian offshore powerboat racing team – hence the use of carbon fibre as a nod to the same material also utilised by the powerboats. But it’s safe to say that one doesn’t have to be a fan of powerboat races to appreciate the injection of adrenaline in the Edox Automatic Carbon Chronographs.

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Alvin Wong

Ex Editor-In Chief

Alvin promises not to be a douche when talking about watches. He may have scoured the Basel and Geneva watch fairs for the past 15 years, and played an instrumental role to the growth of Singapore's pioneering horological and men's lifestyle publications, but the intrepid scribe seeks to learn something new with each story he writes.