I was well aware that some of the first Porsche Design watches (made by Orfina, before they became affiliated with IWC) were black. Unfortunately, the black coatings would chip off over time. Another company famouse for black ceramic watches in the 1980s and early 90s was Rado. The watch that really seemed to catch my eye with a black cased watch well before it became a trend was the "End of Days" Audemars Piguet Royal Oak that Arnold Schwartenger (Sp?) wore in the film "End of Days." Personally, I did not like the watch at all, but it was certainly different when it was released I believe sometime in the late 1990s. I also understand the values on those AP RO's skyrocketed and sell for many times the orginal MSRP if a collector can even find one.
Although, I don't own any black watches, my favorite are the Carbon Santos 100s. They are more durable than most of the older black coatings and they don't chip off. In addition, I think they help the Santos 100, which is a large watch, look less blingy as it has no polished surfaces and it wears a little better because to me it doesn't look so large in black.
Best regards,
Dino
