Vantablack is the blackest material in the whole world. The only thing more black than Vantablack is a black hole, according to the British artist who technically owns the shade, Anish Kapoor. Now, thanks to Swiss watchmaker Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps, you can wear Vantablack in the form of a luxurious wristwatch this fall.
A company called Surrey Nanosystems is behind the development of Vantablack, which is actually not a paint, but a coating that contains millions and millions of a complex of carbon nanotubes (a molecule made up of many atoms) that can absorb over 99.965 percent of light.
Vantablack was originally created for the aerospace industry in collaboration with Britain’s National Physics Laboratory. Now, Surrey is exploring the possibilities for Vantablack outside of aerospace, which includes its application to the new watch called the S-110 Evo Venta Black.
MCT will produce only 10 of the Vantablack watches, which will each have a $95,000 price tag. According to Pierre Jacques, chief executive officer of MCT, the watch will have elements that "look as though they're floating amid nothingness." The darkness of Vantablack has the ability to make 3D objects look like 2D. The material is so sensitive that even a slight touch will keep the nanotubes from absorbing light, so it must be directly applied by Surrey Nanosystems.
For this reason, the handmade piece only features the Vantablack behind the crystal face on the dial and the movement pieces. The watch is completed with a black alligator strap. You can watch how its insides work below.
Considering studies have found that wearing the black makes you appear smarter and more confident, we can only imagine what wearing the blackest black will do.
