...as ascetic, silvers and blacks, minimal decoration until I remembered that one of my very favourite Heuer dials is:

Looks like one of Stewart's urban grunge-period photos :) but that nicely shows off the dial. Which couldn't really be described as ascetic.

So I guess I take each on its own merits. And I kind of like that there is a dial out there for everyone and not one that is universally agreed on. Diversity in dials is as good a thing as it is elsewhere.