Tweet
Hi,
Another article here to pleasure-read. Enjoy
Watching case essentials
There are far more options than just plastic, steel and gold for watchcases. By KELVIN LEE
Many watch buyers believe that the cheapest watches have plastic watchcases, those in the mid-range have stainless steel and the best watches are dressed in solid gold. These are not the only options. Undoubtedly, the most common material used in making watchcases and bracelets is stainless steel. Durable, cost-effective and practical, it can be found in watches ranging from a $200 Seiko to a $40,000 Patek Philippe Nautilus.
Stainless steel cases can also be re-polished to a shine if scratched. However, very cheap watches have steel-like cases which are actually chrome-plated base metals such as brass. Such cases cannot be re-polished. An iron-based alloy, stainless steel contains carbon, and a minimum of 10.5 per cent chromium. Most major watch manufacturers use 316L grade which includes molybdenum. The 'L' denotes a lower carbon content.
The exception is Rolex, which switched to the significantly more expensive 904L grade in the 1980s. Said to be more scratch and corrosion resistant, 904L grade has added copper and a higher nickel content, which can be a skin irritant for some people.
Besides metals, ceramics are also becoming increasingly popular. Once a delicate material, new technologies have transformed it into a durable, lightweight and scratch-resistant option. A surface treatment popular for stainless steel cases is Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) coating, where one micron thick synthetic rubber is bonded to the metal. The Sinn U1 Black is an example with this furnishing, and the watch case is all black. However, care should be taken not to unduly bump PVD coated cases, as this can irreversibly damage the PVD coating.
Gold is the second most common metal used in watch making. It is often offered as a luxury case variant to basic stainless steel models, or to encase special editions. There are many examples of fine gold watches, including the Patek Philippe annual calendars, the Girard-Perregaux Triple Bridge Tourbillon and the Roger Dubuis Golden Square Windows Perpetual Calendar watch.
No longer available, Rolex also used to offer a Tridor range of watches featuring a rainbow of fused pink, yellow and white gold.
White metal
Platinum is a very heavy metal with a shiny white appearance. Rarer and more expensive than gold, it is extremely resistant to heat, wear and corrosion. Most platinum watch cases use a 95 per cent purity of platinum, or 'Pt 950'. As platinum needs to be used in higher purities and requires more work, it is often seen as the case material of ultimate prestige in watchmaking. Some examples of very important watches cased in platinum include the IWC Il Destriero Scafusia, the Ulysse Nardin Triple Jack Minute Repeater and the Blancpain 1735 La Brassus Grande Complication.
Another metal once popular in the manufacture of watchcases is silver. It has largely fallen out of favour as silver is relatively soft and tarnishes easily. The common grades of silver found in many old solid silver watches are Sterling Silver (92.5 per cent pure silver) and Coin silver (80 per cent pure silver).
Exotica
Gold, silver and platinum are not the only premium materials used in luxury watchcases. There are also less common or exotic materials. For example, not quite exotic but still uncommon is the aluminium used in the Bvlgari Diagono Aluminium models.
Titanium is also an increasingly common 'space age' metal used. Twice as strong and half as light as stainless steel, it is non-allergenic and extremely resistant to salt water and extreme temperatures. While not an expensive material, the process of working with it is expensive. International Watch Company (IWC) was the first to refine the process of using polished titanium, as released in the Porsche Design / IWC chronograph of 1980. An interesting quality of titanium is that two pieces in contact can 'self-weld'. Watches with titanium cases and backs should therefore have their case backs removed periodically to prevent sticking.
Other exotic metals found include magnesium, which is 2.6 times lighter than titanium. It is used in the mid-case of Hublot's Mag Bang Chronograph, with titanium for the case back. Richard Mille's RM035 Rafael Nadal boasts a magnesium-aluminium alloy case weighing in at just 4.3 grams.
Palladium, another exotic metal, is used in the Malte style palladium case of the Vacheron Constantin Malte Tourbillon watch. Hublot also used palladium for the case of their 48mm sized Big Bang King Palladium. At about US$12,000 per ounce, rhodium is currently used mostly for coating other metals on watch cases and dials. It may be interesting to see if its use in making exotic watch cases is ever undertaken.
Other materials
Besides metals, ceramics are also becoming increasingly popular. Once a delicate material, new technologies have transformed it into a durable, lightweight and scratch-resistant option. Some of the best-known watchcases belong to the Rado Ceramica and its related lines. First introduced in 1989, it is said to be durable, versatile, skin-friendly and can be highly polished in different colours. Chanel is another well-known manufacturer, with its 'high-tech non-scratch ceramic material' J12 watch series introduced in 2000.
Then there are also 'Cermetal' cases - ceramic-like and made with rare-earth metal composites. One example is lanthanum, used with boron carbide by Rado to make cases with a hardness of 3200 Vickers for their Lantano series. Another is tungsten-carbide, used in the Rado Diastar and Movado Fiero Tungsten Carbide models. Both ceramic and Cermetal cases can be brittle, so hard knocks or drops should be avoided.
A newer material is carbon fibre. Cases are formed by putting loose carbon fibre strands into a mould and pressing them at very high pressures and temperatures. This yields a case which is ridiculously light and strong, but not very hard and can scratch easily. Some examples of watches using this material are the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Team Alinghi Carbon, and those in the Bell & Ross carbon case series.
Natural materials have also been used in watchcases. For example, Tissot launched the Rock Watch made from Swiss granite in 1985. In 1987, the Pearl watch, and in 1988 the Wood watch. All are discontinued. A notable innovator, Tissot also pioneered plastics in watchmaking. While Bakelite had been used in watchcases as far back as the 1930s, Tissot created the first all-plastic watch in 1971- the Astrolon Synthetic-Idea 2001.
Plastic watches have played a key role in the revival of the Swiss watch industry. Credit goes to Swatch for popularising the analog watch among a younger generation. Casio should also be mentioned, given its use of urethane resin in its watches, especially among the G-shock models.
A newer plastic watch brand is ToyWatch, favoured by celebrities including Madonna, Oprah Winfrey and the First Lady of the United States - Michelle Obama. First designed by Milan-based designer and Marco Mavilla, these are usually lightweight, oversized plastic watches 'inspired by high design timepieces'.
So, the next watch you buy need not be steel or gold - consider watches made from unusual materials. Beyond those mentioned here, there are other interesting materials used by smaller watchmakers such as 45-million year-old Jasper Kalahari Picture Stone and even Sandalwood for its scent.
The Business of Time
Published August 26, 2011
Another article here to pleasure-read. Enjoy
Watching case essentials
There are far more options than just plastic, steel and gold for watchcases. By KELVIN LEE
Many watch buyers believe that the cheapest watches have plastic watchcases, those in the mid-range have stainless steel and the best watches are dressed in solid gold. These are not the only options. Undoubtedly, the most common material used in making watchcases and bracelets is stainless steel. Durable, cost-effective and practical, it can be found in watches ranging from a $200 Seiko to a $40,000 Patek Philippe Nautilus.
Stainless steel cases can also be re-polished to a shine if scratched. However, very cheap watches have steel-like cases which are actually chrome-plated base metals such as brass. Such cases cannot be re-polished. An iron-based alloy, stainless steel contains carbon, and a minimum of 10.5 per cent chromium. Most major watch manufacturers use 316L grade which includes molybdenum. The 'L' denotes a lower carbon content.
The exception is Rolex, which switched to the significantly more expensive 904L grade in the 1980s. Said to be more scratch and corrosion resistant, 904L grade has added copper and a higher nickel content, which can be a skin irritant for some people.
Besides metals, ceramics are also becoming increasingly popular. Once a delicate material, new technologies have transformed it into a durable, lightweight and scratch-resistant option. A surface treatment popular for stainless steel cases is Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) coating, where one micron thick synthetic rubber is bonded to the metal. The Sinn U1 Black is an example with this furnishing, and the watch case is all black. However, care should be taken not to unduly bump PVD coated cases, as this can irreversibly damage the PVD coating.
Gold is the second most common metal used in watch making. It is often offered as a luxury case variant to basic stainless steel models, or to encase special editions. There are many examples of fine gold watches, including the Patek Philippe annual calendars, the Girard-Perregaux Triple Bridge Tourbillon and the Roger Dubuis Golden Square Windows Perpetual Calendar watch.
No longer available, Rolex also used to offer a Tridor range of watches featuring a rainbow of fused pink, yellow and white gold.
White metal
Platinum is a very heavy metal with a shiny white appearance. Rarer and more expensive than gold, it is extremely resistant to heat, wear and corrosion. Most platinum watch cases use a 95 per cent purity of platinum, or 'Pt 950'. As platinum needs to be used in higher purities and requires more work, it is often seen as the case material of ultimate prestige in watchmaking. Some examples of very important watches cased in platinum include the IWC Il Destriero Scafusia, the Ulysse Nardin Triple Jack Minute Repeater and the Blancpain 1735 La Brassus Grande Complication.
Another metal once popular in the manufacture of watchcases is silver. It has largely fallen out of favour as silver is relatively soft and tarnishes easily. The common grades of silver found in many old solid silver watches are Sterling Silver (92.5 per cent pure silver) and Coin silver (80 per cent pure silver).
Exotica
Gold, silver and platinum are not the only premium materials used in luxury watchcases. There are also less common or exotic materials. For example, not quite exotic but still uncommon is the aluminium used in the Bvlgari Diagono Aluminium models.
Titanium is also an increasingly common 'space age' metal used. Twice as strong and half as light as stainless steel, it is non-allergenic and extremely resistant to salt water and extreme temperatures. While not an expensive material, the process of working with it is expensive. International Watch Company (IWC) was the first to refine the process of using polished titanium, as released in the Porsche Design / IWC chronograph of 1980. An interesting quality of titanium is that two pieces in contact can 'self-weld'. Watches with titanium cases and backs should therefore have their case backs removed periodically to prevent sticking.
Other exotic metals found include magnesium, which is 2.6 times lighter than titanium. It is used in the mid-case of Hublot's Mag Bang Chronograph, with titanium for the case back. Richard Mille's RM035 Rafael Nadal boasts a magnesium-aluminium alloy case weighing in at just 4.3 grams.
Palladium, another exotic metal, is used in the Malte style palladium case of the Vacheron Constantin Malte Tourbillon watch. Hublot also used palladium for the case of their 48mm sized Big Bang King Palladium. At about US$12,000 per ounce, rhodium is currently used mostly for coating other metals on watch cases and dials. It may be interesting to see if its use in making exotic watch cases is ever undertaken.
Other materials
Besides metals, ceramics are also becoming increasingly popular. Once a delicate material, new technologies have transformed it into a durable, lightweight and scratch-resistant option. Some of the best-known watchcases belong to the Rado Ceramica and its related lines. First introduced in 1989, it is said to be durable, versatile, skin-friendly and can be highly polished in different colours. Chanel is another well-known manufacturer, with its 'high-tech non-scratch ceramic material' J12 watch series introduced in 2000.
Then there are also 'Cermetal' cases - ceramic-like and made with rare-earth metal composites. One example is lanthanum, used with boron carbide by Rado to make cases with a hardness of 3200 Vickers for their Lantano series. Another is tungsten-carbide, used in the Rado Diastar and Movado Fiero Tungsten Carbide models. Both ceramic and Cermetal cases can be brittle, so hard knocks or drops should be avoided.
A newer material is carbon fibre. Cases are formed by putting loose carbon fibre strands into a mould and pressing them at very high pressures and temperatures. This yields a case which is ridiculously light and strong, but not very hard and can scratch easily. Some examples of watches using this material are the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Team Alinghi Carbon, and those in the Bell & Ross carbon case series.
Natural materials have also been used in watchcases. For example, Tissot launched the Rock Watch made from Swiss granite in 1985. In 1987, the Pearl watch, and in 1988 the Wood watch. All are discontinued. A notable innovator, Tissot also pioneered plastics in watchmaking. While Bakelite had been used in watchcases as far back as the 1930s, Tissot created the first all-plastic watch in 1971- the Astrolon Synthetic-Idea 2001.
Plastic watches have played a key role in the revival of the Swiss watch industry. Credit goes to Swatch for popularising the analog watch among a younger generation. Casio should also be mentioned, given its use of urethane resin in its watches, especially among the G-shock models.
A newer plastic watch brand is ToyWatch, favoured by celebrities including Madonna, Oprah Winfrey and the First Lady of the United States - Michelle Obama. First designed by Milan-based designer and Marco Mavilla, these are usually lightweight, oversized plastic watches 'inspired by high design timepieces'.
So, the next watch you buy need not be steel or gold - consider watches made from unusual materials. Beyond those mentioned here, there are other interesting materials used by smaller watchmakers such as 45-million year-old Jasper Kalahari Picture Stone and even Sandalwood for its scent.
The Business of Time
Published August 26, 2011
:
Comment