What Is Your Watch Made Of? — Modern Watch Metals & Materials
We take a look at some of the most popular watches and what they are made of. Many watch makers are driving industry standards in a new direction with innovative materials. Today, we check out some of the top watch brands and the materials that they are using on their watches.
Richard Mille RM 35 and RM 35–02
Richard Mille uses a TPT Material that is produced exclusively for his watches.
The TPT is an extremely light material that is also very durable.
Richard Mille has pushed the envelope of what materials can be used in modern watches as well as created some exceptional movements.
AP Ceramic Off Shore
Audemars Piguet’s claims that the ceramic does not scratch.
“The used Ceramic AP’s that I have seen come in have not really had any scratches on them. I don’t know if this is because everyone is very careful with this watch or if AP’s claim that it does not scratch is true.” — Roman Sharf
While the ceramic may not scratch, I have seen the bezels crack if they are dropped.
This will cost you a few thousand to get fixed as well as a couple months without your watch while it is in the Audemars Piguet factory.
The ceramic continues to be very popular because of the durability and lightweight.
Ulysse Nardin Freak Cruiser
Carbon fiber is a very dense and durable material.
On the Ulysse Nardin Freak Cruiser, they use this material around the dial for added durability against scratches or banging around of the watch.
Ladies Carbon Off Shore
The entire case is made out of carbon and features a bezel made of ceramic.
The carbon used on this watch is a very soft material that can get scratched easier than its more durable cousin, carbon fiber.
However, people love the look of carbon and the feel on the wrist. It is very lightweight as well.
De Bethune
On this De Bethune watch, they use a PVD coating.
Physical vapor deposition (PVD) describes a variety of vacuum deposition methods which can be used to produce thin films and coatings. PVD is characterized by a process in which the material goes from a condensed phase to a vapor phase and then back to a thin film condensed phase. — Wikipedia
What this does is add an extra layer of protection to the watches case — which is typically made from stainless steel.
While this is a very durable coating, the downside is that if the watch gets a bad scratch the metal from underneath the coating can show through.
These are just some of the unusual materials used to create these premium watches.
What is your watch made of?
