The Ultimate Guide to Watch Case Materials: From Classic Steel to Exotic Alloys
Watches should make you feel special, but at the same time they should adapt to your lifestyle. This is the main reason why they have so many variations: dial colours, sizes and of course case materials. The case material of a watch be the ultimate way to separate what can be a dress or a sports companion. Unfortunately, the price of the watch will vary quite a bit depending on what is made of, at the end of the day they all are luxury items.
Another point to highlight is that each one of them have their own pros and cons. While lightness could be the final objective for one watch, it might mean also that it could shatter easily. There is no right or wrong answer and sure, all of them can perform better in any given situation but at the end of the day, you are the decision maker, and we hope this guide could assist you. Let’s begin.
Stainless-steel
Well, nothing like the most used material in watchmaking. Stainless-steel has been the king for quite some time, and we can safely say that it is here to stay. If you look at the catalogue of almost every brand (apart from Patek Phillipe hence their stainless-steel watches are so expensive), most of their production is in stainless- steel.
One of the main reasons is because is an alloy that can come with different proportions, it is corrosion resistance, and it is also lighter/stronger than gold. Stainless- steel can come in many varieties such as 316L or 904L to name a few, it all up to the properties that each can offer. Also, because it is easier to produce, it becomes cheaper than precious metals like gold or platinum which are chemical natural elements, in other word less abundant, rarer. For us a stainless-steel watch is as good as it gets, and we will recommend checking out Batavi Atelier Aquamarine. The beautiful case shows how this alloy can be finished and if is done right, it can give a good air of luxury.
Gold
Humanity has been obsessed with gold since the beginning of civilization and it is no different today. Gold is not your average gift, its expensive, warm, and dense. The last characteristic could also play a big role on why we love it so much, when it comes to watches asl the heavier the object feels the more luxurious we think it is, in our opinion this is wrong. In fact, if we think about gold in an objective manner, it doesn’t make much sense to use it on a watch as it scratches easily, is not as strong and inexpensive as steel. The ace up its sleeve is that is rarer which by default is what human nature likes.
Gold has been used on watches mainly because they make the ordinary base model more unique, more elegant in some cases which means that it is perfect for special occasions, not your ordinary day to day wearer. Unlike other materials gold is easy to work with and the vast amount of knowledge we acquired through history is impressive. In watches and in jewellery, gold usually appears on an alloy form, mixed with copper or zinc to give a different rose tone, or palladium to give that white pale colour. If you want to check out a great cushion case in gold, the Fears Brunswick should be one to check out, the brushed mixed with polished finishing and a red dial make it a unique combination.
Titanium
A super material in out humble opinion. Just like gold, Titanium is an element, it is also mixed and used in an alloy form when it comes to watches. The main characteristic it that is stronger than stainless-steel and 42% lighter, in other word it is the ultimate winner. That said there are several cons that played against our superhero.
First, it is very hard to work with, the machinery used is not your common one and although we are now starting to produce different grades of Titanium, there is still a degree of complication when it comes to machine it. Then we have the scratch resistance, you’ll see because of its density, Titanium is more vulnerable to rough handling. That said because of its corrosion, light scratches might not be as visible at first. And lastly, we have the overall weight, unfortunately in a luxury industry, heavy is expensive and light is cheap, it is not going well for our wonder friend.
Again, in the end is up to you, and here at Extropian we find Titanium very exciting even exotic, nothing beast a good diver in this material. The Baltic Aquascaphe is a good example on how a tool watch should be like, light and precise.
Bronze
Well, everybody deserves a second chance, right? Bronze has been around for ages and as humanity we have used this alloy until iron came along. The main reason is because bronze is one of the softer materials on the list and oxidizes quite a bit given the high copper content. It is going downhill for bronze right? Well wrong, we watch enthusiast are odd creatures and with the help of marketing we can believe almost anything.
Bronze had its resurgence in watches over the last few years, Tudor coined the term: ‘’ a living material’’, what they mean is that the oxidation process will create a unique watch, a ‘’living one’’. With this and the fact they added it to their Black Bay diving range, it just made people go crazy, at the same time the mighty Panerai Luminor ‘’Bronzo’’ which was impossible (still) to get doubled down on the alloy.Also, to support, in our brains there is a big connection with bronze and ship propellers, so a diving watch made sense (like a said we are odd creatures).
Coming back to our subject, bronze is a noble metal that looks warm and then feels like its own thing, it is very inexpensive to produce, easy to work with and… well it just looks cool. We quite enjoy the derelict look and feel of bronze, especially when it is used for larger watches, so the Dekla Pilot 44 is one of a kind in our opinion.
Ceramic
Another very odd choice for a watch case in our opinion but then as soon as you hear the phrase: ‘’scratch resistant’’ everything makes sense. When we think of the word ceramic, we are already afraid that it will shatter and to be fair, it is not far from the truth. Ceramic has been used in watches for a bit now, usually in components like bezels and crowns, but there is a small group of brands that are obsessed in creating the ultimate watch that will not only fade with time, one that will remain as pristine as the day that came out of the box.
Ceramic is also hypoallergenic and can be coloured in different ways to create a more impactful final product. But (as always there is one), ceramic unlike any of the metals that proceeded on the list, will crack if it suffers a fall. With gold or stainless-steel, the case will from a dent while the lack of flexibility in ceramic l can be catastrophic.
In the world of watches, we had made quite long advances with this non-metallic material, brands like IWC have combined it with titanium to create a more utilitarian version, there is a long way to go but it will come. We are particularly impressed with the new F77 from Nivada Gretchen, a fully ceramic watch in an all-black configuration including a full ceramic bracelet under 2000 EUR.
Carbon
Primarily used in motorsports, carbon is the best lightweight composite that pushed the boundaries when it comes to racing. It was never a material that intended to be pretty or luxurious, its goal was to be stronger and lighter than anything else that had existed before. Immediately you can think that it has no real use in watches but, the exotism that surrounds carbon made the watch industry to have a second look.
Big watches would benefit from this material, it would make the case with the movement as light as possible while taking a beating, the issue is carbon is the less scratch resistance material from the list. The main reason is that it relies on polymers to adhere itself and stay together and these can be scratch easily, it would be down to the wearer to enjoy the look of a beat-up watch, I mean there is something always to everyone right?
Forged carbon also has made an appearance and its well-used on our industry nowadays, it is also pushing the price down from traditional carbon fibre. The Doxa Sub 300 is the perfect fusion between what can be called an icon in this futuristic material.
So there you have it, the most popular materials in watchmaking. Sure, we missed some of the exoteric ones such as platinum, palladium and even sapphire but we believe that this list will give you a good guide on what type of watch would suit your everyday activities. As mentioned, there are no winners and losers, apart from the suffering of your wallet.
Here are some other helpful articles about watch case materials:
- Exotic Watch Materials by Extropian: This article explores unconventional materials in watchmaking, including crystallized titanium, ceramic, bronze, carbon, and sapphire. Read more
- The Unique Appeal of Bronze Watches by Extropian: Discover the history and features of bronze watch cases, from their distinctive aging process to their resistance to saltwater corrosion. Read more
- Different Types of Coating by Extropian: Learn about watch case coatings, their functions, and how they improve both durability and appearance. Read more
- Different Case Shapes by Extropian: Explore watch case shapes, from traditional round designs to modern forms, and how they influence a watch's style. Read more
- Watch Dial Materials by Extropian: Discover the variety of watch dial materials—including enamel, meteorite, and mother-of-pearl—and their role in creating distinctive timepieces. Read more
These articles offer a thorough overview of watchmaking materials and designs to help you make an informed choice.
Created the 2025-01-17
Modified the 2025-01-17