Wedding Ring Styles, Matching Tips, and Sizing
These are the ultimate symbols of your love to your partner with whom you plan on spending the rest of your life. Therefore, your love
From Gold to Carbon: Watch Strap Materials Guide
Gold has been one of the most desired and most used watch strap materials but in recent years the trend has started to shift. Materials that are normally used in advanced industries like space, automotive and medical are now being utilized by watchmakers because of their superior physical and chemical properties.
Watch Strap Materials
Stainless Steel
A very popular watchmaking material, stainless steel is made from an alloy of iron that contains carbon, chromium and nickel.
Stainless steel Properties
- Lightweight
- Cost effective
- Resistant to corrosion
Other Uses
Stainless steel is used in monuments, automobiles, surgical instruments and aerospace structures.
Ceramic
Ceramics are non-metallic materials made out of zirconium oxide through a process that requires alternate cycle of heating and cooling.
Ceramic Properties
- Lightweight and scratch resistant
- Smooth
- Can be produced in several shades
Other Uses
Heat shields in space crafts and jet engines.
Titanium
Titanium used in watches is the element allowed with aluminum, iron, molybdenum and vanadium.
Titanium Properties
- Dent free and durable
- Non-allergenic
- High strength-weight ratio
Other Uses
Naval vessels, medical instruments, aerospace industry and performance testing.
Carbon Fiber
When carbon is decomposed and braided into fibers, surrounded by resin, then carbon fiber is formed.
Carbon Fiber Properties
- Lightweight and classic look
- Hard
Other Uses
Aeronautic industry, military and medical instruments.
Diamond Like Carbon
Carbon with a coating that induces properties similar to diamond
Carbon Properties
- Super-hard with very strong resistance in the face of scratches
- Slick
- Can absorb dents without physical deformation
Other Uses
Modern motorbikes, racing cars and aeronautics.
Physical Vapor Deposition
This is steel that has been coated with oxides, nitrides and carbides through ionic attraction.
Vapor Deposition Properties
- Reduced friction
- Strong
Other Uses
Military and automobile industry.
Gold Material
This is a material whose fineness and purity is given in karats. 18 karats mean 75 percent purity, and is a widely established standard for gold in watches as well as jewelry.
The remaining 25 percent is copper & silver and mainly included to give the material some strong physical meaning.
Yellow Gold
This is pure gold alloyed with some metals.
White Gold
This is gold alloyed with palladium, silver or rhodium.
Rose Gold
This is gold with traces of copper. Increase in the percentage of copper gives the gold an increasingly dark hue.
A small amount of zinc or silver may also be added to vary the shade.
Rubber Silicone
This is a material made with silicon, rubber, hydrogen, oxygen and copper.
Rubber Silicone Properties
- Resistant to temperature changes
- Repels water
- Has a high-grade feel to it
Other Properties
Electronics, automobiles, medical equipment and food.
Related Articles
The Basics of Manual, Automatic, and Quartz Movements
How do Watch Movements work? In a nutshell, the Movement is the mechanism that “runs” the watch. Watchmakers either build up the watch Movements by
From Gold to Carbon: Watch Strap Materials Guide
Gold has been one of the most desired and most used watch strap materials but in recent years the trend has started to shift. Materials