Titanium watches
Why Titanium Watches? A Guide to Titanium for Beginners
Considering titanium watches for your first purchase is something you won't regret.
Stronger and lighter than stainless steel. This may be the most appropriate way to describe titanium watches in a brief. Some even say that titanium is superior to stainless steel in terms of corrosion resistance, light weight, and strength.
Titanium was discovered by a German chemist in 1793. Since this silvery material is very strong, the chemist named it ‘Titanium’ after the mythological Greek Titans. Throughout history, Titanium was widely known as plane material until Citizen launched the world’s first titanium watch, X-8 Chronometer, in 1970.
The innovation made by the Japanese watchmaker Citizen gave a significant impact to the watch industry. It can be seen by how many watch brands now utilize a titanium watch case and bracelet for their collection, Grand Seiko for instance.
It does not feel right to talk about the benefits of titanium without weighing up the downsides. Compared to stainless steel, titanium is harder to make, therefore the watches mostly cost higher.
Moreover, while people know it as being stronger-than-steel, it is also softer. It means titanium is prone to scratch. Fortunately, this worry can be left behind since a special treatment for titanium has now existed in order to outperform the hardness level of stainless steel.
So does it mean that titanium is better than stainless steel as a watch material? You tell me. But, don’t jump to the conclusion yet, because we are just starting. First thing first, get to know the grades of titanium that are commonly used in the field of watchmaking.
Grades of titanium watches
If stainless steel amazes the watch enthusiast with its 316L and 904L, then titanium plays it well with its Grade 2 and Grade 5. Grade 2 titanium is a commercially pure titanium that is lightweight and extremely corrosion resistant. This grade of titanium can be found in many watch brands, one of them is Omega Seamaster 007 Edition. Sad to say that Grade two is not as strong as Grade 5. To work the issue out, watchmakers usually treat it with a tough scratch resistant coating, like that of Steinhart's.
Grade 5 titanium is another way of saying Ti 6Al-4V. Grade 5 titanium is alloyed with 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium. These components result in a stronger titanium, more resistant to corrosion, scratches, and heat. With a higher price, you would better expect grade 5 titanium.
Although these two grades have different hardness levels and are considered below stainless steel, it needs to be highlighted that titanium has the ability to heal itself from scratches because it oxidizes over quickly. It won’t remove the scratches, but they will disappear slowly.
What’s so special about titanium watches?
Several benefits of titanium watches have been mentioned earlier. But, let’s dig deeper about it.
Characteristic
I’ve read some comments on the watch forum about how they do not find the dark grey in titanium attractive, but I do. I think the grey on this material is characteristic. Not to mention the distinctive appearance it provides for the sport watches.
If you crave for a titanium timepiece but cannot tolerate the dull gray which I love, then you can choose one with a kind of polishing or finish that makes it not look like a titanium watch. For example, Seiko Prospex 200M Automatic Titanium Shogun Black, one of the best titanium watch Seiko has to offer. You don't really know it is a titanium, except the bezel, until you pick it up and hold it. If you think it is stainless steel and you feel there’s something wrong with it, that’s because it is titanium not steel.
Lightweight
We choose a titanium watch for different reasons, but the light weight is certainly something that we all seek in this timepiece. At first, you may get a little bit shocked to have a titanium watch on your wrist, especially if you are used to a heavier stainless steel watch. It is because titanium is 40% lighter than stainless steel.
Tough
Honestly, I don't really care about the strength of a titanium because obviously all watch materials such as stainless steel are strong enough to withstand any damages. But, I am glad to know that titanium, specifically grade 5, can handle more stress in comparison to stainless steel. That’s why this material is used in the aerospace industry.
Warm and comfortable
Titanium watch owners should agree on this benefit of a titanium watch. It does give you a warm feeling even after a cold night, and is still comfortable to wear for several hours of sunbathing (not recommended though because the skin under your watch cannot evenly tan meaning you will have wristwatch tan lines).
Hypoallergenic
The oxide layer on the surface of titanium watches does not react to the human body, your skin is not exempt. It is because titanium lacks nickel. Nickel is one of the alloying elements that is mostly found in stainless steel (316L) to make it corrosion resistant. In other words, titanium is extremely hypoallergenic. It is a solid option for you who have a nickel allergy.
Corrosion-resistant
Titanium is not going to rust. With all the modern steel and its corrosion resistance, it is still likely impossible for steel to beat titanium. This explains its use for diving timepieces. Salt water has never been a titanium watch owner’s fear.
Anti-magnetic
If your watch often runs faster than it should, perhaps this is because your watch is not titanium. Automatic movement is subject to magnetization. It will run fast if it is magnetized. So, make sure to pick a titanium watch to have an accurate time-teller.
After all the traits above, there’s nothing wrong with giving a shot at a titanium watch. It is great for daily wear since it is light and comfortable.
Let's Lighten Up And Talk Titanium
Lightweight, strong, and full of character. There's a reason watchmaking has taken to titanium.
If you haven't heard, Rolex introduced its first production titanium watch earlier this week – the new Deepsea Challenge, which also happens to be water-resistant to 11,000 meters. But let's focus on the titanium of it all this weekend, a metal that's been used in watchmaking for at least 50 years (Citizen recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its X-8 Chronometer). Rolex has a tendency to show up a little late to the party – fashionably late, of course – but when it does, everyone at the party cranes their neck to take a gander. Sure, we know Rolex has been playing around with titanium for years – the Tudor Pelagos was released way back in 2012, after all – but it's just different when it's The Crown. Still, 2022 might be the year we look back and say, "yep, titanium's arrived." Not just as some cool, lightweight alternative to steel, but as its own metal that manufacturers are making and molding to their heart's content – and into the hearts of their customers.
And it's not just $26,000 behemoths like the Deepsea Challenge that can take a dip to the literal bottom of the ocean that are being crafted out of titanium. Sure, many high-end watchmakers have taken to titanium: Just this year Lange released the Odysseus in titanium, Audemars Piguet released that crazy Royal Oak flying tourbillon, and even Patek announced a unique ref. 5270 that's being auctioned for charity this week. But for those who can't swing such niceties – most of us, to be sure – just as exciting is the more affordable range of titanium watches that have come along over the past year: from Citizen to Baltic to the new Pelagos 39, there have never been more options if you're looking to go Ti. (And of course, we can't forget Rolex's main deep-diving companion, the Omega Ultra Deep.)
Titanium Rolex Deepsea Challenge
Sea-Dweller Deepsea James Cameron Deep Blue 116660
When it comes to watchmaking, titanium comes in two forms: Grade 2 and Grade 5. Grade 2 is all titanium. Grade 5 is an alloy that also includes aluminum and vanadium (6% aluminum and 4% vanadium, which is why it's also referred to as Ti 6Al-4V). Grade 5 is harder; expect to see Grade 5 in higher-end manufacturing, while lower-priced options might use Grade 2. As just one example, the Deepsea Challenge uses Grade 5, while the Tudor Pelagos 39 uses Grade 2 ($26,000 v. $4,400, as a reminder).
Honestly, titanium can take some getting used to. Our attraction to heavier things and our assumption that they're more expensive is innate, presumably ingrained since the early days of cavemen and cavewomen collectors: "Me like heavier watch, it stronger, it better." But once you get past that brain block, there's a lot to love about titanium, and it goes well beyond just the watches that have been released in the past year or so.
Patek 5270 green titanium unique charity
Titanium has a number of properties that differentiate it from steel and that also make it, honestly, kind of great for watches. Instead of turning this into a materials science class, let's focus on a couple of the practicalities that might actually matter to collectors and enthusiasts.
Lightweight: Most notably, and most talked about, titanium is lighter than steel by about 40 percent. To take that Deepsea Challenge as an example: In titanium it weighs 251 grams – still a heavy watch (like, about the weight of a platinum 5711, which is an absolute barbell of a watch), but Rolex said that in steel it would've weighed closer to 350 grams. Manufacturing in titanium makes a watch like the Deepsea Challenge (or the Omega Ultra Deep) at least manageable from a wearability perspective.
Elasticity: This one doesn't necessarily affect you, the collector as much, but it's important to note. Titanium is known for being harder to machine than steel, most notably because it has something called a low modulus of elasticity, engineer-speak for the fact that it flexes and deforms somewhat easily (more easily than steel, for example). While these flexible properties can have some practical benefits, it means that manufacturers often have to figure out how to work with the material. Because of these manufacturing difficulties, titanium watches will often cost more than steel watches (so I guess it does affect you, dear collector).
Thermal Conductivity: This is a minor one, but something collectors mention more often than I might've guessed (as someone who doesn't own any titanium watches). Titanium doesn't conduct heat as well as steel. If you've ever been inconvenienced by a steel watch that's a little hot to the touch on a warm summer's day (or a little too cold during a chilly Chicago winter), well, that's less likely to happen with a titanium watch.
"Scratchability": In general, titanium scratches more easily than steel, due to the fact that titanium has a thin oxide layer on its surface. The upside is that these surface-level scratches can be fixed with a quick touch-up.
Strength and Hardness: While titanium has a similar strength as steel – which is to say, it's pretty strong – remember that titanium weighs a lot less than steel, so its strength becomes more impressive once viewed from that perspective. Similarly, the hardness of titanium and steel is similar (which exactly is harder depends on the specific alloys you want to compare), but both are well-suited to watch cases.
Titanium Tudor Pelagos 39
Pelagos 25500
And that's just the start. It's time to get weighed down with a few of our favorite stories covering titanium and titanium watches.
Lightweight,
Strong,
and full of
Character.
There's a
reason
watchmaking
has taken
to TITANIUM
If you haven't heard,
Rolex
introduced its first
production titanium
watch earlier this week
– the new Deepsea
Challenge, which also
happens to be water-
resistant to 11,000 meters.
But let's focus on the titan
-ium of it all here today,
a metal that's been used
in watchmaking for at
least 50 years (Citizen
recently celebrated the
50th anniversary of its
X-8 Chronometer).
Rolex has a
tendency to show up a
little late to the party –
fashionably late, of course
– but when it does, every-
one at the party cranes
their neck to take a
gander.
Sure, we know Rolex has
been playing around with
titanium for years – the
Tudor Pelagos was
released way back in
2012, after all
– but it's just different
when it's The Crown. Still,
2022 might be the year
we
look back and say, "yep,
titanium's arrived." Not
just as some cool, light-
weight alternative to steel,
but as its own metal that
manufacturers are
making
and molding to their
heart's content – and into
the hearts of their
customers.
And it's not just $26,000
behemoths like the Deep-
sea Challenge that can
take
a dip to the literal bottom
of the ocean that are
being
crafted out of titanium.
Sure, many high-end
watchmakers have taken
to
titanium: Just this year
Lange released the
Odysseus in titanium,
Audemars Piguet
released
that crazy Royal Oak
flying
tourbillon, and even
Patek announced a
unique
ref. 5270 that's being
auctioned for charity this
week. But for those who
can't swing such niceties –
most of us, to be sure –
just as exciting is the
more affordable range
of titanium watches
that have come
along over the past year:
from Citizen to Baltic to
the new Pelagos 39,
there have never been
more options if you're
looking to go Ti.
(And of course, we can't
forget Rolex's main deep-
diving companion, the
Omega Ultra Deep.)
When it comes to watch-
making, titanium comes
in
two forms: Grade 2 and
Grade 5. Grade 2 is all
titanium. Grade 5 is an
alloy that also includes
aluminum and vanadium
(6% aluminum and 4%
vanadium, which is why
it's also referred to as Ti
6Al-4V). Grade 5 is
harder;
expect to see Grade 5 in
higher-end
manufacturing,
while lower-priced
options
might use Grade 2. As
just
one example, the
Deepsea
Challenge uses Grade 5,
while the Tudor Pelagos
39
uses Grade 2 ($26,000 v.
$4,400, as a reminder).
Honestly, titanium can
take
some getting used to. Our
attraction to heavier
things and our assump-
tion that they're more
expensive is innate,
presumably ingrained
since the early days of
cavemen and cave-
women
collectors: "Me like
heavier watch,
it stronger, it better."
But once you get past that
brain block, there's a lot
to love about titanium,
and it goes well beyond
just the watches that
have been released in
the past year or so.
Titanium has a number
of properties that diffe-
rentiate it from steel
and that also make it,
honestly, kind
of great for watches.
Instead of turning this
into a materials science
class, let's focus on a
couple of the practicali-
ties that might actually
matter to collectors and
enthusiasts.
●Lightweight: Most nota-
bly, and most talked
about, titanium is lighter
than steel by about 40
percent. To take that
Deepsea Challenge as an
example: In titanium it
weighs 251 grams – still a
heavy watch (like, about
the weight of a platinum
5711, which is an absolute
barbell of a watch), but
Rolex said that in steel it
would've weighed closer
to 350 grams. Manufactu-
ring in titanium makes a
watch like the Deepsea
Challenge (or the Omega
Ultra Deep) at least
manageable from a wear-
ability perspective.
●Elasticity: This one
doesn't necessarily affect
you, the collector as much
, but it's important to note
. Titanium is known for
being harder to machine
than steel, most notably
because it has something
called a low modulus of
elasticity, engineer-speak
for the fact that it flexes
and deforms somewhat
easily (more easily than
steel, for example). While
these flexible properties
can have some practical
benefits, it means that
manufacturers often
have to figure out how to
work with the material.
Because of these
manufacturing difficult-
ies, titanium watches will
often cost more than
steel watches
(so I guess it does affect
you, dear collector).
●Thermal Conductivity:
This is a minor one, but
something collectors
mention more often
than I might've guessed
(as someone who
doesn't own any
titanium watches).
Titanium doesn't
conduct heat as well as
steel. If you've ever
been inconvenienced
by a steel watch that's a
little hot to the touch on
a warm summer's day
(or a little too cold
during a chilly winter),
well, that's less likely to
happen with a
titanium watch.
●"Scratchability": In
general, titanium
scratches more easily
than steel, due to the
fact that titanium has a
thin oxide layer on its
surface. The upside is
that these surface-level
scratches can be fixed
with a quick touch-up.
●Strength and Hardness:
While titanium has a
similar strength as steel
– which is to say, it's
pretty strong – remem-
ber that titanium
weighs a lot less than
steel, so its strength
becomes more impres-
sive once viewed from
that perspective.
Similarly, the hardness
of titanium and steel is
similar (which exactly
is harder depends on
the specific alloys you
want to compare), but
both are well-suited to
watch cases.
And that's just the start.
It's time to get weighed
down with a few of our
favorite stories
covering titanium and
titanium watches.
Why Titanium Watches? A Guide to Titanium for Beginners
Stronger and lighter than stainless steel. This may be the most appropriate way to describe titanium watches in a brief. Some even say that titanium is superior to stainless steel in terms of corrosion resistance, light weight, and strength.
Titanium was discovered by a German chemist in 1793. Since this silvery material is very strong, the chemist named it ‘Titanium’ after the mythological Greek Titans. Throughout history, Titanium was widely known as plane material until Citizen launched the world’s first titanium watch, X-8 Chronometer, in 1970.
The innovation made by the Japanese watchmaker Citizen gave a significant impact to the watch industry. It can be seen by how many watch brands now utilize a titanium watch case and bracelet for their collection, Grand Seiko for instance.
It does not feel right to talk about the benefits of titanium without weighing up the downsides. Compared to stainless steel, titanium is harder to make, therefore the watches mostly cost higher.
Moreover, while people know it as being stronger-than-steel, it is also softer. It means titanium is prone to scratch. Fortunately, this worry can be left behind since a special treatment for titanium has now existed in order to outperform the hardness level of stainless steel.
So does it mean that titanium is better than stainless steel as a watch material? You tell me. But, don’t jump to the conclusion yet, because we are just starting. First thing first, get to know the grades of titanium that are commonly used in the field of watchmaking.
Grades of titanium watches
If stainless steel amazes the watch enthusiast with its 316L and 904L, then titanium plays it well with its Grade 2 and Grade 5. Grade 2 titanium is a commercially pure titanium that is lightweight and extremely corrosion resistant. This grade of titanium can be found in many watch brands, one of them is Omega Seamaster 007 Edition. Sad to say that Grade two is not as strong as Grade 5. To work the issue out, watchmakers usually treat it with a tough scratch resistant coating, like that of Steinhart's.
Grade 5 titanium is another way of saying Ti 6Al-4V. Grade 5 titanium is alloyed with 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium. These components result in a stronger titanium, more resistant to corrosion, scratches, and heat. With a higher price, you would better expect grade 5 titanium.
Although these two grades have different hardness levels and are considered below stainless steel, it needs to be highlighted that titanium has the ability to heal itself from scratches because it oxidizes over quickly. It won’t remove the scratches, but they will disappear slowly.
What’s so special about titanium watches?
Several benefits of titanium watches have been mentioned earlier. But, let’s dig deeper about it.
Characteristic
I’ve read some comments on the watch forum about how they do not find the dark grey in titanium attractive, but I do. I think the grey on this material is characteristic. Not to mention the distinctive appearance it provides for the sport watches.
If you crave for a titanium timepiece but cannot tolerate the dull gray which I love, then you can choose one with a kind of polishing or finish that makes it not look like a titanium watch. For example, Seiko Prospex 200M Automatic Titanium Shogun Black, one of the best titanium watch Seiko has to offer. You don't really know it is a titanium, except the bezel, until you pick it up and hold it. If you think it is stainless steel and you feel there’s something wrong with it, that’s because it is titanium not steel.
See also: 8 Men’s Titanium Watches to Wear for Everyday Events
Lightweight
We choose a titanium watch for different reasons, but the light weight is certainly something that we all seek in this timepiece. At first, you may get a little bit shocked to have a titanium watch on your wrist, especially if you are used to a heavier stainless steel watch. It is because titanium is 40% lighter than stainless steel.
Tough
Honestly, I don't really care about the strength of a titanium because obviously all watch materials such as stainless steel are strong enough to withstand any damages. But, I am glad to know that titanium, specifically grade 5, can handle more stress in comparison to stainless steel. That’s why this material is used in the aerospace industry.
Warm and comfortable
Titanium watch owners should agree on this benefit of a titanium watch. It does give you a warm feeling even after a cold night, and is still comfortable to wear for several hours of sunbathing (not recommended though because the skin under your watch cannot evenly tan meaning you will have wristwatch tan lines).
Hypoallergenic
The oxide layer on the surface of titanium watches does not react to the human body, your skin is not exempt. It is because titanium lacks nickel. Nickel is one of the alloying elements that is mostly found in stainless steel (316L) to make it corrosion resistant. In other words, titanium is extremely hypoallergenic. It is a solid option for you who have a nickel allergy.
Corrosion-resistant
Titanium is not going to rust. With all the modern steel and its corrosion resistance, it is still likely impossible for steel to beat titanium. This explains its use for diving timepieces. Salt water has never been a titanium watch owner’s fear.
Anti-magnetic
If your watch often runs faster than it should, perhaps this is because your watch is not titanium. Automatic movement is subject to magnetization. It will run fast if it is magnetized. So, make sure to pick a titanium watch to have an accurate time-teller.
After all the traits above, there’s nothing wrong with giving a shot at a titanium watch. It is great for daily wear since it is light and comfortable. Plus the warm feeling that is offered by a titanium timepiece is another value that you might never get from the other watch materials.
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