Top luxury watch brands are employing state-of-the-art technology and art materials in watches from the inside out. It helps give a new appearance to the watch models but also helps to increase durability and make the watch lightweight. Various kinds of futuristic materials are being used in watch-making nowadays. Watchmakers are using carbon tech and other carbon fiber composite materials for making rugged and utilitarian designer watches.
Top luxury watch brands are investing millions in the development of watch cases from forged carbon, industrial sapphire, advanced ceramics, and even proprietary gold mixtures that convey the designer’s aesthetics and improve durability.
With the advent of the modern age, the new luxury watch materials used in the manufacture of smartwatches are sapphire glass, stainless steel, titanium alloy, plastic, aluminum alloy, and plastic elastomers.
Rolex, which is the costliest luxury watch brand in the world, uses Platinum 950 alloy for its watches, which is 95% pure in its composition. The metal is mixed with Ruthenium and then used in the mold of the watch, which makes the precious metal even harder and shinier. The combination of Oyester Steel with Platinum 950 creates Rolesium, which is exclusively reserved for use in the Rolex-Yacht-Master series. Several top luxury brands use innovative watch materials in their creative watch designs.
Manufacturers usually prefer steel, gold, platinum, titanium, or even ceramic for adorning their watches. Innovative watch materials like sapphire glass, stainless steel, titanium alloy, plastic, aluminum alloy, and plastic elastomers are being employed in the construction and creative watch design of modern luxury watches.
Some of the materials being used in the creative watch designs are listed below:
STAINLESS STEEL-An alloy of iron, chromium, and carbon, steel is considered stainless when its chromium content is at least 13%, as this increases its resistance to corrosion. The 316L variant is found primarily in our watch cases, but it can be used in the construction of any other part as well.
ALUMINIUM -Aluminium in the form of Aluminium Oxide is used in the construction and creative watch design of various watch parts.
SILVER -Silver can be used in watchmaking as a metallic coating or in the design of watch parts. It is the metal that is best suited for gold plating. It's especially common in the production of flinqué dials and cases. It is easily oxidizable, too.
BRONZE-Made up of copper and tin; bronze is used for bearing and rubbing components. It may also be chosen for making wristwatch cases, as long as it's been treated beforehand to avoid unpleasant odors and allergies. It is tough and easy to mold and design, sturdy and durable in its use.
CARBON-Carbon-fiber composite materials have long been used only for watch cases. It's only in recent years that they've also come to be an integral part of the creative watch design in place of more traditional alloys. It is lightweight (1.8g/cm3) and is resistant to pressure. It is one of the most innovative watch materials used widely today.
CERAMIC-Ultra-resistant and very light, this material common in aeronautics is used by most watchmaking brands to make ball bearings that do not require lubrication. Three to four times more resistant than steel, ceramic allows the creation of more efficient and durable systems for automatic rewinding. It is more scratch-resistant than carbon-fiber composite materials.
COPPER-Copper, offering the best mechanical properties of all copper-based alloys in terms of toughness and a low coefficient of thermal expansion, thus tends to be used to replace tempered steel in springs, balance wheels, and hands. In addition, given its capacity for resisting corrosion, wear, and seawater, the "white copper" variant is used in water sports watches for the bridges, cogwheels, and hands.
INVAR -Invar is an iron-nickel alloy developed by the Swiss physicist Charles-Edouard Guillaume at the start of the 20th century, having a very low coefficient of thermal expansion. It allows the production of hairsprings for watch movements. It's quite popular in use as it is resistant to heat.
GOLD-Gold is mostly used in watchmaking for aesthetic reasons in luxury watch brands, most often for cases and rotors. Naturally pale yellow, it can be alloyed with other metals, increasing its resistance and changing its color in various forms like Yellow gold, Rose gold, Red gold, White gold, etc. It is attractive and elegant, perfectly suited for aesthetic purposes in creative watch designs of luxury brands.
So, to summarize, gold, ceramic, titanium, and platinum are some of the luxury watch materials that impart an aura of luxury, elegance, and authenticity to the luxury watch. What the luxury watch is made of determines its status as a high-end timepiece. A luxury watch brand that's celebrated for its pristine craftsmanship holds the reputation of having an innovative and creative watch design. The high-end Swiss watchmakers, such as Rolex, TAG Heuer, Omega, and Breitling, an iconic piece from one of these heritage brands, convey consumer tastes without explanation.
Luxury watches have always captivated the discerning individual, and their materials play a crucial role in their allure. While gold and platinum have long been revered for their timeless elegance, there is a whole world of innovative materials that push the boundaries of creativity in the design elements of luxury watches.
