Chances are that your watch is mostly metal. Sure there are plastic or ceramic watches. And those made of other exotic compounds (Carbon, Kevlar, etc…), but most watches are some form of metal. And metals are not all created equally. No one here needs a lesson on geology or metallurgy, nor am I prepared to offer one, but watch metals are far more varied that “steel, titanium, gold, and platinum.” First comes the base metal out of the ground, then comes industrialization to refine, mix, and alter the based compounds which create the metals we wear everyday. Lastly, there’s the delicate process of machining and shaping the metal.
In terms of platinum and gold, these are almost purely decorative, offering little functionality other than being worth a lot more than steel. Some watches are pure platinum (very expensive), none are pure gold. Most “solid gold” watches are actually 18k gold, and there is a very good reason for this. Watches suffer from lots of use and wear. Further, there are a number of moving parts, and components of the watch from the movement to the bracelet require nanometric precision, often times even greater precision when it comes to movements. Gold is a soft metal, and alone is not a good metal for these requirements. 24k gold watches would not be durable enough, or could not be shaped with enough precision. Thus, gold must be mixed with steel and other ores to make the parts malleable for watch purposes. Gold also comes in various hues and styles. Yellow gold, rose gold, and red gold, all have varying mixtures of other metals to vary the strength and color of the metal. Further, all metals have different finishes such as high polished, or brushed, much of this has to do with style, but only the highest quality metals can be manipulated properly in these ways.
When you are dealing with gold in a watch, you’ll find most watches are gold-plated. Meaning there is an over-coat of gold on a steel or other surface. This is often real gold, but the metal is not “solid gold.” Cheaper gold platings have a tendency to wear. Because gold is a soft metal, it can be worn more easily than other metals, and if the plating is thin enough, the coating will wear through to the substrate. Nothing is inherently wrong with gold plating one just needs to make sure it is of high enough quality. A good gold plating will advertise multiple gold layers or a particular thickness of the plating.
Most watches worn are made of steel. But not all steel is made alike. Even the term “stainless steel” can be placed on a variety of steel grades. It is important to know that steel is really a family of alloys which involve combining iron with many other metals including nickel, magnesium, zinc, and many others. Other than the mere mixture, the whole process of making steel varies. Because of this, the steel in a Rolex watch and the steel in a Fossil watch, are worlds apart.
Speaking of Rolex, they are famous for their pickiness when it comes metal use. One story relates to a massive shipment of metal to their factory for processing into watch parts. Each time metal arrives, Rolex (among many other quality watch makers) will test the metal for its conformity with the ordered level of quality. On this occasion, the steel had something along the lines of just a little bit too much nickel, or other ore in it. Most people agreed that the minor deviation was marginal, and had no real effect on the quality. Nevertheless, Rolex rejected the entire shipment. Costing someone millions, but maintaining their reputation. Rolex is relatively conservative in the metals they use sticking with high quality steel, platinum, and gold (see gold Rolex President watches)
From your perspective, you can easily tell a good quality metal used on a watch. The easiest way is to look how well machined it is. Only quality metal can be machined with high precision. Sharp angles, and high detail on a watch indicates good metal. The heft of a watch, also operates as a good indication of metal quality. Next look at well pieces fit together. Are there many gaps? Are pieces flush with one another? Does the metal bracelet flow easily over your hand. Like I said, craftsmanship has a lot to do with this as well, but good metal is more solid, and results in more solid shapes. The better a metal, the more of an angle you have give it. You can easily appreciate a watch crafted from good metal. It is the other type of metals which concern me more, and result in people wearing “chinsy” looking watches.
So where there is good metal, there is bound to be the bad metal alternative; i.e. most watches sold today. Here are some of the things to look out for. Good metal watches are comprised of “solid” pieces of metal. Cheap watches will use compressed metal or sheet metal. This is often displayed in the bracelet links. Often you will see watches literally “painted” with a chrome like compound which is often a very cheap metal or even plastic. What they do, is take cheap pieces of metal, stamp them to shape, and then dip them in some “chrome bath.” You then get rounded metal pieces that are very inexpensive that can be loosely linked together. Alternatively, you can take thin strips of metal, bend or layer them together, and make it look like a larger solid piece of metal. The best example of that is when a furniture makers uses particle board, rather than solid wood. No one needs to tell you which looks nicer and is more durable.
Quality watches are made to last, and one of the only things still made that way. Products today are disposable. How often to you get things repaired rather than replaced these days? Patek Philippe has a clever, yet odd sounding marketing phrase that is somewhat illustrative. They say “you never own a Patek Philippe, you merely hold on to it for the next generation.” The point they make, which is actually true, is that these watches, with some maintenance will last for a long time. Because they are simply made to. That is part of the investment when buying a watch of quality, and applies to many more brands than just Patek Philippe.
Thus, the quality of metal used in a watch means a lot in terms of the quality of the watch itself, how nice it will look, and of course, how long it will last. If you are used to cheaper feeling watches, prepare to be impressed with what a well crafted watch will look and feel like.
Check out eBay for some nice watches, or see the eBay listings page on ablogtowatch.com/ebaywatchlistings.
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