Why Supplies Matter in Watchmaking: From Metal to Titanium, Gold, and Platinum

It is likely to be a controversial opinion to some, however materials alternative is an important consideration in a watch. If silver is your most well-liked metallic for watch circumstances, then you may be restricted to classic pocket watches and possibly only one modern model. As I unleash myself from the yoke of objectivity, I can overtly take positions, just like the one I open with right here. Why ought to supplies be so vital? Effectively, essentially the most fundamental rationalization that even makes intuitive sense is that this: a cloth determination impacts the price of any given watch, to the model and the client.

Traditionally, if a model wished to play on the earth of luxurious, then treasured supplies had been a should. These go an extended technique to explaining value to the client, however in addition they permit for, let’s consider, enhanced profitability on small sequence and even distinctive items. If, as a model, you opted for metal, then the client understands that you’re within the space of instruments and devices. Clearly, everybody would perceive that you’re enjoying a quantity sport. It doesn’t pay to make clients unsure. Modern watchmaking suggests in any other case, although.

In our introduction, we made a lot point out of Richard Mille and Hublot as supplies specialists and sure, the fabric facet of the story of these manufacturers is extra vital than the motion half. Actions are advantageous and dandy, however each these manufacturers have managed to make a lot of their technical virtues whereas being nowhere close to as vertically built-in as, let’s consider, Audemars Piguet and Parmigiani Fleurier.

I would even name Hublot an MMA exponent, if that had been to face for combined materials arts! It’s certainly fairly an artwork to persuade the watch-buying world that the worth of a timepiece lies someplace past materials prices. To be sincere, this occurs with watches in gold and different treasured supplies too; I feel this has to do with efficiently pushing the thought of the watch as way over the sum of its components (an concept that we steered in our composite supplies particular in 2023). Seen this fashion, it shouldn’t be stunning that the technique can work with any materials. I’ll counsel as soon as once more that watchmaking wants this ‘magic’ to repeat itself, and it’s not actually in regards to the supplies. As an alternative, it’s about audacity – daring to suggest a watch in gold and rubber and positioning it towards one in full gold, on the similar worth.

A few of you who made all of it the best way right here may marvel how I really feel about this, particularly as somebody who buys watches as a pastime of kinds. Ought to I, in good conscience and my skilled capability as editor of this journal, actually prod watch manufacturers to push costs up for supplies like titanium and ceramic? In any case, watches in each these supplies are already considerably costlier (than metal equivalents) and produce other virtues, as we now have talked about, which may already justify that expense. However pricing them on the stage of gold-steel bimetallic choices? I confess to not figuring out what the precise pricing technique must be, and I don’t counsel that the manufacturers ought to simply elevate costs to no matter stage the market will settle for.

What’s essential is the value-add, or what work a watchmaker can do to justify better desirability, and thus command a better worth. The world has already seen that manufacturers can do so much with non-traditional supplies – hand-finishing with ceramic and titanium are solely two prospects, and neither is especially novel (anymore, however that’s not vital). That is additionally why I proceed to pine for extra on the platinum entrance, as a result of the outdated chorus that the fabric is simply too troublesome to work with appears, properly, outdated. The large names in watchmaking ought to dare to innovate right here as a result of no different business goes to do the related analysis and improvement on machining platinum.

After all, I didn’t dream up this complete part on an explanatory whim, simply to take you all by way of the best hits, because it had been. The truth is, in any case these years exploring all the fabric choices in watchmaking, I discover myself no nearer to discovering out what fits me finest. Titanium makes essentially the most sense – it’s light-weight with out feeling flimsy, in a normal or larger-sized watch. If I attempt to purpose whether or not it’s titanium over metal, I discover myself uncertain – I like some items in metal and a few in titanium and don’t discover both to be higher, relative to one another.

With regards to gold, there isn’t any truthful comparability available. That’s true of the colored selection, maybe, however what about white gold then? I do favor platinum just because the load of it’s comforting and I want by no means fear about floor remedies or components (a lot). However, as I famous within the platinum particular two years in the past, I’ve little or no expertise with it. Even simply making an attempt watches on this metallic is kind of uncommon – at a latest gathering I hosted for Bvlgari, I used to be presenting certainly one of my favorite Octo Finissimo fashions, the Extremely Skinny Perpetual Calendar with the blue dial. This mannequin solely exists in platinum, however the model I used to be displaying was a show piece, and thus, not in platinum however metal. I realised then that I had by no means held the precise watch in my fingers.

I come again then, to the thought of rarity launched earlier, as a result of that’s what makes platinum particular, ostensibly. It’s maybe not the load of platinum that I discover comforting, however its rarity. It isn’t ‘merely’ white gold, even when the pricing is a bit, let’s consider, suspect. Anyway, the purpose has been made in addition to we will and I resist the urge to repeat myself. Ideally, in terms of platinum, an object made in such a cloth have to be equally particular, extraordinary even, given how intransigent a metallic it may be. Watch model Venezianico even praised the “incorruptible purity” of platinum.

Taking our cue from that watch, possibly just a bit little bit of platinum is required, whether it is embellished and finessed simply so. For a extra mainstream method, look no additional than the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF. Perhaps that fluted platinum bezel within the Rolex Day-Date will discover its means into different collections to supplant what at the moment are white gold bezels. This appears essentially the most logical factor to do, particularly when one has economies of scale on one’s facet. Maybe – dare I counsel it – a platinum-and-titanium concoction. For instance, a watch with a platinum bezel and a titanium case.

As famous, obliquely, in a wide range of sections, this time I’ll say clearly that the watch commerce will wait and see if that titanium Submariner will probably be incoming anytime quickly. Titanium can and must be the following massive factor – it has been ready for 50-odd years or so for its second. Right here, we not solely have strikes in the precise path by Rolex but additionally Seiko, Grand Seiko and Citizen. For its half, Citizen has an thrilling occasion this 12 months that guarantees a lot in the best way of elevating consciousness of the model’s function in bringing titanium to watchmaking.

To be clear, I do assume that titanium is what each manufacturers and watch fanatics want. When pursuits align on this means, highly effective developments can take form. As famous, there’s nothing to maintain watchmakers from totally embracing the metallic and its alloys. After all, I declare no data past what has been offered in these pages, so my needs and wishes are simply that – needs and wishes.

This story was first seen as a part of the WOW #79 Summer season 2025 Difficulty

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