titanium watches, exposing them to similar treatments - that is, extensive and prolonged use, continuous stress, and immersion in fresh, salt, and chlorinated water (such as swimming pools), to evaluate their performance and determine their durability. So, they have run extensive tests of stainless steel vs. Several blogs have asked themselves this same question. To give a practical example, a titanium Tudor Pelagos weighs 157g while a Rolex Sea-Dweller reaches 212g: we're talking about 55 grams out of 200, about 1/4 the total weight. So, in more expensive watches, you can expect to find Grade 5 titanium.Īs for specific weight, titanium's density is about half that of stainless steel - 4.5g/cm 3 versus about 8g/cm 3, making a titanium watch surprisingly light on the wrist, with a very noticeable difference in large technical timepieces such as dive watches. Grade 2 is the "base" level of titanium alloys, while Grade 5, which includes 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium, has superior mechanical and corrosion resistance characteristics and a high melting point. There are mainly two grades of titanium, Grade 2 and Grade 5, which are used for different technical applications. Titanium is not customarily used "pure," but like all other metals used industrially, it is employed with other metals that enhance the characteristics of the final alloy. What grade of titanium is used for watches? ![]() Its lightness was enhanced by the fact that the first watches of this kind mounted mostly quartz movements, making them feel unbelievably light at the wrist. Still, the real spread came with the collaboration between IWC and Porsche in the 1980s, which launched this material on the modern watchmaking scene. The first watch with a titanium case was the Citizen X8, one of the first quartz watches ever made, certified as a chronometer and released in 1970. Its main problem is that it is challenging to be cold-worked, which leads to high production costs due to tool wear, making titanium watches more expensive than their equivalents offering steel cases and bracelets. It weighs 60% more than aluminum but is twice as strong, with a surface hardness just below that of the diamond. In comparative terms, titanium is as strong as steel but 40% lighter. However, it has its drawbacks: it is not easy to work with, and this is the main reason why, even though it was discovered long ago, as far back as 1789, it was not used industrially up to the Fifties. It is antimagnetic, and very light, attributes that make it ideal for unique engineering uses. It is a highly corrosion-resistant metal, almost as strong as platinum. Titanium is a well-known material for its excellent physical characteristics. So, this journey will take us to discover an exotic and light material like titanium. Findings in the field of materials, together with the evolutions of the watch movement during the ages, have made it possible to render timepieces what they are today. And among them, the weight of discoveries in metallurgy has been fundamental. ![]() The evolution of watchmaking has gone through many stages of development.
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