In addition to directly caring for the internal parts of the watch, the case determines the performance indexes of the watch to a large extent, such as: water resistance, dust-proof performance, magnetic resistance, seismic resistance
Generally known materials are stainless steel, gold and high-tech ceramics. In addition to these, there are many less common materials that you may not have heard of. Each material has its own characteristics. Here are the common and uncommon case materials.
1, refined steel
The most common material, characterized by never fading, no deformation, no irritation to the skin, environmental protection. Can be polished, can be ground, can be plated with a variety of material coating and stable performance. Generally 316L fine steel and 904L fine steel. 316L fine steel is the shell material commonly used by most wristwatch brands. Its main components are Fe, Cr, Ni, Mo. its density is close to that of iron. It has strong corrosion resistance and good texture. 904L refined steel is exclusive to Rolex, containing nickel, chromium and copper, which is more corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant than 316L refined steel, and the price is three times of 316L refined steel.
2. Gold case
At present, the case is mainly 18K gold, 75% of which is pure gold. Absolute pure gold watches do not exist. Pure gold is too soft and hard to shape. Gold should be mixed with other materials. There are many kinds of 18K gold. The common ones are 3N of 18K gold, 4N of 18k rose gold and 5N of 18K red gold, while 4N and 5N represent the level of copper, the difference between them is that the color changes from light to dark. "Jinlao" is the most famous, "jinlao" gold content is usually higher than the regular 18K, Rolex called it 18ct Gold.
Gilded case: only gilded. Only the surface is gold, the surface plating a thin layer of wear time, the surface will wear off.
3. Platinum case
This platinum is not platinum. In the watchmaking industry, platinum is still a kind of gold. The main ingredient is gold. It is a platinum free white alloy made by melting gold with other white metals. There are many styles of platinum watches which are limited edition and have certain collection value.
4. Platinum case
Platinum is a rare and expensive natural pure white metal, only platinum can be called platinum. It has the advantages of never fading and never wearing. Most of the watches made of platinum are limited grade and the best in the collection.
5. Ceramic case
Compared with stainless steel wristwatches, ceramic wristwatches are about 60% lighter and 10 times harder than stainless steel wristwatches. The main characteristics of high-tech ceramics are anti-wear and anti-corrosion. No matter how long you wear them, ceramics can make this watch look like it was when you bought it. Adapt to body temperature, not prone to allergic reactions, the disadvantage is fragile. Chanel and radar are high frequency users of high-tech ceramics.
6. Titanium case
The advantage is that it is 30% harder than steel, much lighter than steel, corrosion-resistant and rust proof. Several watches made of titanium metal are mentioned: the pilot series iw327006 of the universal watch, the timing series v1731110 / bd74 / 109w / m20basa. 1 of the Breitling machine, RM 010 of the Richard mill men's series, 411.nm.1170.rx of the big bang series, pam00389 of the luminor 1950 series.
7. Sapphire case
Everyone generally knows the sapphire material, which is widely used in the surface mirror sapphire glass. In fact, there are sapphire cases, but they are rare. High transparency, high hardness will not be scratched by general materials. The price is generally more expensive. Sapphire case is not recommended for daily wear.
8. Tungsten steel case
The hardness is close to the natural diamond, not easy to wear, the brightness is like a mirror, never fade. Tungsten steel was originally a kind of color - silver, now it can be electroplated into gold and black. The disadvantage is that it doesn't fall because it is easy to break.
9. Carbon brazed case (forged carbon)
Lighter than titanium, harder than titanium, and very ductile. There is no defect, the only defect is expensive! For example, the Epee Royal Oak Offshore series 15706au.oo.a002ca.01 wristwatch.
10, bronze
Because of its poor corrosion resistance, copper is easy to oxidize, corrode by sweat, or sensitive to skin. So they all use steel as the back cover. However, the current retro trend prefers the copper case to be oxidized. The oxidation-reduction process is worth savoring. For example, when Zhenli, bronze flies.
11. Palladium
Precious metal, a member of the platinum group, has a silver white metallic luster and bright color. Compared with platinum, it is lighter in weight and higher in hardness, and is not easy to oxidize and lose luster under normal conditions. It is rarer than platinum in purity, rarity and durability. Some of the world's top brands, such as Jiang shidanton, Athens watch, Cartier and Parma Johnny, have used palladium as watch case.
12, plastic
The watch brands with plastic case are not very high-end, but fashionable and practical. Taking Casio as an example, most of them are plastic case, which are popular with young people.
There are also many rare materials, such as ceratanium porcelain titanium metal case, high-tech diamond, carbon steel, ceramos titanium carbide cermet and so on.
