Watchmakers Pushing Advance Materials to The Limit - Men's Folio
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Watchmakers Pushing Advance Materials to The Limit

  • By Asaph Low

Watchmakers continue to push the boundaries of advance materials with the tried-and-tested alongside special alloys and compositions.

Panerai Advance Material — Goldtech

Watches Pushing Advance Materials to the LimitPanerai Luminor Chrono Goldtech Blue Notte PAM01111 in Goldtech with alligator leather strap

Unlike standard gold, Panerai’s strikingly modern Goldtech is engineered with a percentage of copper and platinum that imbues the material with a rich and intense red hue while extending the lifetime by preventing it from oxidising.

Omega Advance Material — Bronze Gold

Omega Seamaster 300 Co‑Axial Master Chronometer 41mm in bronze gold with leather strap

The patent-pending bronze gold alloy was created by Omega by combining 9K gold, palladium and silver that offers incomparable corrosion resistance. Its soft pink-hued case ages slowly and retains its natural beauty without verdigris.

Longines Advance Material — Titanium

Watches Pushing Advance Materials to the LimitLongines Avigation BigEye in titanium with leather strap

Lightweight, strong and highly corrosion-resistant, titanium alloy — commonly used in aircraft parts — is highly adopted by the watchmaking industry for its desirable properties. Titanium is also known for its distinct silvery grey shade, as seen on the Longines Avigation BigEye.

Hublot Advance Material — Carbon Fibre

Hublot Big Bang Unico Golf in carbon fibre and Texalium upper layer with black rubber and white calf leather strap

Known for its distinct patterns and lightness, the carbon fibre case is further strengthened by Texalium — comprising thin layers of fiberglass-based fabric — to further reinforce the case of the Big Bang Unico Golf.

CASIO G-Shock Advance Material — Cobarion and DAT55G

CASIO G-Shock MRG-B2000BS Hana-Basara in DAT55G Titanium case & Cobarion bezel with DAT55G bracelet

CASIO G-SHOCK employs Cobarion and DAT55G, two advance material alloys that are up to four and three times harder than titanium respectively. The Cobarion alloy used in the bezel stands out in particular as its composition of cobalt, molybdenum and chromium imparts a brilliant gleam that rivals platinum.

Photography Ching | Greenplasticsoldiers
Art Direction Izwan Abdullah
Styling Manfred Lu

This story about Advanced Watch Materials first appeared in the May ’21 issue of Men’s Folio Singapore.