Stainless steel and watches
Various
Stainless steel and watches
When looking for the perfect watch we consider many factors. One of them is the material of which the timepiece is made. For years, devices made of stainless steel have been extremely popular. Why is it so? Is stainless steel hypoallergenic? Continue reading to find out.
What is stainless steel?
In the watch production, steel is mainly used to create cases and bracelets as they are more durable than, for example, those made of plastic. Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, which is widely used in industry. Stainless steel is corrosion-resistant and that is why it is used to make jewellery and watches. In the jewellery sector, 316L stainless steel is most commonly used.
316L stainless steel
316L stainless steel is an alloy of iron, chromium and nickel, as well as several other elements in small proportions, e.g. carbon. Although it includes nickel, which may cause some skin reactions, it’s entirely hypoallergenic. Skin irritations are almost impossible to occur in contact with 316L stainless steel. This type of steel has many advantages. Apart from the fact that it’s hypoallergenic and corrosion-resistant, it also doesn’t break, tarnish, dent and warp. However, we should avoid exposing steel parts to prolonged contact with chlorinated water as they can discolour. Some watch manufacturers indicate the type of stainless steel used to make a case or bracelet in the device specification. Even if the type of stainless steel isn’t specified, we can still assume that 316L stainless steel was used.
Stainless steel bracelets
The watch strap made of metal, e.g. steel is called a bracelet. Steel bracelets most often consist of links, the connections of which have several popular patterns. Mesh bracelets, mainly found in fashion watches, are a slightly different type of steel bracelets. They differ from the traditional ones not only in appearance. They allow for easier length adjustment and better adherence to the wrist. Steel bracelets are usually silver. However, we can also find many watches with gold, black or navy blue bracelets. The colour of the bracelet can be changed by applying a PVD coating. This thin-film coating is distinguished by its exceptional hardness and very high wear resistance.
When choosing a watch, it’s worth considering whether the case or bracelet is made entirely of steel or whether only a part of it is made of this material. It happens that the watch is made of plastic or ceramic and has only a steel element e.g. a bezel or a case back. It’s also noteworthy that the steel case backs can be engraved. Laser engraving is not always possible on plastic watch cases.
