expensive, heavy and high coefficient of thermal expansion + inoxidizable, malleable (hardness number of 2.5), attractive Violet-purple gold: 75% gold + 25% aluminum.It exists in natural state, known as electrum. Green gold: 75% gold + 24% silver + 1% cadmium.White gold: 75% gold + 10% silver + 15% palladium.Very popular for repeating and chiming watches. Rose gold: 75% gold + 6% silver + 19% copper.Naturally pale yellow, it can be alloyed with other metals, increasing its resistance and/or changing its color: Gold is mostly used in watchmaking for esthetic reasons, most often for cases and rotors. It is very commonly used in watchmaking due to its resistance to corrosion, most notably in the machining of cogwheels, bridges and plates. Once cooled, it is three times tougher than stainless steel.ĭeveloped by scientists Chorier and Maillot (hence its alternative name, Maillechort), nickel silver is an alloy composed of copper, nickel and zinc. Its melting point is half that of conventional titanium-based alloys. Liquidmetal®, an amorphous metal alloy composed of zirconium, titanium, copper, nickel and beryllium, was introduced onto the market in 2003. Relatively cheap and offering an excellent friction coefficient, it is also used for inexpensive watch cases. Its generic name is Fe-Ni36%.īrass, an alloy of copper and zinc, is traditionally used to manufacture plates, bridges, various components and bearings for clocks and watches. It allows the production of hairsprings for watch movements.

Invar is an iron-nickel alloy developed by the Swiss physicist Charles-Edouard Guillaume at the start of the 20th century, boasting a very low coefficient of thermal expansion. In addition, given its capacity for resisting corrosion, wear and seawater, the 'white copper' variant is used in water-sports watches, for the bridges, cogwheels and hands. risk of breakage due to its lack of pliancyĬopper, offering the best mechanical properties of all copper-based alloys in terms of toughness and a low coefficient of thermal expansion, thus tends to be used to replace tempered steel in springs, balance wheels and hands.

Three to four times more resistant than steel, ceramic allows the creation of more efficient and durable systems for automatic rewinding. Ultra-resistant and very light, this material - very common in aeronautics - is used by most watchmaking brands to make ball bearings that do not require lubrication. + its weight (1.8g/cm3) and resistance to pressure

It's only in recent years hat they've also come to be an integral part of the movement, in place of more traditional alloys. It may also be chosen for making wristwatch cases, as long as it's been treated beforehand to avoid unpleasant odors and allergies.Ĭarbon-fiber composite materials have long been used only for watch cases. Made up of copper and tin, bronze is used for bearing and rubbing components. It's especially common in the production of flinqué dials and cases. Whether we're talking about it as a precious metal or just a coating, silver is used just as much in watchmaking and jewelry making as in silversmithery. In 1821, Pierre Berthier discovered an ore that consisted of between 50 and 60% aluminum oxide, but watchmakers didn't begin using it until 70 years later, as a component of various alloys, though it's still quite rarely seen in movements. The 316L variant is found primarily in our watch cases, but it could work for any part. STAINLESS STEELĪn alloy of iron, chromium and carbon, steel is considered stainless when its chromium content is at least 13%, as this increases its resistance to corrosion. But have you ever asked yourself exactly what materials are used in watchmaking? Whether manufacturers mostly prefer steel, gold, platinum, titanium, or even ceramic for adorning their watches, the range of materials grows even larger when we're talking about movements.įrom cases to straps by way of movements, hands and bridges, here's a non-exhaustive list of the components of your favourite timepieces, along with their specific features. The different materials used in watchmaking

Horology watches