Titanium is a light, strong transition metal used for watch cases. It resists corrosion, is non-magnetic and is described as hypoallergenic and non-toxic. These qualities suit it to modern watches. It has drawbacks too. Its surface scratches easily, and the metal is difficult to work.
When was titanium first used in a watch?
Citizen’s X-8 Chronometer of 1970 is described as the first watch made of titanium. Its cases were hard to mass-produce, so fewer than 2,000 were offered for sale. The trouble was the metal itself. Shaping titanium in a press, cutting it on a machine and bringing it to a polish are all difficult. Duratect is Citizen’s proprietary surface-hardening treatment for titanium. It gives the metal scratch-resistant, highly polished surfaces in many colours. That matters because titanium’s surface scratches easily.
What is the difference between Grade 2 and Grade 5 titanium?
Grade 2 titanium is almost pure, at about 99% titanium. The rest is small amounts of iron, oxygen, carbon and nitrogen. Grade 5 is an alloy rather than near-pure metal. For a watch, the difference shows in the finish. Grade 5 can be given a fine polished finish. Grade 2 cannot. So when a maker states the grade of a titanium case, it tells you something about the surface you can expect.
Where it comes from
The element was first found by William Gregor, a Cornish clergyman. He analysed black magnetic sand from the Menachan valley and published his results in 1791. Gregor named both the element and the ore he found it in menaccanite. The name used today came a few years later. In 1795 Martin Heinrich Klaproth named the element after the Titans of Greek mythology.
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