When you move into the market to shop for watches, most classic timepieces are made of stainless steel cases and bands. Some casual wristwatches feature leather straps combined with metallic cases. Although most watch manufacturing companies also use other materials for watch cases including titanium and carbon fibers, steel still remains the best watch material that people prefer for fashion wear timepieces. More importantly, steel is corrosion-free, stronger and can’t rust, for that reason plenty of people buy stainless steel watches for durability and ruggedness.
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Which is better Titanium Watches or Stainless Steel Watches?
While steel is greatly preferred for the elegant dress and tough outdoor watches, they are not suitable in some professions like aviation where weight is a concern. Because steel is heavier, it’s dominance is recently challenged by lightweight, durable and tougher alternatives like titanium.
Most off the watches for aeronautics are designed with harder light titanium cases. Also, many people are beginning to want lightweight watches on their wrists and buyers have to choose between and steel.
Titanium vs Stainless Steel watches : Affordability
Price is the first step where steel watches win titanium watches. Since price bargain is an important consideration when most people are Shopping for watches, they tend to forego the rich quality and light weight design of titanium pieces, for stainless steel.
Steel material is readily available and cheaper, that watches with stainless steel cases have lower price tag than titanium watches with higher costs.
These do not mean there are not super expensive stainless steel watches like the oysters teen submariner Rolex watch. The elegance and the sapphire glass could be responsible.
In the same way, titanium is lightweight on wrist, but it's pretty expensive to afford. But there exists some affordable titanium watches, which are relatively not as budget friendlier as stainless steel options With the same design and from the same brand.
Titanium vs Stainless Steel: Strength
Stainless steel is a strong and rust-free watch material, and when it us designed to industry standards, its durability is higher. It is because of steel that most
Casio G-Shock watches are topping the list of best watches for fire fighters, police and the military.
The most durable Construction watches are also steel made, so that they are able to withstand tear, moisture, scratches and bangs against hard objects. The metallic watches can endure lots of rugged beatings, and survive occasional drops.
Casio ‘G Shock’Quartz Stainless Steel and Resin Casual Watch(Model: GST-S110-1ACR)
Compared to other materials, steel is not even strong as titanium is. Although titanium is lightweight, it has about three times the strength of steel. You got Surprised? You don't need to be, because that is the hard truth.
That is the reason why titanium is used for construction body of aircraft. It that can withstand an unimaginable amount of brutal forces of nature inside and outside the earth’s atmosphere.
This tells you that superman(the man of steel) is still less powerful unless he becomes the real man of titanium.
Obviously, the level of strength that titanium material has, may never be useful for designing fashion wrist watches. Such a toughness is only needed in tactical military timepieces, construction engineering watches and rugged outdoor sports. Steel is great for simple timepieces like causal every day dress watches and, business watches.
If you need the toughest tool watch for aviators, rugged outdoor use and driving, trying to compare price is useless. The hardness, strength and the power of titanium should be your only bargain and the best value.
Titanium vs Stainless Steel: Weight
Titanium is considerable harder and lighter than steel. That is why titanium is used to make best lightweight watches and also has a widespread use in the aerospace industry.
The fact that titanium is the hardest material that does not weigh at all makes it a real asset in the reliable construction of rockets, space ships and vehicles. It also makes an invaluable part of watches for astronauts and NASA engineers.
Citizen Men's Eco-Drive Titanium Perpetual Chrono Atomic Timekeeping Watch
Citizen Men’s Eco-Drive Titanium watch has weight 11.2 ounces, very similar watch with stainless steel weighs near 15.2 ounces
Despite the expensive cost, thing why some people love wearing titanium watches is because the lighter titanium watch case or band is easy and comfortable wrists. Men and women with thin wrists won't even notice they are wearing a titanium watch on their wrists, all day long.
Titanium vs Stainless Steel: Health
Nickel is a material used to electroplated metals including steel for watch parts. This is to prevent oxidation of metallic watch parts like case, gears and springs. This protection give the watch an ever shiny metallic appearance.
The anomalies of nickel-steel alloy is dangerous to people's health when they make direct skin contact with the watch case or bracelet. Nickel is liberated easily from steel alloy surface.
People with nickel allergies have risk of health failing if they wear steel watches that are not nickel- free. Nickel allergies includes skin rashes and general body discomfort from wearing nickel steel watches.
As a result, people with nickel allergies should do their best to avoid nickel steel consumer jewelry even timepieces with hypoallergic stainless-steel.
Titanium watches are nickel-free because it is hypoallergic in nature. A layer of oxide covers it, protecting it from oxidation. This prevents titanium watches from rusting and casing allergic reactions when it interacts with sensitive human skin.
So people with sensible and delicate skin that is allergic to nickel should go for titanium watches if they are looking for durable, tough watches.
Best Titanium Watches For Men & Women.
Victorinox Swiss Army Men's 'I.N.O.X.' Swiss Quartz Titanium and Leather Casual Watch.
Victorinox Swiss Army Men's 'I.N.O.X.' Swiss Quartz Stainless Steel and Rubber Casual Watch
Finally to compare
Stainless steel is shinier than titanium, and it's glowing appearance offers a natural shimmering effects that is purely attractive. That is why vintage and old steel watches are still looking newer.
Titanium is the choicest in terms of Strength, Weight, and Allergy but very highly price and luxurious. Stainless steel watches are readily affordable and more cheaper. The low price of steel watches is captivating.
It is just personal taste and subjective comparison. When g for tough watches, Pick the timepieces that are right for you, while bearing in mind the material difference between the timepieces.
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So Why choose to buy stainless steel watch?
Probably you have made a decision to buy a stainless steel watch. I guess that wasn't an easy decision to make given there are many materials available for watchmaking ranging from plastics, silicone and leather. When we talk of classy looking watches that go with every formal occasional dresses and suits, stainless steel watches are the first category to come to mind and the most preferred style. You certainly are going to have a formal occasion this year be it graduation, wedding, corporate meetings, and you need to have a stainless steel made watch in your watch collection.
Lets explore why someone would possibly consider going to pick a stainless steel watch instead of titanium.
1. Stainless steel watches are Rust-proof and Corrosion Resistant
Watches have different purposes. moisture and chloride oxidation can render a beautifully looking stainless steel bracelet weaker and may develop holes in the watch case and band. Since a diving watch gets constantly exposed to water or damped air so often, it must be made from a high quality steel material in order to last. Anti-corrosive stainless steel material makes your watch case and band to remain shiny and strong for long without losing color.
2. Pure stainless steel is not allergic
Some people have Nickel (and some metal) allergy when they wear stainless steel watches that have nickel as one of the alloy components in the bracelet. If you are metal allergic, get a pure steel watch. There are many watches made from high grade pure stainless steel material (also called surgical grade stainless steel) that is nickel-free. For medical and health reason, you will often hear pure steel timepieces labeled as 316L grade or hypoallergenic watches to distinguish them from other nickel alloy watches.
3. Stainless steel watches are hard and durable
What would you expect military watches to be made of - plastic or steel? Obviously steel. Think about construction work watches, they get banged very often from heavy duty machinery, rods and concrete walls. Durability is one of the most important feature everyone expect in an ideal watch for outdoor rugged use. If you want a watch to withstand daily wears and tears, you'll probably go for a stainless steel constructed model. Stainless steel watches for rugged professions are near indestructible, so field watches are made to endure every beating and stay unbreakable. that is why watch makers choose to build them with hard metal material made of iron.
4. Stainless steel is shiny, charming and attractive
The jewelry makers have one mission in mind, on how to add value - and that is to produce eye-catching and attractive pieces of jewelries. Most high-end luxury watches designed for women, come with very attractive, exceptionally crafted stainless steel bracelet. That is the reason why stainless steel watches still stand tall as a highly preferred object of fashion.
5. Stainless steel watches are affordable
Very common with watch enthusiasts on budget, the price tag is often the most important consideration. Watches with titanium bands, case and bezel are highly expensive than some steel coated models. Since stainless steel is readily available, such affordable stainless steel watches have the appearance of high-end models. You'll even see some of them have a homage and classic looks, almost competing with the luxury Rolex models.
6. Stainless steel is easy to clean
It is easy to clean a shiny stainless steel strap than silicone bands. Watches for medical professionals like doctors and surgeons need to have easy and quick cleansing from infectious body fluid, so stainless steel constructed watches can be an excellent choice for them.
Stainless Steel Material Grades
Let's first identify and list the quality signs to look for when buying a stainless steel watch. It is understandable that consumer find it difficult to determine the quality of the stainless steel material in the watch bracelet or watch case. A quality stainless steel is not a pure metal, it is an alloy ( mixture of metals made up of primarily iron, carbon and a bit of chromium). This composition is to endure the final material has excellent resistance against tough conditions and anti-corrosive. Stainless steel doesn’t stain, it is rustproof(does not rust or corrode) when exposed to moisture. These properties make it suitable material for making durable outdoor watches, including smartwatches.
Beware of Fake stainless steel
You must look out for watches labeled as stainless steel when they are not. You would likely find cheapest watches stainless steel smart watches that are made of material (alloys) that are decorated to look like stainless steel. though it can be a nice budget price smartwatch, but they easily corrode when exposed to air, moisture and other elements. Expect them to easily lose their bracelet color. The different stainless Steel Grades have different composition of metals, so they would have different strengths, weakness and level of resistance.
201 stainless steel
It is the lowest grade of stainless steel for watch cases and bands . The 201 stainless steel grade is made from iron and about 15-20% chromium and 2-5% nickel . In terms of hardness, a 201 stainless steel smartwatch is the toughest but has the lowest resistance against corrosion and rusting. Hope you won't mind having a smartwatch with a strong stainless steel band but which easily loses it color in open air and moisture.
304L stainless steel
It is very common and it is of good quality grade made from iron 18 and 20 percent chromium and up to 12 percent nickel. If you find a stainless steel watch with the 304L grade, you sure have a nice timepiece whose bracelet can withstand corrosion and won't get rust oxidizing agents. However, the downside of 304L stainless steel watches is that their bands are very susceptible to chloride corrosion causing small holes in the metal strap.
316L stainless steel grade
This is a premium choice for most luxury watchmakers like Omega. A 316L stainless steel watch case or strap looks almost similar to 304L bracelets. The only exceptions that 316 incorporate 2.5% molybdenum to add resistance against chloride corrosion, hence, 316 has a superior quality and resistance. you would often hear it mostly referred as surgical grade stainless steel since the grade is preferable for biomedical equipments and applications. Watches made of this grade are good for marine purposes - watches with marine grade stainless steel.
904L Premium Stainless steel
This is super resistant stainless steel material. if watch manufacturer wants to compete with the famous Rolex, they should use this steel grade for producing their watches. With high amounts of chromium (19-23%), molybdenum (5%) and nickel (23-28%), expect it to be the hardest, the most corrosion resistant and rust-free. The high grade of Nickel might makes a watch with 904l stainless steel band unsuitable for people with Nickel allergy.
Apple Watch stainless steel vs Aluminum
Let's us see why Apple Watch stainless steel versions are better than Aluminum models.
Both stainless steel Apple watches and aluminum built Apple Watch glitters and look shiny and attractive. You won't pass unnoticed.
However, Stainless steel and Sapphire Crystal glass crystal are stronger and durable materials that can everyday beatings. They are resistant to Scratches which are not even noticeable.
Aluminum Apple watches are praised for being lightweight on wrist, but lacks the durability.
