The bronze watches that men want to own

Vintage watches are like a link connecting the modern and ancient years of technology. If you want to say which watch has the most retro charm, I think the bronze watch is definitely "deserved".

The characteristics of bronze watches are that they will gradually change color after years of use, forming irregular and uneven mottled patina on the surface.

Panerai

The first Bronzo copper watch PAM382 launched by Panerai in 2011 is the one that really brought the copper boom. It is also the first time that the brand has used dark green, which is different from other luxury watches that emphasize high-end materials.

Panerai Bronzo PAM382

This year, Panerai once again brought the new style PAM968 of the fourth-generation series of Bronzo, based on the SUBMERSIBLE series. The case is also made of bronze material and has a rotating bezel that can be used to calculate the diving time; the brand still uses the P.9010 automatic The winding movement can store power for three days.

In addition, this time the surface is brown, which is the same color as the Bronzo PAM907, which was specially produced in 2017 & the only one in the world. This time, the number of places has increased, and 1,000 pieces will be produced globally.

Zenith

Bronze watches have gained huge traction in the field of "barrier-free luxury", and the trend of watch brands has gradually moved closer to bronze watch materials.

Swiss luxury brand Zenith, which has a long history of making pilot watches, launched a bronze version of the pilot series TIPO CP-2 flyback watch last year.

Similar to the 15th Anniversary Edition of the PuristSPro, the new CP2 uses a new movement with a flyback function (El Primero Cal.405B), and the most striking is the new case material, using bronze and stainless steel cases Production, showing a new interpretation of the brand watch.

Vintage stainless steel case with turquoise grain and green oily nubuck leather strap, or bronze case with gradient bronze finish and rose gold needle-brown oily nubuck leather strap, no matter which one it is, the old look is very classic The retro atmosphere, without losing the sense of fashion.

Zenith TIPO CP-2 2018

The design of the transparent bottom of the titanium case allows a clear view of Zenith’s unparalleled high-frequency chronograph movement. The star mark is engraved on the oscillating weight, which not only indicates Zenith’s historical status, but also reflects the retro power of military watches.

Scuro

The relatively small young watch brand Scuro has also launched a pilot bronze watch, with a simple and neat appearance. The bronze case is made of CuSn8 of marine-grade bronze alloy. It is retro but has a hint of vitality and youth. The same applies to wearing.

Pinion

In addition, Pinion is also one of the few brands with non-pilot bronze watches, and I have to say that their bronze watches look fresh and stylish.

Its dial is also the core of the brand, with a simple and easy-to-read design, combined with a vintage bronze case and a brass base, creating a watch that resembles a microsecond artwork.

It is not difficult to find that the dial adopts a multi-layer design. The slightly raised circular horizontal surface holds the hour and minute hands, but the black finish is the same as the lower layer, and the finish of the inner layer enhances the depth difference between the upper and lower layers of the dial. There is a subtle contrast; the polished edges of the hands accentuate a touch of light, allowing this detail to come to the fore.

Even if the bronze watch is not worn, it will slowly oxidize in the air, and the strong metallic feeling on the appearance will gradually disappear, transforming into a retro and simple style, more like a replica of the artwork.

In terms of craftsmanship, it is roughly divided into a carved case, a brushed case and a polished case.

With the same material but different craftsmanship, the degree of oxidation will also be different, such as the degree of blackening and yellowing, green rust or mottled depth and so on.

Some beginners of copper watches may have only worn them for a few days, because the appearance of the oxidized copper watch is a bit "horrible".

If you can't tolerate this situation, you might as well wait patiently to see future changes, or use weak acid or weak base to reduce and re-oxidize.

The same material & same process will show different effects under different oxidation conditions.

Natural Oxidation Effect: The overall color and gloss are dull and unnatural.

Oxidation effect of wearing: Often worn, the secretion of human sebum and the oxidation of sweat and air will present a warm color and texture as a whole.

Blackening agent treatment effect: The blackening effect makes the copper watch old through artificial old methods. The engraved style is more suitable for a blackening effect, and the pattern effect of the case can be better highlighted by blackening.

Blackening treatment method:

Use the copper hair black water stock solution, dip the cotton swab into the hair black water, and apply it evenly on the engraved area. Then apply each engraved area in turn. After all the applications are dry, you can directly use a polishing block or polishing strip to polish without rinsing, so that the engraved layer can be highlighted until the desired effect is achieved.

The normal wearing of bronze watches will produce patina, which is also commonly known as patina, and copper will react to become patina due to the action of water and carbon dioxide.

When wearing a bronze watch, it is in contact with sweat on the skin. After the sweat erodes the watch case and is exposed to the air, the patina will be produced.

This kind of patina usually appears in the corners that are hard to touch (such as the crown), but bronze watches generally do not have large areas of patina, and there is basically no patina where it can be touched.

When the copper watch produces patina, that is, the oxidation process of the bronze watch, the wearer's wrist will also turn green (although most brands of copper watches use stainless steel bottom covers on the back, but there will still be contact at the lugs. part of the wrist), which is probably the more annoying bit.

Therefore, it is recommended to find a leather mop on the back of the watch to prevent direct contact between the watch and the wrist when there is a lot of sweating (such as when exercising outdoors in summer).

PS: If the bronze watch has patina, if it is not treated, it will not have much impact on the watch. Don't worry too much about the case being rusted.

The method of removing oxides after bronze surface oxidation:

The most useful and convenient way is to buy a bottle of copper rubbing water directly, pour the copper rubbing water on it with a soft cloth and wipe it directly. The watch is like new again.