Most watches are made of stainless steel. Stainless steel is fine for watchmaking, but surely a metal that is both lighter and stronger is better, right? The watch industry today knows titanium well and boasts of its many beneficial properties. However, the watch, first used in 1970, has been almost forgotten.
It is so overlooked that for a long time another watch from ten years later held the title of the first titanium chronometer. Sorry, 1980 IWC x Porsche Design Chronograph, that honor goes to Japanese watchmaker Citizen, who only produced around 2,000 examples of its titanium chronometer X-8 in 1970. And good luck finding a vintage model today.
Why hasn’t titanium always been popular?
Given all of its benefits, titanium seems like an obvious choice not only for military and aerospace applications, but also for wristwatches. However, some of the things that make titanium an attractive “high performance” material, such as its impressive strength, are also the reason it is more expensive and more difficult to work with than steel.
When the watch industry talks about steel and titanium, it usually means 316L stainless steel and specifically grade 5 titanium, although there are variants of both with different properties. In general, however, titanium’s lightness is its main advantage. While watch brands often claim that titanium is “stronger than steel,” it is also softer – that is, it scratches more easily if it is not specially treated.
Although watch brands often claim that titanium is “stronger than steel,” it is also softer – meaning it scratches more easily unless specially treated.
Interestingly, the Citizen X-8 Chronometer’s case back proudly touts “scratch-resistant.” It’s difficult to verify Citizen’s claim or, if true, know exactly how the “scratch-resistant” was achieved. However, we do know that the X-8 Chronometer’s case, bezel, and crown are said to be made from 99.6% pure titanium. At 45,000 JPY (about $421), it was one of the brand’s most expensive watches at the time of its launch.
