Forging Time: Nine Watches Built With Revolutionary Materials

Since the creation of the first water clocks and sundials, mankind’s endeavour to count the seconds, minutes, hours and days has evolved in tandem with technological advances. This month, we select nine timepieces that encapsulate both material innovations and material revolutions.

Richard Mille RM 35-03 Automatic Winding Rafael Nadal

An early pioneer of advanced materials, Richard Mille was one of the first watchmakers to create cases using carbon fibre, a revolutionary choice in the early 2000s when they were mostly made from precious metals and stainless steel. Now, after more than two decades of research, development and innovation, Richard Mille has taken a huge leap by creating Carbon TPT and Quartz TPT, two materials exclusive to the brand that are used in the RM 35-03 timepiece created for tennis legend Rafael Nadal. The materials are produced by layering parallel filaments obtained by dividing carbon fibres or silica threads, which are then impregnated with resin, woven together and heat-treated in high pressure
to create an incredibly lightweight yet robust watch case and band.

Roger Dubuis Excalibur Monobalancier DBEX0949

In 2020, Roger Dubuis unveiled a new material named mineral composite fibre, or MCF, a pristine, radiant white alloy engineered from 99.95 percent silica, in which numerous layers are compressed through a sheet moulding compound process. The result, as evidenced in the resulting Excalibur Monobalancier DBEX0949 of 2021, is a material that’s 13 percent lighter than carbon fibre and 2.5 times lighter than ceramic, as well as being easier to machine. It’s also highly resistant to UV light, meaning its clear white tone will remain stable and won’t yellow as easily over the years. MCF was subsequently used in the brand’s Excalibur Spider Countach DBEX0988, a Lamborghini-inspired timepiece of which only eight pieces were made.

IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Ceratanium

Another material that’s recently come to the forefront of watchmaking is ceramic. You’ll find it gracing the bezels of many dive watches, such as those from Rolex and Omega, but IWC Shaffhausen has gone further by combining the material with titanium to create a new composite named Ceratanium. The patented material combines the best of both worlds, bringing the lightness and toughness of titanium with the scratch-resistance of ceramic to construct one of the most robust aviation watches you can find: the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Ceratanium. Powered by the manufacture 69385 movement, the chronograph also features a day-date display at 3 o’clock and a 46-hour power reserve.

Hublot Big Bang Integrated Tourbillon Full Blue Sapphire

Given the hardness of sapphire and the difficulties of machining the material, its use in watchmaking has long been restricted to protecting the watch’s dial. Never one to turn down a challenge, however, Hublot decided to see how far it could take the material, the result being a series of timepieces constructed almost entirely of sapphire, except for the movement. Various metal oxide combinations are also introduced to achieve a spectrum of colours, which can significantly complicate the production process. Nonetheless, the luxury Swiss watchmaker has managed to master the growing, tinting and machining crystals to create veritable works of art under its flagship Big Bang collection. They include this Integrated Tourbillon in an almost enigmatic indigo hue, which is limited to just 10 examples.

Ulysse Nardin Blast Skeleton X Carbonium Gold

Mankind has sought and chased after gold for thousands of years, the shimmering precious metal serving for millennia as an emblem of wealth and prosperity. So when the watchmakers began innovating with high-tech materials, some – like Ulysse Nardin – decided the natural next step would be to integrate gold into them. With the help of the French start-up Lavoisier Composites, the manufacture in Le Locle, Switzerland, has developed Carbonium, a green spin on carbon fibre that’s 40 to 50 percent eco-friendlier than its traditional counterpart. Two-thirds carbon fibre is fused under high pressure with one-third epoxy used as a glue, with gold threads integrated during the process to create Carbonium Gold. As seen on Ulysse Nardin’s Blast Skeleton X 43mm, the resulting finish almost resembles woodgrain.

Panerai Submersible Carbotech PAM02616

Another spin on carbon fibre is Panerai’s trademarked Carbotech, a composite the Italian watchmaker began researching more than a decade ago. With a matte black appearance and a woodgrain-like pattern, the material is produced by compressing thin sheets of carbon fibre in precisely controlled temperatures and pressures together with Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK), a high-tech polymer. The result is a composite that’s lighter than titanium and stronger than steel, making it perfect for outdoor or combat environments, with the latter demonstrated last year through a collaboration with the US Navy Seals. Those unable to pick up one of those extremely limited editions can also turn to the brand’s Submersible Carbotech PAM02616, a fully automatic tool watch with a power reserve of three days and 30-bar water resistance.

A Lange & Söhne Tourbograph Perpetual Honeygold “Homage to F A Lange”

While the likes of Ulysse Nardin have incorporated gold into high-tech materials, more traditional watchmakers such as A Lange & Söhne have focused on developing a proprietary gold with improved material properties. To celebrate the 165th anniversary of its founding, the brand unveiled Honeygold in 2010, though its chemical formula remains tightly under wraps. What we do know, however, is that silicon is involved in the alloy, which significantly increases its hardness, which is almost akin to that of platinum. Its metallurgic composition also results in a unique appearance, somewhere between yellow rose golds, which can easily be seen in this Tourbograph Perpetual Honeygold “Homage to F A Lange”. 

Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono Lucent Steel

When talking about high-tech materials, it’s easy to overlook the good old stainless steel we’ve trusted and loved for so long. In its effort to bring this metal staple up to date, Chopard has worked in partnership with Voestalpine Böhler to develop Lucent Steel A223, an alloy known for anti-allergenic properties that some have compared to surgical steel, but which is much harder than traditional stainless steel and can achieve an even glossier and more reflective finish. A perfect example of the use of Lucent Steel is in Chopard’s Alpine Eagle XL Chrono, a 44mm sports watch whose Lucent Steel case is paired with navy-blue rubber strap that matches the Aletsch dial.

MCT Sequential One S110 EVO Vantablack

You may have noticed that most material innovations used by the watch industry are mainly focused on case construction. However, Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps (MCT) has taken a different approach by employing one of this century’s most interesting coatings, Vantablack, for its dials. The material involves the use of carbon nanotubes whose thickness measures a millionth of a millimetre, all of which work together to absorb 99.965 percent of light shone on to it. Hailed by its inventor as “the blackest material in the universe, after a black hole,” it makes objects almost impossible to see. If you’re curious as to what staring into the void really feels like, you only need to strap on MCT’s Sequential One S110 Evo Vantablack to find out.