Is titanium really better?

I love to have a titanium watch, particularly one made like a Damasko DS30. The DS30 is already thin and light, so a titanium version would be amazing. 

I don't have any titanium watches, because often times titanium is used to make a massive watch lighter, and I prefer smaller/thin watches. 

Nice post. I’ve never had a titanium watch, but want one. I have an allergy to metal, so typically use NATO straps to get around it. I’ve heard titanium sidesteps this, but am a bit apprentice try it. Did it prove to be worthwhile for you? I know Citizen has titanium models that won’t break the bank. And sorry to hear about the windshield. 

Titanium is used to make prosthesis and artificial joints so it's very well tolerated by the human's immune system. I can't make a categoric declaration that you won't get a rash from titanium but I'm pretty sure that the chances of this happening are very close to nil.

Citizen is indeed one of the most known brand that sells titanium watches and they are well regarded. My problem is that I don't like the style of their watches and their size.

And the windshield is one of these problems that disappear once you throw money at it, which all things considered is the kind of problems that are the easiest to deal with in life.

Ive been considering trying a titanium watch for a while now, but just havent found one that screams at me. There is the Pelagos models, but those are much more serious commitments! Unfortunately, for likely reasons you mentioned, there arent many designs produced in Titanium. 

I have had some aluminum case watches from Timex however. I gotta say they do feel cheap, but I think if they had saphire instead of acrylic or mineral crystals I would be happy with that and not feel the need to pay a titanium premium.

The only other watches of this material that peak my interest are RZE Resolute models. But they are pricey for a microbrand. Maybe Ill give in one day...

I say go for Boldr offerings, @tonmed. There are titanium watches in their field watches line and they are reasonably priced.

Thanks, friend. I appreciate your insight. Glad you are well too.

That is unfortunate that titanium is either used to make massive watches lighter or just as a pricey substitute for a previous SS case instead of leveraging its advantages and create extra thin and tough cases.

Titanium is indeed a no brainer to use for field watches but even there it's not very common.

Depends on the field watch. 

Companies like Marathon make field watches out of composite materials to keep weight and cost down. Marathon makes field watches to be issued to, or bought by actual troops though.

Brands making field watches as a fashion item would likely benefit from titanium though, as proved by Hamilton and Boldr. 

nods

 Agreed.

One of the reasons I bought this watch was because titanium just felt so different. I also enjoy looking at the finishing on this piece, as I feel the contrast between brushed and polished surface is much more stark compared to that on stainless steel.

I also enjoy the darker and warmer colour of the metal. I feel that it works better for me. 

My current goal is to add a Pelagos when life let's me 😁 As for the question: depends. I want variety in my collection so I'll have steel watches around as well, maybe hopefully a gold watch someday too.

I have a Citizen Skyhawk and more recently a Ray Mears in titanium. The Ray Mears has a finish which is coated with something which means it never seems to scratch up no matter how much it is worn which is pretty impressive.

I have just ordered a phoebus 300m Titanium diver which has a similar coated titanium treatment. I will let you know how I get on with it!

For me the lightness and toughness are a winner!

I would like the Titanium Black Birch Grand Seiko , as the  grade quality of the Titanium is exceptionally good , as is the watch , the price puts a crimp in my plans though , Ceramic cases have my interest a tad more if I am going to part with a few thousand dollars on a watch , I would need to sell a few pieces to free up the cash required , so at this point my mantra is “you like it , you like it you don't need it “ keep walking ….

I'm afraid that you will stop lusting after ceramic watches the first time you will see a chipped or cracked case.

I did rock this Boldr for a period, but sold it just as I joined WC. I agree on your points about Ti, but I can add that also feels softer and warmer against the skin than steel. And scratches seems more like superficial smudges. The only negatives would be that the ticking of the watch may sound tinny and screw down crowns may feel a bit gritty 🤔

Very glad you are OK after that accident. I‘m a fan of titanium watches, but I do find they vary in comfort. The GS and Omega watches I have are great, some, like Ball are less comfortable, particularly in the bracelets, which can feel sharp. I’ve commented on this before https://www.watchcrunch.com/TimeToDesign/posts/poll-904l-vs-316l-does-it-matter-to-you-19593#comment-233206. Thanks for the note. 

Hey sorry to hear about your windshield. I have a titanium seiko that I love. It wears well and it is definitely much lighter. I have no allergy issues so for me it's ok. Some people don't like it because they say it feels cheap but for me I don't have that feeling.

It gave us a nasty surprise when we saw how the crack kept expanding from the point of impact, but that's really nothing in the grand scheme of things.

The funny thing with allergies is that you don't have them until you do. I began to get rashes from the button of my Levis about the same time I got itching skin on my skin from the watch. It's been years since I had further reactions to SS but it doesn't mean it can't happen again.

I have seen Boldr, decent designs for sure. They just havent excited me the way other microbrands have thats all. But their field medic I could warm up to.

Ive seen Bertucci as well as @ckim4watches suggested, but again just not 100% on their designs. Field watches are always a 50/50 for me.

I am curious about maintenance though. @cornfedksboy have you actually buffed out scratches before on Ti? Whats the technique for that?

There is titanium, and then there is hardened titanium like the Citizen Duratect version, and other advanced formulations by other manufacturers as well.  I think the main draw will always be that it is lighter, the other benefits are less important.

I have not done this…pure reading. 

I have no opinion except that the ways to save weight that I have found most effective are to use a quartz movement and have a small watch case. Thus I find the use of titanium and other lightweight materials in mechanical watches of modern sizes to be rather futile.

As a mechanical engineer, I have to wholeheartedly agree with @SurferJohn. 

I see four objective differences to using titanium. However, I think that all four of these are subjective in how important they are (or are not) to an individual person.

1. Reduction of mass for the same size case
2. Allergic reactivity
3. Coefficient of thermal conductivity (titanium feels "warmer" since it doesn't transfer heat as readily as stainless steel)
4. The "look"

The toughness argument is specious at best. First of all, grade 2 titanium actually has less tensile strength than 316L stainless steel for a given unit of mass.  But let's say for the sake of argument that a watch is designed be "stronger" using titanium.  I think we can all agree: If you need more tensile strength in a watch than stainless steel provides, you are not using your watches correctly. Some companies also try to make toughness this ultimate selling point. As much as I love Damasko (and I really love them), the fact that their steel can deform more without fatigue cracking is absolutely meaningless in the world of mechanical watches. Great for submarines, meaningless for watches. It's just marketing.

Now as to what you give up when choosing titanium over stainless steel, it is absolutely a softer metal, which means it will scratch more easily unless it is somehow hardened (Grade 5) or treated (e.g. DLC).  Based on the fact that the secondary market proves that scratches are objectively viewed as reducing a watch's value, I have to conclude that the majority of people view scratch resistance as a desirable property in a watch. Thus, titanium is objectively "worse" in this area. For me, this single attribute is far more meaningful than the four listed above. YMMV.

Then again, companies make watches out of gold, which literally has ONLY ONE THING going for it: its perceived beauty/value.  Every other material property of gold is objectively terrible for a watch.  But they continue to sell a bunch of them, so it clearly comes down to what you value and think is important.

And by the way, I say all of the above as a titanium watch owner (but no gold). 😀

I had a titanium watch as my only watch for about a decade. (Seiko SQ100) The titanium held up perfectly, and the watch is still a pleasure to wear. The finishing and the crystal took a beating, but I would buy another titanium watch in a heartbeat, and in fact I have. 

And I agree with @OscarKlosoff , it's the combination with a quartz movement that allows the case to be really thin, and you can forget that you have them on your wrist.

I think its not just about weight. And to be fair size and movement are only two small variables in weight IMHO. Ive had two quartz Timex chronos. One was steel with a mineral crystal and had a comfortable weight. The other was aluminum and acrylic crystal and felt too light. Both same movement, same size, both nato straps.

If the watch is on a bracelet the difference in weight is even more noticeable. Not to mention center of gravity affects perceived weight. My King Turtle is technically heavier than my Mako but the Turtle feels lighter on wrist because the weight distribution is better (i.e. weight shifts less).

So I would argue materials and case design matter more in fact to how heavy a watch is and feels vs size and movement. I mean obviously size matters, but to a lesser degree by comparison is all Im saying. Using titanium vs steel or other materials is more preference than necessary, I agree with that.

I picked up this Mido Ocean Star Captain Titanium a few weeks ago.

In regards to Biocompatibility, it's not really an issue for me as I work daily with 304 and 316L stainless steel building things for beverage, brewing and food  plants.  If I had any sensitivity to Nickel, my career would be about thirty years shorter.  But I do understand that if you do suffer from such, Ti is a viable alternative to SS alloys.

For me the lightness is a plus. Some of my work can be physically violent with a lot of motion. It's surprising how much a heavy watch beat up the muscle around your wrist and the back of your hand. 

I like the look of this Mido. They've integrated the colour of the Ti into the design of the watch so it all compliments itself.  I've also got an SWC Arc (quartz) which also looks great and it's more of a bead blasted finish.

The toughness thing is a bit of a misnomer. It's not as tough as some steels but it has greater ductility. It's a bitch to machine unless you have very sharp tools and very specific coolant in your machines. I believe the best way for making a watch case would be to heat and stamp a form with final machining being only for final surface tolerance and end surface finishing.

So while you will have a hard time deforming your watch case, you can scratch the bracelet up pretty easily.

The one thing that isn't talked about is the sonic characteristics of Ti. I have to almost have my regular 316 cased watches up to my ear to hear them tick.  With this Mido, I can hear the movement quite clearly from a few inches away.

All that being said, I wasn't sure if this was going to be a watch I kept or sold on but I have to admit that even though it's been a short while, I find it on my wrist more often than not, selected over other watches in my collection that were in regular rotation.

As light as it is, it doesn't feel cheap but it does feel well squared away.

I own both titanium and ceramic watches and can say the titanium watch feels like their is nothing on my wrist ,I have knocked it on various things with no damage at all .The ceramic is a lot heavier,this too has been knocked against objects the worst being a marble countertop again no damage (probably tempted fate ) from what I read dropping ceramic watches on hard surfaces can crack them so I am careful putting in on and taking off 

Yes. Purely from the science as you note. It's lighter, stronger, and you can't be allergic to it (or have your body reject it). 

If you need proof of durability, have a look at this #seiko 6923-5040 SQ100:

Gold plated, but with a titanium nitride coating (both case and bracelet). Barely a scratch on it despite being 40 years old:

Did you know: the Soviet Union was quite good at making (refining?) Titanium. When the US built the SR71 Blackbird, most of the ritanium used was purchased by the CIA through various front companied, from the USSR, and imported to America to make spy planes that then spied on the USSR. Just another reason titanium is cool. 

The soviets were excellent metallurgists, I once read that plenty of titanium watches from the 90-00's were made from titanium scavenged from the decommissioned Soviet's submarine fleet.

You ever tried polishing titanium? I just did my 10 yr old Seiko Chrono, and it changed drastically from the dull matte finish, to quite shiny. Was it coated? Idk.