Do Bronze Watches Make Sense in a Larger Collection?
I just had a notion to maybe get my first bronze watch. I'm not currently in a raw denim period, but I always enjoyed the process/results of imprinting myself in an object through wear. So doing something similar with a watch could be rewarding.
The issue is that it apparently takes a couple of weeks of constant use to start developing patina. But I have a collection of dozens of watches. It's pretty common that a piece only gets worn once or twice in a month, and that's the ones I really like. I doubt I could stick to wearing one watch for two or more weeks, even if it was the coolest I'd ever owned and went with everything (which a bronze watch won't).
Given these factors, would I even get enjoyment out of developing patina if it took silly long periods of time? Would it be better to encourage the patina, or is that looked down on? (If it's not, what methods are best, and what do they end up looking like?)
Photographer and multimedia artist working in the Upper Midwest, USA. I started paying attention to watches circa 2010, and now enjoy a collection ranging from vintage Soviet pieces to field watches a...
It doesn't necessarily need to be worn to develop patina. Unless you live in a vacuum sealed environment,it'll develop a patina. Not as fast a trips to the beach and international travel to various climates but it'll come. Just add it to the rotation. And never,even try to "force" the patina by submitting the watch to the various science projects used by some in order to achieve some Toxic Avenger patina.
A bronze watch will patina through exposure to the elements, so there is no need to force it. I rarely wear mine, but when I do I always notice a slight darkening in areas.
Also bear in mind that not all bronze is made equal, some brands use an alloy that patinas very quickly, while others like CW use an alloy that develops a patina very slowly.
If you want to try your wrist at bronze theres plenty of low priced ones just to see how you like it. Don't worry 2x per month is plenty. I have a 30 watch rotation and only wear mine once per month. It has started to darken at contact spots like the sides of the case and the crown. While the spots that dont touch my skin when worn has remained a rose gold color. If you get bothered by a lack of uniformity in color like me, a bronze watch may not be for you. That case coloration will develop all sorts of asymmetric patterns and shapes throughout the years.
It doesn't necessarily need to be worn to develop patina. Unless you live in a vacuum sealed environment,it'll develop a patina. Not as fast a trips to the beach and international travel to various climates but it'll come. Just add it to the rotation. And never,even try to "force" the patina by submitting the watch to the various science projects used by some in order to achieve some Toxic Avenger patina.
Fair enough, I agree that things are often better kept subtle!
A bronze watch will patina through exposure to the elements, so there is no need to force it. I rarely wear mine, but when I do I always notice a slight darkening in areas.
Also bear in mind that not all bronze is made equal, some brands use an alloy that patinas very quickly, while others like CW use an alloy that develops a patina very slowly.
Good info, thanks! I like the idea of things developing quietly on their own. But I'll probably test out my interest on something slightly less expensive than CW 😉
If you want to try your wrist at bronze theres plenty of low priced ones just to see how you like it. Don't worry 2x per month is plenty. I have a 30 watch rotation and only wear mine once per month. It has started to darken at contact spots like the sides of the case and the crown. While the spots that dont touch my skin when worn has remained a rose gold color. If you get bothered by a lack of uniformity in color like me, a bronze watch may not be for you. That case coloration will develop all sorts of asymmetric patterns and shapes throughout the years.
I do get fussy about details in some contexts, but when it comes to wear and tear/patina stuff, I think organic development is part of the beauty, for sure.
It did it mine. Idk what’s large to you but I have 30+ but I wanted to add a bronze case on the collection so I built one inspired by the Sarb017