Thinking about picking up the 300MC. It will be used as a daily (along with my Speedmaster). I wouldn't say I am particularly rough with my watches, but Ill will be spending a lot of time working in a hospital washing hands, getting dirty, etc. After some research, I have read a lot of mixed things about whether stainless steel or grade 5 titanium is more scratch resistant. Obviously, I realize that Ti is quite a bit lighter than SS, but I am just curious about its resistance to scratches dents and such compared to SS. Would love to hear some first hand experience with the Ti. Thanks!

 

Ti scratch easy. From experience with SMP300s

 

Interesting. Thanks! So it seems the main advantage is weight.

 

Most things that scratch watches are going to scratch both Ti and SS, heck, even common glass is just around 6 on Mohs scale, and it's harder than most steels. I think you should be asking yourself if you like blue or black... Nice choice either way, post lots of pics!

 

I was surprised how easily ti scratched.

If this is a priority,you might want to look into damasko watches (Google)

 

Resistance to scratches is by no means a priority for me. While I of course would rather not beat my watches up, I understand that they are made to be worn. I was just curious about this watch in particular. I have heard great things about Damask, however.

 

I wear my titanium planet ocean almost every day x 1.5 years. Same usage as what you describe.

No huge scratches. I bet on bracelet there would be more, but mine's on rubber strap (which obviously doesn't scratch)

I bet steel would be the same

 

I just bought the Ti a week ago while on vacation. I've been lazy about posting pics. I'll try and get some tomorrow. The 2 main reasons I chose it were the blue color vs. black, and the weight of the Ti was amazing. This is one of the most comfortable tool watches I have ever worn. Try them both on and you will see what I mean. The bracelet has a few scratches already.....maybe because it has been on my wrist since I bought it.

 

It's a tough one. Having had the SS version of the MCA I couldn't speak on the Titanium version. The blue is absolutely stunning and if I ever went back I'm confident it would be the blue version. The only thing that might sway me back to the SS version is personal preference. I prefer the weight and feel of SS than Titanium. Except maybe on the PO or if by miracle the DSSD was ever made in Ti. One other thing that makes Ti hard for me is that my ex-Omega watchmaker refuses to polish Titanium for how hard it is to finish back surfaces that are polished. Of course it does come down to your personal preference and positive either way you'd be getting a pretty awesome watch!

 

I think the problem with Ti is it will be hard to polish

 

I wear my SM300 MCA SS on rubber so weight is not a problem.

 

My Ti 300MC looks pristine. The grade 5 titanium used makes any scratches blend into the metal.

Ti is also more corrosion resistant that steel. Combine that with the lightweight and fabulous blue dial and you have a winner. Love mine.

 

Here's a pic of mine. Finally came out of my vacation hangover.

 

The grade 5 titanium is supposed to be harder than stainless steel, however the difference is not so great to be significant from a practical sense. I have had my Ti SM 300 for 20 months now and the bracelet does have some scratches. Most of these are the fine hairline type that can be seen on the polished centre links. The clasp has deeper more visible scratches. I don't baby my sm300. I wear it when I go to the beach and have dived with it on several occasions . It remains my most commonly worn watch and my most comfortable watch. And this latter point is where the titanium version really shines. If you are used to wearing a heavier watch then save yourself some coin and go for the SS. However if you have some concerns about the weight of the SS then go with the Ti. I have no regrets with going the Ti..


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Of the two I prefer the SS, simply due to the black color.

 

Do you mean Damask or Damasko?

Sinn offer watch cases and dials made using Damask steel as well as other surface hardening techniques such as TEGIMENT.

http://www.sinn.de/mobile/en/Modell/1800_S_DAMASZENER.htm

Damasko is a watch manufacturer that offers a surface hardening/coating called DAMEST.
http://www.damasko-watches.com/de/damest-beschichtung

 

Grade 5 titanium has very high strength about 1000 MPa which is five times that of ordinary steels. Even pure titanium is quite strong with Grade 2 being around 350 MPa.

 

Which has exactly nothing to do with how easily is scratches. Not sure what "strength" you are specifically quoting, but grade 5 Ti (Ti-6Al-4V) has an ultimate tensile strength of 950 MPa, where 316L stainless steel is about 630 MPa - both at room temperature. Not sure what "ordinary steels" you are using for comparison. Of course this varies slightly by vendor, so unless you have a specific data sheet from the vendor supplying the material you won't know the exact composition or physical properties. That goes for steels as well, as I used to request specifics for heats of material used in structural applications back in my engineering days...

It's certainly stronger, but 316L is certainly strong enough - your arm will get ripped off, or a spring bar (made of stainless steel, even in Ti watches) will fail long before either material succumbs to these kinds of loads, so using strength as any kind of real measure of suitability for this application is pretty useless. Ti shines of course where weight is a factor, but there are steels that certainly are stronger than Ti is.

In my experience refinishing both materials, Ti acts very soft - I've never done a hardness test, so I can't say with certainty how hard the Ti used in watches is. If I am applying a brushed finish for example, I have to be quite careful when doing this to a Ti watch, as the buff I use for this (same brand and grit as I use for 316L watches) will remove material far more quickly and with a lot less pressure than when refinishing stainless steel. So when refinishing a clasp, if I were to apply the same pressure and duration on a Ti version as I do on a 316L version, the engraving on that clasp would disappear quickly.

If you like it, buy it and wear it. I do think because of the dull finish on most Ti watches, they do hide scratches well, but for me personally, they always look sort of dull and dirty, so have never been particularly appealing to me, but to each their own.

Cheers, Al

 

Just a clarification - Sinn used to use cases made by Damasko, but this partnership died out quite a while ago. They then developed the tegimentation process which is a very thin surface hardening over softer steel.

All Damasko watches use ice-hardened steel that is fully hardened - not a surface layer - but if you get one in black, it is coated with a layer of Damest - which is their proprietary coating (probably similar to DLC?) - that is very wear/scratch resistant and will stay looking better far longer than a PVD coated watch.

"Since black watches tend to be scratch magnets, you know Damasko didn’t settle for a straightforward DLC coating. Instead, Damasko utilizes a proprietary multi-layer composition called Damest. The process begins with the hardened case, which acts as the foundation for the Damest coating, supporting the upper layers against abrasion. The intermediate layer, approximately 1.5 microns thick, is created via ion implantation on the surface of the case, resulting in a hardness of about 1500 HV. This layer is also the bonding agent between the case and the upper Damest coating. Approximately 7 microns thick, the final top layer Damest coating reaches a hardness of approximately 2500 HV. Using this combination of layers allows for a substantial resistance against surface abrasions, and only the hardest of impacts will eat away at the coating."

 

SUG makes cases for Sinn...



And for many other German brands as well...