I am considering an Omega titanium watch, but wonder if any of the owners would care to share their thoughts on it. The consensus seems to be that they feel lighter (some like, some not), more expensive, and look different. But how about the scratch resistance and polishing potential - I hear the big down-sides are they are soft, and you can't touch up the scratches - any opinions? Thanks, M'Bob
I like them, and on titanium smaller scratches tend to self heal to an extent, but it feels good on the wrist and yes, lighter.
@M'Bob You outlined the points of contention pretty well, and it all depends on your own internal valuation of the pros and cons. Whether the exclusivity, lightness, and different aesthetic qualities are worth the significant price difference and limited repairability. For me, I liked the silver/chrome finish of high-quality stainless as opposed to grey-ish hue of titanium, and the weight difference was negligible since I mostly wear my pieces on straps instead of bracelets, so stainless was the way to go. Good luck with your decision, and post some pics when you make a choice.
I guess only time will tell whether or not titanium will be considered a fad or taken seriously in years to come. The same goes for ceramic and the exotic mixes of precious metal and alloys/man-made materials.
I have a Titanium Seamaster and it's quite a bit lighter than my GMT Seamaster on stainless. Also put a titanium bracelet on my Apollo 11 45th. I like the feel and the weight and think it looks great. Obviously a matter of personal taste.
I would love to be able to help you... I do own Titanium Watches.... re they more scratch resistant? No F&%$ing clue... I never wear any single watch for enough time to give it any true test.... It is Lighter... For me a minus ... I love the Heft of Precious metal.... But on the PO Chrono Ti ... the lighter metal is actually a plus at the end of a long day....the movement weight is enough... I would say that if you are considering the ONE watch (shudder)... I can't imagine going Titanium... it is more expensive because of the difficulty in working with it as opposed to SS, but does it LOOK More luxurious? not a chance... High Polished SS will look much more posh... Titanium is 'Tool' watch for me....which is great if you already have a Dress watch....
I have three Ti watches and I must say they get the most wrist time. I have a metallurgy background and love the softer hue. As someone else said, if brushed, they oxidize with light scratches and tend to self heal.
You've taken us right into personal preference territory on this one M'.... Like ctime3, I've had several tasty craft beers tonight with the boys, but I feel up to responding. I own one Ti watch, 45th Apollo XI Speedy Pro, and I'd say its one of my very favorites. I love the look of Titanium, and I do like the lighter weight per volume versus stainless steel. Don't get me wrong, I love me a good stainless watch as well, but for me, Titanium looks "different", and in this case different is good. When somebody asks about my stainless watches I never say, "oh, this is a stainless steel Speedmaster....", but when I'm wearing my 45th anniversary Speedy, like tonight as a matter of fact, I say "This is a Titanium and Sedna Gold Speedmaster". Does it scratch more easily? For me, no. I'm pretty good with taking care of my watches. Technically yes Titanium scratches more easily than matte finished stainless but in my experience, not so much that it makes a real world difference, and in any case, both case by easily polished. Try both, pick what you like.
Has anyone had a Ti case and/or bracelet polished during service? I'm just curious how it turned out.
I have tried on a few of them and the weight is fantastic. That said Ti, the finish doesnt hold up like SS. Not sure I could get one knowingly I would muck it up after a few weeks.
Titanium is more easily scratched, but it can be refinished. Recreating a brushed/satin it is quite easily done, but if using proper powered satin buffs, you need a light touch as you can remove a lot of material quickly if you go too hard. Polishing Ti is more difficult, but I have done it. Note that for Omega Ti bracelets for example on the X-33's, the thinner parts are steel I believe. One thing - due to the oxidation that you get on the surface, if you do refinish a portion of a watch or bracelet, it will look quite different from a section that has not been refinished for a time, so once you start you really need to do it all to get a consistent finish. Cheers, Al
Thanks kindly gents, for all of your input. Al, many thanks for sharing your experience with Ti from the bench. The issue of high polish refurb is of particular interest. It seems delightfully easy to slap a dab of Simichrone on a Speedy lug top, and remove that awful scratch that keeps staring you in the face. But do I glean from your post that the average home touch-up enthusiast is unlikely to have much success trying the same technique on Ti? Regards, M'Bob
Sorry - I don't use household products (I assume Simichrome is - I have never seen it myself) for this type of work, so I have no idea how well it would work. I use a proper polishing set-up with variable speed motor, various buffs, and various compounds. Cheers, Al
The small scratches and other marks on my ti watch all just add to its charm, don´t try to buff them out like I do on my ti flashlights (about 65 or so at this count).
As you might be able to tell from my avatar here and on other sites, my Ti SMP is one of my absolute favourite watches. I owned one previously and stupidly sold it. Years later after missing it so much, I bought another, and this one's not going anywhere! I have a lot of luxury watches and this one feels very unique in comparison. It is so incredibly light that it's a bit off-putting on first acquaintance as it actually feels a bit toyish, like plastic. But you very soon realise that that's the nature of this rather exotic metal. It's also a beautifully "warm" metal. It's strange to describe but it just always feels warm to the touch, despite the ambient temp. My titanium Omega is definitely one of my all time favourite watches. As far as scratch resistance, my first Ti watch was an Oris titan. I only had it for a short amount of time, but it did gather quite a few scratches easily. It did have a few polished surfaces though, so that may be why. On both my Ti Omega's, I have not put one scratch on them, but they do have a full matt finish. Either that or Omega's Ti is a stronger grade that Oris', I don't know. Titanium for Omega? Hell yes!
Just for fun, I rang up an Omega boutique, and asked them about their Ti watches. The repair person said that the grade 5 titanium they use has a Rockwell hardness close to their stainless. Would that make their scratch potential similar? M'Bob