CERAMIC WATCHES

Ceramic Watches

One of the big trends in watch making to emerge in the last few decades is the move to ceramics. Science has given us super-hard ceramics that are virtually chip-proof, making them perfect for small items such as watches. These materials can be polished to a high gloss and lend a pleasing, subdued glow to a watch, opening new visual possibilities. Ceramic has a satiny shine that is distinct from the gleam of metal, and watches made from it have a slightly different look from their predecessors.

A quick look at a few examples illustrates the point. In Emporio Armani's Ceramica line, for instance, the subtle light of polished ceramic is used to good advantage. Dials are round with domed crystals, surrounded by bezels that are rounded and tapered to give a smooth, flowing look. The links of the bracelet are also rounded, so there are no sharp edges anywhere on the watch. This gives a fluid, streamlined feel to the piece. The dark, polished ceramic has a light that is almost like brushed steel, but slightly different. The eye knows it's different, but it's hard to say why.

A different gloss gives ceramic a completely different look. This is shown by the ceramic models from Skagen Denmark, a company with a very distinct design style. Here the dark ceramic of the cases and straps is slightly less reflective than in the Armani examples, decreasing the satiny quality without completely losing reflectivity. The result is a more subtle light that goes well with the somewhat austere Skagen designs.

Ceramic can be any colour, and it looks great when it's pure white. Again the distinctive surface of ceramic gives the watches a soft, warm light that is obviously not metal or plastic. It works well with white metal, so it is often paired with stainless steel or white gold. As new white metals such as tungsten carbide and palladium become more widely-used, they will be perfect candidates for ceramic jewellery.

The use of ceramics in watches is still increasing, and we can expect to see even more variety in the future. While the colours of most of the models seen so far has been rather conservative, there will certainly be a wider range on the market soon. Already a few pink ceramic watches are beginning to appear, and this is just the beginning.

© SDK Jewellers Ltd.