Luxury Watches Crafted from the Most UNEXPECTED Materials

hello watch lovers so firstly pop quiz which of these materials hasn't been used to make a watch osmium cheese the Titanic ah wrong again the answer is they all have because the use of exotic materials has been a thing in luxury watchmaking for a while now because watch makers are an experimental bunch and they like to dabble with rare and wonderful ingredients and as a result we get to enjoy some rare and wonderful time pieces so run-ofthe-mill steel is great and everything its strength and versatility make it the Workhorse of any watch Workshop but what if you want something a little bit unusual from precious metal to forged carbon there are many different materials to choose from when picking out a watch for yourself and in this video we're going to be looking at watches that feature materials that are a bit more unconventional outlandish and of course luxurious so here's a selection of amazing watches forged from exotic materials so let's begin with good old gold so true funny how it seems always in time but never in line for gold and what could be more gold than a gold Rolex the gold Rolex is the most glorious of all the watches especially the day date with the heavy flation of the bezel here we have three flavors white gold rose gold and classic yellow now gold requires a little bit of extra care over stainless steel because it's softer and more prone to scratches and it's heavier too but it's luxurious as all hell and Rolex gold is a bit more special than your regular off-the-shelf gold for you see Rolex has their own in-house metallist and their own exclusive Foundry giving them the ability to produce the highest quality metals they create their own blend of 18 karat gold Alloys with various amounts of silver copper platinum and Palladium added to obtain the various color types of yellow rose and white gold and rolex's rose gold blend dubed ever rose gold is even a patented secret formula some say the secret ingredient is chili powder others say just regular old brick dust but who knows really the gold Rolex day date with its presidential bracelet and fluted bezel is the ultimate in refinement prices for the model vary by case size and material but they start at around £28,000 pre-owned or £34,000 new for a 36 mm yellow gold model now cross your wrist with silver with this Tudor black Bay 58 925 a unique version of Tudor's dominating model with a case of solid silver and entirely satin finished for a lustrous Sheen that emphasizes the incandescence of the silver because the special property of the silver case is that next to Steel the silver appears naturally brighter and radiant and has a luminous quality it's very nice but unfortunately it's something that really needs to be seen in person to be fully appreciated it's just one of those things that's better live like Cory Feldman the 925 reference number is also a reference to the composition of the silver used in the case although the chosen Allo it is a secret that chuda keeps close to its chest but one can safely assume it's 92.5% silver but yeah that leaves 7.5% Parts Unknown but it's most likely something to bolster its durability ensuring that usage does not affect the appearance of the case save a slight tarnishing over time but nothing that can't be buffed out the incandescent silver case is paired with a taupe dial bezel and strap and it's an amazing watch modest and reserved but with a layer of Distinction it's something in between a robust tool watch and a precious object certainly to my mind this is the second best thing Tudor has ever done it costs just over £4,000 at retail but you can find them for under £3,000 pre-owned made to commemorate the completion of a record-breaking Flight Around the World in a modified Spitfire this is the IWC big Pilots watch big date Spitfire Edition mission accomplished this is by and large your typical Pilot's instrument watch for which IWC are the Champs of with its broad hour and minute hands clear readable numerals and famous oversized crown that can be operated while wearing flying gloves or mittens for more likely use case scenario but this watch here in a 46 mm diameter is presented with a case of genuine bronze the bronze of the case exudes a warm tone but with a weathered appearance and when paired with the historic ly inspired design of the IWC Pilots watch it feels like some kind of wonderful Relic due to the nature of bronze its appearance will change according to its environment and it will develop its own unique patina over time making the watch feel storied and unique a bit like buried treasure IWC has been making watches in bronze since 2014 typically using an aluminium bronze which along with copper also contains aluminium and iron this specific composition makes the alloy around 50% harder than standard bronze and approximately as hard as stainless steel this model originally released in 2020 and was limited to 500 pieces but you can find them on the pre-owned market for around £99,000 now cheer up goth omega's got the perfect watch for you this is the Seas diver 300 M in black ceramic and it's very black hence why it's sometimes known as the black black other nicknames also include the night stealth dark side of the abyss and I've even heard it referred to as the Blackalicious night Master I've actually heard that a couple of times with a case size of 44.5 mm it is quite big and in the uniform black it completely dominates your wrist but it's incredibly cool and if knowing the time instantly at a glance is not a deal breaker for you then this watch could be right up your dark alley that sounded a bit invasive sorry anyway the case 3D bezel wave pattern Dial Crown and helium Escape valve are all rendered in ceramic zakoni dioxide to be precise it's two times lighter than stainless steel extremely hardwearing and scratch resistant non-reactive and non-magnetic and also hypoallergenic so soft and gentle on skin not to mention it's incredibly striking in appearance now I suppose it's worth mentioning that despite its extreme hardness and scratch resistant like all ceramic objects there is a tiny chance it might chip where to drop it from a great height so don't do that okay this watch costs around £99,000 brand new or around £6,000 pre-owned this is the panaray submersible Marina military made from panaray carbo Tech TM lighter than titanium not subject to corrosion and stronger than stainless steel it makes it the perfect material for a chunky divers watch offering enhanced durability and comfort and it looks pretty cool too carbotech is made via the compression of long carbon fibers under intense pressure and due to its composite structure the material has a distinctive appearance and no two carotech submersibles are the same you can clearly see the layers of carbon fibers on the side of the case looking just like sedimentary rock or a towering matte black club sandwich it's 47 mm with a matching black carbon dial the only downside with carbon watches is that they're a bit more costly due to their expensive manufacturing process and this watch costs around £10,000 pre-owned this is the Octo finisimo chronog GMT watch from Bulgari and it's the world's slimmest self-winding watch endowed with a chronograph and GMT function um if that's no longer the case then blame Bulgari for not updating the product page for this watch now in addition to the cool chronograph GMT combo there's also a sweet Platinum peripheral rotor that powers the movement and the watch is cased in titanium the properties of titanium are largely akin to Steel it's just as tough but it has the added benefit of being much much lighter about 40 to 45% lighter in fact and here in a uniform monochromatic gray the titanium dial as well as the architectural case and bracelet are both sand blasted which gives the titanium a distinctive feel and texture it actually feels a bit like Stone almost but then that feeling is counteracted by its extreme lightness and also due to its thinness it barely weighs anything wearing this watch is a strange experience but on the wrist it's bold and eye-catching and despite its block that's a word block design it sits very comfortably it's 42 mm in diameter and water resistant up to 30 m and there's nothing else quite like it except another octo finisimo I guess um but this little wrist hugger costs £18,500 RP or £ 12,500 pound pre-owned aluminium and rubber together at last this is Bulgari again but this time they're redefining what a luxury sports watch can be with this iconic combination of rather unexpected materials you've got a case of aluminium and a bezel of rubber this is the Bulgari aluminium watch it's a fun GMT model from the aluminium line first introduced in the '90s it's 40 mm and features a blue dial with a Pepsi colored 24-hour track and it's water resistant up to 100 m and there's all kinds of substances packed inside this watch you've got an aluminium case link and buckle blue rubber bezel and bracelet and a titanium case back but for a high fashion and jewelry brand this is a really playful sporty watch and the aluminium Just Hits different just like a Travis Bean it's very lightweight like titanium but there's a brightness to it that isn't too dissimilar to the silver of the 925 chuda and there's a really pleasing matte Sheen also that cont contrasts nicely with the soft rubber plus you get the iconic stamped double branding on the bezel but in a more wallet friendly Rubber and aluminium styly the Bulgari aluminium GMT watch RPS for £ 3540 but pre-owned it costs £ 1,925 see this Platinum thing right here will odmar PK be doing it all the time or rather for this model in particular just to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Brand's reference 25548 model which was released in 1978 anyway this is the Exquisite odmar Pate jeules odmar quantm Perpetual a perpetual calendar watch limited to only 90 pieces with a metallic blue dial displaying the calendar functions leape indicator and a moon phase as well as a spectacular movement which is abundant with hand finish details and most notably the skeletonized and hand engraved rotor weight and it's all housed in a brilliant Platinum case there's also a cool stylized logo clasp also in Platinum now Platinum is rare and coveted for its Luminosity which is brighter than that of Steel and white gold and thanks to platinum's ability to remain untarnished the case and clasp is as radiant today as the day it left ap's Workshop this is a prestigious metal for a prestigious watch and due to such high levels of prestige coupled with the Rarity of this piece this watch costs £ 47,500 now before we get to our final watch with the most exoticist material uh did you know that you can find out about other amazing watches via our watchfinder newsletter to get exclusive access to new arrivals be the first to hear about our special offers and promotions and to get first dibs on our giveaways just head down to the link in the description to sign up this is the Omega Seas diver 300M another one but not just your regular old C Master diver 300M this is is well Omega tells you everything you need to know in the descriptor on the product page 42 mm titanium tantalum Seda gold on titanium tantalum Seda gold but to elaborate slightly this is a 42mm c Master 300 in a two-tone gray and gold with satin brushed case and sunbrushed wave pattern dial made from Gray to Titanium while the crown bezel ring helium Escape valve and hands and indexes are in 18 karat sedna gold that's all great love that but we're really here for a little piece of tantalum now tantalum is an ultra hard corrosion resistant metal and it has a pleasing dull blue gray appearance which here on this Omega complement the warmth of the titanium and gold you can see it here on the bezel ring and the small Links of the bracelet so this is really a tri-tone watch gray blue gray and gold this is a very special version of omega's Flagship model and its RRP is £14,000 but you can grab it pre-owned for about £8,000 so there you go that about wraps up this look at some alternative watch materials I hope you enjoyed it and if you're on the lookout for your next watch be it exotic or otherwise then why not head over to watchfinder tocom to find your next pre-owned luxury watch check it out and I'll catch you next time goodbye