CASE
Cases can be made from a variety of that include:
Platinum
- Considered noble, rare and hard
- Hard to work with
- Stamped as "950"
- 4.5 on Mohs Scale
18K Gold
- Yellow, rose and white. K is karat weight
- 24K is purest and softest
- 18K is 75% gold
- 2.5 – 3 on Mohs Scale
14K Gold
- Rarely used in Swiss watches
- 585 parts gold
- 3.0 – 3.5 on Mohs Scale
Gold Plate
- Rarely used in Swiss watches
- Gold over base metal
- Wears off over time
Stainless Steel
- Most popular
- Harder than gold to scratch
- Can be refinished to original state
- 5.5 – 6 on Mohs Scale
Titanium
- Lightweight and durable, space-age material
- Hypoallergenic
- 6.0 on Mohs Scale
Ceramic
- Lightweight, man made, space-age material
- Scratched only by diamond
- 8 – 8.5 on Mohs Scale
Tantalum
- Dark, dense, hard
- Highly resistant to corrosion
- 6.5 on Mohs Scale
Tungsten Carbide
- Dense metal-like substance
- High strength, hard and rigid
- 7.5 on Mohs Scale
PVD
- Process by which a layer of material is bonded to base metal
- Improves hardness and wear resistance
Diamond-like Carbon (DLC)
- Bonded to the base watch metal
- Nearly as hard as natural diamond
- Slicker than Teflon
