2 minute read
maTERiaL wORLD
cEramic: cHicly-ElEganT
Dan Diaconu
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This time round, dusky Jet Black, Ceratanium® grey, sandy Mojave Desert, dark Woodland green and white Lake Tahoe adorn IWC’s squadron of Top Gun Chronograph Pilot’s Watches. These references all stand out with their case boasting a colour created by Pantone®, the American firm specialized in standardized hues. Their other particularity? They’re made of ceramic. The use of this material is by no means unheard of for the Schaffhausen manufacture. It’s a trailblazer in the field. In 1986, the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar featured a case crafted in this state-of-theart material. Ditto for Rado where it would become its signature. In 1990, the Ceramica combined a case and a bracelet totally fashioned in ceramic. This chemical compound produced using
zirconium oxide or alumina is endowed with remarkable characteristics: it’s light, scratch-resistant – has a hardness of 7 Mohs, diamond 10 – anti-allergic, immutable. Its outstanding dazzle, its intensity, its ability to take on polished and matt finishes also make the composite interesting from a stylistic stance. Nonetheless, for years on end, this material was only proposed in two colours, like in Chanel’s J12. In 2000, the watch went for a black-hued robe. Three years later, the Parisian brand’s iconic model opted for an immaculate summery adornment. Given manufacturing process complexity, it’s somewhat delicate to obtain coloured ceramic. A host of steps must be undertaken to finalize a highquality product. Rado showcased its first plasma ceramic case in 1998. Shades
TEcHnical cEramic is now proposEd in a HosT of immuTablE colours.
of grey sparked the senses and played with light. Developing materials would become a challenge to meet for brands. Each would optimize its own process. Rolex perfected its Cerachrom bezel in 2010. Then in 2014, the Geneva-based brand unveiled the first-ever blue and red two-tone rotating device. This year, the GMT-Master II, equipped with a crown and date on the left, adorns a bezel combining black and green in the solid material.
For Only Watch 2013, the charity watch event, Hublot proposed a creation topped with a carmine ceramic bezel. In 2018, the Nyon manufacture went for intense red yet again with its Big Bang Unico Red Magic. Since then, the mastery gained in firing pigments has pushed back the limits of possibilities. The Big Bang Integral 2022 is rolled out in ultramarine blue, sky blue, green and beige.
In 2021, Richard Mille centre staged a trio of RM 07-01 Coloured Ceramics. The blue, pink and lavender of the inserts jazz up wrists with pastel tones. Ceramic may be exclusive yet it’s not elitist. Take for example Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch that reiterates the iconic Speedmaster design with a case fashioned in Bioceramic, a compound made from ceramic and castor oil extract. This innovation offers a palette of various hues. “Learn to think in colour and you’ll see the world differently” exclaims the French researcher and historian Michel Pastoureau. Ceramic plays a role here. Forever.
