A ceramic watch might sound like you’ll wind up with a string of broken crockery on your wrist, but watchmakers have clocked that timepieces crafted from it have serious material gains. In the unassuming Swiss town of Boncourt, a particular kind of material alchemy takes place. This is where Rado , a Swiss watchmaker that has been keeping tabs on the hours since 1917, has its cutting-edge ceramic production facility, Comadur SA.
Technical ceramic — which is trending in the watch world right now — was first used by Rado for its Integral model in 1986 and has since become a brand signature. This isn’t the standard china you’ll find on your dining table. High-tech ceramic, as Rado calls it, is made from zirconium oxide — a metal powder also used to make dental implants — and forms a material that is tough, non-porous, non-corrosive and ultra-scratch-resistant.
In fact, it ranks so highly on the Vickers hardness scale, only diamond can scuff it. It’s an advantage for anyone frustrated with the nicks and scrapes gathered by their softer gold or steel watch. “Ceramic is a hard-wearing material that retains its newness and sheen after many years of wear .
.. that gloss elevates a watch’s look.
It’s like an anti-ageing beauty treatment for watches, except it actually works,” observes Robin Swithinbank, author of The Connoisseur’s Guide to Fine Timepieces. In addition, high-tech ceramic is also incredibly lightweight and hypoallergenic, making it score highly .
