Bronze Watches Age With Their Owners. Here Are Seven to Grow Old With
Everyone from Tudor to IWC to Panerai is in on this growing trend in timepieces.
In 1988 watch designer Gérald Genta—the mastermind of Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak and Patek Philippe’s Nautilus—unveiled the Gefica under his own company shingle. Eschewing a case of fancy gold or cheaper stainless steel, Genta chose bronze. It wasn’t a common timepiece material, being more frequently associated with a third-place medal or the advances of very early civilization.
Today, alongside high-tech ceramics, future-forward carbon fiber, and technically superior titanium, bronze has become an alloy of choice for prominent and independent watch brands alike. The combination of copper and tin (or, alternately, aluminum) can quickly develop a patina, the earthy discoloration caused by copper oxidation. Since that patina will be slightly different for each wearer, bronze is “a living material,” says Ander Ugarte, Tudor SA’s head of design, changing over time depending on an owner’s experience.