Friday, May 17, 2013

White Gold and Stainless Steel watches; Rolex Day Date and Date Just

                              Rolex Day Date White Gold on left and Date Just Stainless steel Ref 16014 on Right
                                                           

White Gold
White gold is an alloy of gold (Au) and some white metals such as silver (Ag) and palladium (Pd). White gold can be 18kt, 14kt, 9kt or any karat. For example, 18kt yellow gold is made by mixing 75% gold (750 parts per thousand) with 25% (250 parts per thousand) other metals such as copper and zinc. 18kt white gold is made by mixing 75% gold with 25% other metals such as silver and palladium. So the amount of gold is the same but the alloy is different. Palladium is a kind of rare metal and so as the cost, so in Other

Price Difference Between White Gold and Yellow Gold Rolex
Same model, same size of Rolex, the White gold is likely to be more expensive than Yellow Gold. As an Example, a Rolex Day Date, white gold version is more expensive than Yellow gold by HKD$21,000!

Traditionally nickel was used in white gold, however, nickel is no longer used in most white gold made today as nickel can cause allergy with skin. General, we do not use nickel in our white gold and I am sure Rolex is not using also. The natural color of white gold is actually a light grey color. For Jewelry, some white gold rings are coated with another white metal called Rhodium. Rhodium is a metal very similar to platinum and Rhodium shares many of the properties of platinum including its white color. This is to preserve the White Elegant Colour of the Gold! As rhodium plating is used to make the white gold look more white. The Rhodium is very white and very hard, but it does wear away eventually. To keep a white gold ring looking its best it should be re-rhodium plated approximately each 12 to 18 months. Most jewelers are able to rhodium plate jewelry for a cost effective price. Rolex White Gold Watch has no Rhodium Plating at all.

Stainless steel
Stainless Steel is an important invention in 20 century. In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5% to 11% chromium content by mass.

Stainless steel is used where both the properties of steel and resistance to corrosion are required. Stainless steel does not readily corrode, rust or stained with water as ordinary steel does, despite the name it is not fully stain-proof, most notably under high salinity, low oxygen like poor circulation environments. I have seen Rusty Stainless steel, the steel itself may have insufficient Chromium. It is also called corrosion-resistant steel (CRES) in the aviation industry particularly. There are different grades and surface finishes of stainless steel.

Stainless steel differs from carbon steel by the amount of chromium present. Unprotected carbon steel rusts (Iron Oxide film) readily when exposed to air and moisture. This iron oxide film or rust is active and would accelerate corrosion by forming more iron oxide, and due to the greater volume of the iron oxide this tends to flake and fall away. Stainless steels contain sufficient chromium to form a passive film of chromium oxide, which blocks further surface corrosion and stops corrosion from spreading into the metal core, due to the similar size of the steel and oxide ions they bond very strongly and remain attached to the surface.
Passivation only occurs if the proportion of chromium is high enough and oxygen is present.

                                                             Watch Pits in Watch Case
Stainless Steel 316L and 904L on Rolex Case
Stainless steel comes in over 150 grades and types of different mixes, 316L is the most prevalent in wrist watches. As it is easy to polish, refinish, mill, drill and does not readily oxidize. Most diving watches are made of 316L stainless steel because it is resistant to salt water erosion, and it is easy to polish and keep lustrous look.
That is one of the reasons why most watch companies utilize 316L stainless steel in its watch cases.

Rolex used 316L until 1985*, Rolex started to move to 904L in all Rolex watch cases because of pitting occurring in the case between the watch case and the caseback.

904L was initially developed to withstand strong reducing acids and highly sustaintible to chloride corrosion. Rolex utilizes a harder 904L that is both hard to prepare and hard to machine.

Rolex of 2000s
Starting in the mid-2000s, Rolex started utilizing 904L in its bracelets. Initially utilized for its watch cases, Rolex realized that the bracelet required an update to solid links, solid bracelet end-links, and the addition of 904L for pitting resistance.
Some people consider the difference between 316L and 904L as being negligible and that Rolex’s divergence from the industry standard 316L is just another marketing point. But after seeing pitted casebacks and bracelet clasps, 904L certainly has its place.

The Difference
How to tell the difference between the white Gold and Stainless steel; simply the White Gold Looks more white!

How to Restore the Original Lustre
Submariner
Rinse your Submariner off after you dive and every once in a while anyway even if you don't dive it because your body sweat has chlorides in it also. And don't worry about the difference between 904L and 316L because in the application of a diving watch it just doesn't matter.

Date Just, Date Day
I used to lock up the crown tight.
Wash under lukewarm tap water, use my Oral-B Electric tooth brush, dip into some mild soap solution and give it a light brushing thoroughly, especially the strap, corner of the slugs, and hidden area between the strap sections. Then on the bezel and the diamonds. Then wash under running tap water for 30 second…Soak with fine tissue paper and wipe off all water residues by a lint free cloth….
Surprising you can see you watch is giving you that kind of Bling bling Shinning again! Especially the Diamonds!

That is why people always said to me ” Oh, you bought another new watch again!!”

HK Snob

Reference * Rolex Price book Ref .246/0113 218.16 CHHK-12.2012  had clearly stated that all Rolex case are made by 904L stainless steel in 1985.

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