Ever since my wife got her Chanel J12 well over a decade ago, I’ve been fascinated with the application of ceramics on timepieces. As many of you know, the material is super scratch resistant, but also incredibly lightweight and has a unique aesthetic that is modern, clean, and elegant. I believe Rado and Chanel were probably the first two manufacturers to successfully commercialize ceramics to the mainstream, but up until recently did we see some of the Traditional companies incorporate ceramics into cases.
Anyway, personally I absolutely love Ceramics simply because they are an ideal daily wear timepiece. Probably a big factor - zero scratches. Pragmatically, I can desk dive, strap on airplane seat belts, hold my wife’s diamond encrusted fingers, wear and use zippered clothing - all without the faintest concern of getting damaged or “hiding” the watch under a well cushioned sleeve.
The second biggest factor? Well there’s a stealthiness to the material. On the wrist, it’s extremely light and a little cool to touch. But I appreciate that so far, it’s not as shiny nor as brilliant as any precious metal or stainless steel watch. It keeps it “under the radar” so to speak more than other timepieces in my collection.
And lastly, I do think there is a certain versatility to the material. Under certain angles, it can look like an incredible light grey, to a satin black, and something in between. It’s not an easy material to photograph but see below for some examples.
When this particular model launched at SIHH 2017, I knew I had to get it. One of my biggest pet peeves about any AP Royal Oak model with a bracelet - is that it’s an incredible scratch magnet - and the two best features typically get ruined if you enjoy it every day - the bezel and the bracelet.
Here’s my submission - Ceramic!