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Jaeger-LeCoultre

I must sound...

May 16, 2010,21:05 PM
 

...like a broken record sometimes. smile

But unless you really know what coating JLC uses in the PVDing, it's going to be difficult to make a call on vulnerability to scratches.

To draw a (bad) analogy it's like saying my stairwell is made of wood. Is it Balsa? pine? Oak? Cedar? Teak? Which one would you prefer?smile

But as an aside and for some background, as far as I am aware, the most common Titanium coating is Titanium Nitride (TiN). This is used to coat High Speed Steel drills/flycutters/etc to improve wear. They're hard. Harder than HSS.

BUT

Nowhere does it say how a tool must appear after testing. Cosmetic scratches/swirlies/what-have-you are a concern of the jewellery business not the fabrication industry.

The resistance to scratches/abrasion is going to be dependent on the material, the substrate, the PVD process itself. Not to mention uniformity of colour...which is of prime importance in such a watchcase.

The major issue, and this is what I think you're grappling with, is that the threshold for scratches and dings will be higher than for a plain SS or Ti case. The issue is when (if?) it does receive a scratch, it's not exactly polishable...So I guess the question is, are you planning to do anything that might exceed that threshold (with an AMVOX, I'd hazard not) and if it did happen, could you live with it?

 

(Disclaimer: My only TiN coated Titanium cased watch is an old Citizen diver...Ti case, with Gold TiN coating over all and Black TiN on the front surfaces...with scrapes out of the depth-meter extension and dings on the lugs, all from the previous owner, I haven't managed to add any that I know of)

 


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Black AMVOX II Question for owners

 
 By: respo : May 14th, 2010-05:42
So, how is the black PVD case holding up on the original Black titanium AMVOX II? Now that it has been out for a few years and presumbably owners have been wearing it, has the PVD taken any scratches, nicks or other deformations through normal wear? What ... 

Through normal wear, no problem

 
 By: amanico : May 14th, 2010-05:49
I noticed that on some Black Amvoxes owned by some friends of mine, for a period of 2 and 3 years...In normal conditions of wear... Now, if you ding it, I assume that you will have problems. Like with any other metal. I own one Black Amvox II, the RPBE...... 

Thank you, 666

 
 By: respo : May 14th, 2010-05:58
for the prompt reply -- you are the best! I have no experience with PVD watch cases, so I was wondering... I assumed that the underlying titanium would ding as normally as any JLC titanium case made with the same grade ti, but I was also wondering if the ... 

If I remember correctly, JLC can re do the PVD on their case...

 
 By: amanico : May 14th, 2010-06:16
PVD is not a protection, it is not making the Titanium Grade 5 harder than it is. DLC gives a better protection, if I got all the technical points right. On JLC watches, the PVD treamtent is deep, so, in normal conditions of wear, no problem at all. Still... 

Oh, Vlad...

 
 By: respo : May 14th, 2010-06:40
...you have no idea how much help I need. LOL. I am trying to wade my way through the technical aspects of ceramics, PVD and DLC processes, etc. A couple of our esteemed Forum members and the venerable AP Moderator have been patiently trying to educate me... 

No worries at all

 
 By: alunare : May 16th, 2010-11:19
I had the same questions before getting the AMVOX 2 Black. I bought mine 1 year ago and i wear it 1 out of 2 days i would say. I dont really pay much attention to it, and i must say that it is holding up VERY well. I have a small hairline scratch on one o... 

Thanks, Xavier

 
 By: respo : May 16th, 2010-14:03
That is the kind of information I am looking for. I am actually interested to learn that the PVD'd titanium can take on hairline scratches, but, again, that is what I am trying to find out. I still assume it scratches less easily than say un coated titani... 

I must sound...

 
 By: BDLJ : May 16th, 2010-21:05
...like a broken record sometimes. But unless you really know what coating JLC uses in the PVDing, it's going to be difficult to make a call on vulnerability to scratches. To draw a (bad) analogy it's like saying my stairwell is made of wood. Is it Balsa?... 

Thanks for the continuing education

 
 By: respo : May 17th, 2010-05:12
I think I get what you are saying, and that is why I have asked for some real life experiences with this particular watch, so that I then have a better idea what to expect of the specific PVD process used by JLC on this particular watch. I agree, my thres...