amblin_xi
75
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Yes, you are correct, this is the perfect example of a galvanic corrosion in progress.
Aluminum by itself had excellent anti corrosion properties because a thin oxidation layer will rapidly form , adhere to the parent metal and stop any further corrosion from developing.
BUT. A very big BUT
In a high chloride content environment and/or while in direct contact with a noble metal , galvanic corrosion will rapidly occur on aluminum , and guess what, copper and more precisely, copper oxide is the exact stuff aluminum absolutely hated. The process in a nutshell is:
3CuO+2Al=====>>3Cu+Al2O3 a classic OR reaction, and yes, the black stuff on the bezel is the end product , Al2O3.
Simply replacing the bezel will not end the problem because the noble metal is still there, recall and change the bezel inlay material to ceramic is a permanent fix but it's going to cost a huge fortune and damage the brand image so it's very unlikely to happen.
IMO Tudor will secretly stock up a pile of aluminum bezel inlays coated with PTFE and offer a free replacement whenever one turns up.
This is a huge oversight, aluminum and copper, they simply hated each other and their ORR experiment is what we've done in high school chemistry. So yeah.....Tudor should have known better.....
some SERIOUS Tudor bronze complaints
I posted this already on instagram via ' @collectible_watches' but they didn't feel the need to answer or explain anything :-( I know Patek monitors this site so I hope Rolex / Tudor does the same About a year ago I bought the Black Bay bronze. Not my fir...
I figured the case would get patinated...
But not the bezel - and not in that fashion. Thanks for sharing!
Sorry to hear that. This was a watch I almost decided to be my first Bronze watch....
if only Lady Gaga or Beckham can come to the rescue ... Good luck and I hope they fix the issue. Thanks for bringing this awareness up. Rgds Raymond
ok, ready for a horror picture ? .........
this is not my watch nor picture but like told, one I received after the instagram post The watch belongs to a guy that surfs often in the Mediterranean Sea ( just got his permission to post this one too ) ...
Wow Bruno this is insane!
Looks like a virus attached the bezel and started eating it out!
Sorry to hear that and I hope Tudor will fix and solve this problem soon 🤞
That's incredible because it's not just a stain (or may be at the beginning) but it clearly eats the matter. I really understand why you're so angry with Tudor after so many return trips. Best wishes Alkiro
Sorry to hear about your problem
It must be the corroding (some people call it patina, it is corrosion!) bronze underneath the disc which is affecting the disc. I don't mean to add insult to your injury but bronze is not a corrosion resistant metal. It is fine with water but anything aci...
imo it IS the problem of the manufacturer
why is Tudor the only one that uses an aluminium (?) inlay ? If it would have been ceramic there wouldn't be a problem, or no inlay but a solid bronze bezel ( Panerai, Oris, ...) We know bronze oxidizes or erodes ( what is the english word for it) ... get...
On the flip side, if they stop selling, yours will potentially be a collectors item! Just like mis-print stamps or currency notes.
Maybe I should be getting one before they change it out, hmmm???
You have a point there
The problem is that the manufacturer will only change yours to ceramic if they decide to do that for the rest of them. I doubt Tudor will do that. Let us know what happens.
If the inlay is made of aluminium, then my theory suggests it is Galvanic Corrosion
Which, in more layman terms, means that if you have two different metals physically touching/connected via e.g. salt water especially, one of the pair of metals will start rapidly corroding. A pure bronze watch, or a pure aluminium watch will not corrode...
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Yes, you are correct, this is the perfect example of a galvanic corrosion in progress. Aluminum by itself had excellent anti corrosion properties because a thin oxidation layer will rapidly form , adhere to the parent metal and stop any further corrosion ...
Thanks for these explanation gents.
It does seem to be a genuine design flaw, and one which seems easily avoidable...
Would washing it in fresh water after a salt water dive help?
I also agree that this original bezel may turn out to me desirable in the future because of the flaw-- geez maybe it will be preferred with the holes in it much like a faded color bezel is, lol
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No, it's the fight of two metals and aluminum will always be the victim. Salt water could be a catalyst but not the main reason behind the problem.. And after all, why would one dive with a bronze watch anyway? Nasty green rust spots will happen especiall...
I wonder just how much Aluminium Tudor added to their Bronze ? Marine Bronze or Aluminium Bronze is far more suitable to withstanding saltwater submersion than standard Bronzes
containing just tin & zinc, and I believe Tudor added aluminium to control the patina - How much was added would be the question I would like to know !
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Not sure, I've not seen the particular watch in person, but judging by the gold tone in pictures and typical basic requirements of a watch case , I'd say it's most likely be the CuAl10Fe3. Al content is 8.5%-11% , this particular alloy can offer good stre...
too bad I didn't see this earlier
the Tudor rep was at my AD yesterday, so I totally could've asked about this. next time!
You have got my attention = stopped my purchasing plans
I had the Tudor Bucherer edition on my wrist and really could have been an owner by now. Some changes in personal life made me delay the acquisition. However, getting this eye opener with your post, I will certainly not proceed with any of these plans. Wh...
Wow! I can't believe it.
After reading your post I had to check mine as I've used it as a daily beater for quite sometime. Rain, pool, beach. Mine is still pristine with a lovely patina. It is a total bummer that salt water + bronze=corrosion. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on...
Shouldn't be hard to replace the bezel since they pop out too easily..
Pop out too easily on mine.. ...
Shame on Tudor, apparently a junior chemist knows this is asking for trouble
I'm sure the AD's will pressure Tudor for a solution as they will be getting many pieces in for bezel replacements. So we might expect a ceramic bezel version in the future.
You will get a reply via Lady Gaga.....
Sorry to hear about your woes. Mine is holding up very well, but then again, I have worn it probably 5 times since I bought it. Thanks for the share. Best, Horo
This is totally unacceptable!
its not about how many times they need to change the Inlay but Solve the problem instead. This is really horrible! I doubt it's Alluminum because Rolex and other watches used Alluminum inlays for decades and never had this problem. I think it's a differen...
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Yes, aluminum bezel inlay has been around for ages, but not in a bronze+aluminum combination.
and 2 years later ...
they show us a new one at Basel 2019 ... with the same bezel inlay material ? A big Tudor fan but SO disappointed ... when will someone at Tudor stand up and solve this problem or will they keep ignoring it ?