This is the second article in a three-part series on bronze watches by contributing writer Justin Mastine-Frost. This weekly column addresses the various aspects of owning and caring for a bronze watch that extends beyond the obvious passion for patina. Today’s topic focuses on the pros and cons of aging bronze naturally versus with chemicals.
As mentioned in part one of this series, one of the more desirable traits of any bronze watch is how the metal will patina with age. Again, depending on composition, and sometimes depending on whether or not a manufacturer has applied some sort of protective coating to the metal, certain bronze watches will inherently age faster than others. Once again, the Carl Brashear models from Oris seem by far the quickest to start turning darker and more muted, though the offerings from Tudor, Panerai, and Montblanc do not seem to trail too far behind. Exposure to moisture in the air, saltwater, and general shifts in climate will all assist in letting your bronze watch evolve day by day, but as many fans of the metal have discovered, there are a number of tricks out there that can assist in significantly expediting the process.
Fuming
Innumerable hours of vinegar fuming led to this interesting and very uneven pattern on the Zodiac Super Sea-Wolf 68, whose case was initially a very light yellow with a micro-blasted finish. Credit: Justin Mastine-Frost
Exposing bronze to certain chemical fumes (some more hazardous than others) ov...