316L or 904L debate / best steel for a watch case

[Woodpuppy]

I’ve been on a Seiko watch forum a bit researching my dad’s old watch, trying to find out what it is and where I could find parts. So I’ve found the parts I needed and 15 years after his passing I can wear Dad’s old watch. It was a gift from my Mom, after its DOM 04-1977 but before my sisters birth a little over a year later.

As Bill Cosby would say, I told you that story to tell you another...

I was browsing through a thread on new Seiko releases, and there appears to be a running argument on... case materials! Someone asked if a new Seiko (mid range model) used 904L steel for the case, and it went downhill quick. A couple guys flexing their professional cred in the areas of metallurgy and mechanical engineering; some Rolex fans; some Seiko fans. Coming from this world where we obsess over the most minor differences in steels for cutting properties, sharpening properties, corrosion resistance, edge stability, hardness, toughness, etc., it really tickled my funny bone to witness this fairly hot debate over a watch case material. The Rolex guys said no way is Seiko using 904L; Rolex (in my head, in the voice of Ron White taking about Mercedes Benz) had to retool their facility to use 904L and it was very expensive. There was discussion about the resistance to magnetism, which is evidently important in mechanical watch movements; discussion about the relative hardness of the material requiring new tooling due to the higher nickel content making it softer so I’d imagine galling could be a problem. Then there was just the general assertion that Rolex did it so it must be too expensive a process for others to undertake.

I’m over here thinking hmmmm.... so Rolex’s in-use tools were wearing to the point they needed to be replaced anyway; their steel rep called to say they could get a better deal on a bulk 994L order; Rolex guys checked into the tooling cost difference and when it was negligible, they switched over because: 1) they could market the change as an improvement 2) charge more 3) save money 4) make more profit. Maybe I’m just cynical. I don’t mean to disparage Rolex owners; I’m just skeptical.

If you read this far, I’m curious - what knife steel do you think would make a great watch case, and why?

I wonder how H1 or LC200N would do.

[The Mastiff]

I wonder how H1 or LC200N would do.

I am certainly no expert on watches but knowing how easy H1 is to scratch it would be one of the last I'd recommend. I have a couple of Titanium watches and I do like that as a material for watch cases. It doesn't take the super glossy mirror polish that some steels do or maybe it's just too time consuming/costly to do so.

The steel Seiko uses seems pretty nice as it is. I have no personal experience owning Rolex watches but if I was a billionaire I'd get not a steel watch but a platinum presidential . I do like platinum rings and watches and coins but my budget doesn't hold it in such high regard.

[Woodpuppy]

Haha, just a thought excercise.

Ti takes a drop dead gorgeous polish. Chris King bicycle headsets case in point! All the other ti stuff I’ve ever had gets snail trails. Bolts don’t count. Love that dark gray polish!

So maybe s110v?

[TomAiello]

If I was a billionaire I could afford not to wear a watch and not to have a phone. :)

[ChrisinHove]

I wouldn’t choose Plutonium.

[standy99]

Watch collector her.

Rolex uses 904l and proclaims it as a super steel.
They used to and most all still use 316l even Patek Phillipe and brands double the price of Rolex.

904l is a touch more chlorine resistant but was chosen by Rolex as it polishes better and looks shiny.

Rolex being the marketing kings make 904l out to be some steel, they are the only ones that use it and they mine it at a special place that no one else knows about.my milk heating jug for my coffee machine is made out of 904l and most vats at a chemical plant or winery vats are also made out of 904l :D

So basically it’s the marketing by the Marketing kings.


The best steel to make a watch case with is 316l and the Swiss have been doing it for many years and will for many more.

[Mike Slayer]

The Marathon JDD I am about to pick up uses 316L. Marathon watches are known the be rather tough. Personally I rather buy 6 or 7 Marathon JDD’s over buying a Rolex. Don’t get me wrong appreciate the history and quality in Rolex time pieces. For me Marathon’s, Seiko's or Citizen’s Will be all the watch I will ever need. People that pay attention to every little detail about a watch would appreciate a Rolex a lot more than I would. For me the first thing I look for is how tough and robust the watch is. Then does it keep time to my standards and does it have the features I want. Last thing is price to quality ratio. In my opinion Seiko and Citizen are a pretty good value. I bought a Citizen Skyhawk AT in 2008. It was my first watch that wasn’t a cheap piece of crap from walmart. I paid about $300 for it and back then that was a lot of money for me. I have worn it everyday since then so the value is pretty high in my opinion. As for the Marathon JDD it’s the automatic watch I have wanted for quite a few year’s. The ones I have handled in person were true precision swiss made watches. Everything about them made it feel like a higher tier watch. One big plus for me was the tritium markers. I have never found an auto with tritium that I liked until I discovered Marathon. I guess my point is I don’t care what the case is made from as long as it feels good while wearing it, good corrosion resistance and holds up to bumps and tumbles.

[Woodpuppy]

That’s what I’d read about 904l, vessels for caustic chemicals. I got a pretty good kick out of the discussion.

I’ll look into the Marathon Mike, sounds interesting. I just ordered a turtle, so I need to chill out for a bit. My ol trusty SKX is on my wrist today, taking turns with it and Dad’s 7009-8079.