First introduced in the 1970s with the release of the Citizen X8 Chronometer, titanium watches are, undoubtedly, all the rage these days, and the reasons for this trend aren’t unfounded at all. As a material, titanium is twice as strong as stainless steel while being 45% lighter than it. Not only this, it offers peerless durability along with hypoallergenic properties—owing to the presence of oxygen, titanium has the ability to develop a thin oxide film that prevents it from interacting with its surroundings, including human skin. Today, almost every luxury watchmaking brand either offers a collection of titanium watches or special editions to cater to the rising demand for the material among watch enthusiasts. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the finest titanium watches available on the market.
A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus Titanium
Originally released in stainless steel in 2019, the Odysseus was presented in titanium earlier this year. Made from grade 5 titanium, the new model measured 40.5mm and featured a seamless combination of matte sand-blasted, polished and brushed surfaces. Meanwhile, the dial came in an alluring ice blue colour that consisted of a variety of textures, such as the central part had a grainy surface and the periphery offered a wavy texture. Equipped with the Calibre L155.1 Datomatic, the timepiece could beat at the frequency of 28,800vph and run autonomously for 50 hours.
Price: Upon request
Omega Speedmaster X-33 Marstimer
If there is a likelihood of you ever wanting to track time on Mars, this is the watch for you. Crafted in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), the fourth generation of the Speedmaster X-33 is a 45mm grade 2 titanium piece with a Mars-themed oxalic anodized aluminium bezel ring in red hematite colour, inspired by the planet's distinctive dust. Featuring an LCD display with backlight function along with a combination of analogue (hours, minutes, seconds) and digital indications, the watch can track Mars’ sol (i.e, solar) date and time at the prime meridian, taking into account that a day on Mars is 39 minutes longer than on Earth. The watch also has a solar compass to find true north on both Earth and Mars along with functions such as MET (Mission Elapsed Time), PET (Phase Elapsed Time), alarms and a perpetual calendar.
Price: Rs 5,46,000 (approx.)
Blancpain Air Command Flyback Chronograph Titanium
The Air Command collection by Blancpain offers one of the most formidable high-performance, pilot watches available. In 2022, the Swiss watchmaker expanded the range by adding two brand-new iterations, including a titanium model. Sized at a compact 36.2mm, the timepiece came with a bi-directional bezel in blue that perfectly matched the dial. The display of the new iteration was reminiscent of the original timepiece, consisting of two sub-dials at 3 and 9 o’clock positions, large Arabic numerals, luminous hands, and a series of scales on the periphery with a tachymeter scale. Under the hood, the watch featured an in-house self-winding Calibre F188 that stored a power reserve of up to 40 hours.
Price: Rs 15,16,000 (approx.)
Zenith Defy Extreme Double Tourbillon
The 45mm titanium Defy Extreme Double Tourbillon houses Zenith's milestone El Primero movement, coupling it with double tourbillons for the first time in the Defy Extreme line. Featuring a skeletal dial with tinted transparent sapphire elements that reveal all, one can see the two independent tourbillons at 8 o’clock and 10 o’clock in star-shaped cages. The time-keeping tourbillon completes a rotation in 60 seconds, while the chronograph’s tourbillon takes five seconds to complete one, making it among the fastest tourbillons ever made, as well as the only 1/100th of a second chronograph beating at the phenomenal rate of 50 Hz / 360,000 vph. The watch is powered by the El Primero 9020 with a minimum of 50 hours power reserve for the watch, and 50 minutes for the chronograph, which is indicated at 12 o’clock. At 3 o’clock rests the 30-minute counter, and at 6 o'clock, the small seconds counter. Turn the watch over and you see the star-shaped oscillating weight with satined finishings.
Price: Rs 60,85,000 (approx.)
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic
When first launched back in 2017, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatic created quite a stir as it was not only the thinnest watch in the world but also offered a titanium case that was ultra-light in weight and super-comfortable to wear. Even after five years of its release, the Octo Finissimo Automatic remains a crowd pleaser, thanks to its ergonomic and unique octagonal design, and its mere 2.23mm thick BVL 138 movement that is decorated by hand with Côtes de Genève, chamfering and perlage finishing. The timepiece has a power reserve of 60 hours and is water resistant up to 30m.
Tudor Pelagos 39
With a decidedly unisex bent and a new 39mm size, Tudor called its 2022 Pelagos a watch that sits at the “crossroads between the world of technical diving and urban sophistication”. Crafted in grade 2 titanium with a satin-brushed case, it features sunray satin finishes on its bezel and dial. The trademark snowflake hands, with grade X1 Swiss Super-LumiNova® point to luminescent ceramic composite monobloc hour markers, and the unidirectional rotating bezel has a sunray satin finish ceramic insert with grade X1 Swiss Super-LumiNova®. The watch is powered by the Manufacture Calibre MT5400, whose variable inertia balance and silicon hairspring have assured it a COSC certification. With a frequency is 4Hz, its other attributes include a 70-hours power reserve, and a water resistance of 200 metres.
Price: Rs 3,62,000 (approx.)
Longines Aviation BigEye
Taking its design cues from the watches made by Longines in the 1930s, this Aviation BigEye model is a retro-cool timepiece that’s crafted from high-quality titanium, offering longevity and optimal wearability. The timepiece features a petrol blue gradient dial, which comprises a classic chronograph layout along with Arabic numerals and sand-blasted hands filled with cream-coloured Super-LumiNova. Powered with the Calibre L688, the watch has a power reserve of 54 hours and is fashioned with an elegant-looking brown-coloured calf leather strap.
Price: Rs 3,06,000 (approx.)
MB&F LM Split Escapement EVO
The highlight of the Legacy Machine (LM) Split Escapement EVO, naturally, is the Split Escapement, seen via the 14mm balance wheel on the base plate. Surrounding it are two rings – the date and power reserve – and a dial. The 44mm x 17.5mm is cased in grade 5 titanium with an icy blue base plate and slate grey dial and opened counters/ rings. The manual-winding watch is driven by double barrels providing 72 hours of power reserve. The movement side features bevelled internal angles, polished bevels, Geneva waves, hand-made engravings, and a special darkened treatment that creates a contrast between the wheels, the rhodium-plated barrels and the rose gold details. Also, the movement of the MB&F LM Split Escapement EVO is suspended inside the case; the watch maintains precision thanks to a monobloc shock-absorbing ‘FlexRing’ system.
Price: Upon request
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Green Titanium
Last year, TAG Heuer revamped its well-known Aquaracer collection and added a slew of new iterations to it, including an eye-catchy titanium model. The 43mm watch was housed in a sandblasted matt-finished titanium case along with a carefully designed titanium bracelet that just snugged on the wrist. Apart from this, the timepiece came with an exquisite, clean, and perfectly legible green dial that was powered by the automatic Calibre 5—based on the ETA 2824-2, the movement beats at the frequency of 28,800vph and provides a standard power reserve of 42 hours.
Price: Rs 3,81,000 (approx.)
Oris Big Crown ProPilot X Calibre 400
The Big Crown ProPilot X Calibre 400 is the first watch ProPilot watch with the in-house Calibre 400, which was released in 2021, it has become the go-to movement for the brand. Seen here is an eye-catching salmon pink variant of the new watch, which has been crafted from titanium, the model has a date window at 6 o'clock and measures a compact 39mm.
To know which is our favourite titanium watch, stay tuned... there's something exciting lined up this month.
All images: Courtesy brands
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