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Watches

Panerai, Ulysse Nardin and other brands are reinventing watches with unusual materials

STORYJoshua Hendren
The new Ulysse Nardin Super Freak model is a limited edition piece marking 25 years of the Freak collection, built around the house’s patented diamond-coated silicon architecture. Photo: Handout
The new Ulysse Nardin Super Freak model is a limited edition piece marking 25 years of the Freak collection, built around the house’s patented diamond-coated silicon architecture. Photo: Handout
Timepieces

H. Moser & Cie and Hublot are among those experimenting with advanced compounds that boost performance and deliver distinctive finishes

Gold, platinum and steel may be watchmaking’s holy trinity, but some of the buzziest new horological launches are being designed in materials outside the usual playbook.

“These developments are about creating an entirely new wearing experience: lighter, stronger and more dynamic than traditional luxury sports watches,” according to the product development team at independent Swiss watchmaker Norqain.

That approach is present in Norqain’s latest timepieces, the Wild One Skeleton X-Lite, launched at this year’s Watches and Wonders in Geneva. Weighing just 45 grams, it’s the lightest watch the brand has ever produced, combining titanium, aluminium, yellow rubber and two proprietary carbon-fibre composites, Norteq and X-Lite.
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Norqain Wild One Skeleton Chrono. Photo: Handout
Norqain Wild One Skeleton Chrono. Photo: Handout

The brand’s newest proprietary material, X-Lite is an evolution created to push the watch’s weight down even further without compromising on shock absorption. It is used in the new model’s casing ring to protect the movement against shocks of more than 5,000G.

Achieving this wasn’t without its difficulties. “One of the biggest challenges was achieving the right balance between extreme lightness and structural resistance,” according to the brand. “The materials needed to absorb shocks, protect the movement and maintain long-term durability, all while preserving the premium finishing and aesthetics expected from a Swiss luxury watch.” Materials currently available on the market, the team added, were not enough. “We decided to develop our own solutions together with leading experts and partners.”

A different material, zirconium – a hard, corrosion-resistant metal known for its dark grey finish – has been used at De Bethune. The independent Swiss brand has used the metal in its collections since 2012, and it appears once again on the new DB28xs Dark Sand. Here, a black satin-brushed finish gives the 39mm case a striking matte anthracite tone.
De Bethune DB28xs Dark Sand. Photo: Handout
De Bethune DB28xs Dark Sand. Photo: Handout
“Zirconium continues to fascinate us because it combines technical performance with a distinctive aesthetic presence,” says Denis Flageollet, master watchmaker and De Bethune’s co-founder. “Compared to more conventional materials such as titanium or platinum, zirconium develops a remarkable surface finish with deep anthracite tones and subtle reflections that interact beautifully with light.”

That appeal doesn’t come without its complications. “Zirconium is a demanding material that requires specific expertise and extensive hand-finishing,” says Flageollet. “Its hardness and thermal properties make machining particularly delicate, requiring adapted tools and very precise manufacturing processes.”

Zirconium also reacts differently to polishing than steel or titanium, making it harder to achieve the clean lines of a De Bethune watch case. “Another challenge lies in preserving the elegance and fluidity of our case architecture while working with a material that is technically more complex to shape,” Flageollet explains. “But this difficulty is also what makes it interesting for us: it pushes our teams to constantly innovate and refine their savoir faire.”

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