Why do some watches experience case fading after wearing for a period? This not only affects the watch's appearance but also leaves many customers puzzled. Today, we will learn about watch case coatings.
Primarily two methods of watch case coating are chemical plating and electroplating. Chemical plating is an electroplating method that does not rely on electric current.
While chemical plating can offer decorative effects, its control over color and gloss may not match electroplating. Therefore, most watches on the market today primarily use electroplating for coating.
What is electroplating?
Electroplating is a process used to make watches look better, last longer, and protect them. It is the process of adding a metal layer to another metal surface. People do this to make the surface more resistant to corrosion, harder, or to improve its appearance.
Electroplating techniques for watches mainly include vacuum deposition and water plating. Water plating, also known as traditional electroplating, is a common method.
4 Main Plating Ways:
Water plating
This is a method of depositing metal on the surface of a watch through the principle of electrolysis. During electroplating, the plated metal acts as the anode, while the watch to be plated acts as the cathode. Both are immersed in an electroplating solution containing the metal cations for the plating.
PVD
This is a technique for depositing thin metal films using physical methods in a vacuum environment. PVD technology can provide watches with wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant coatings, and it can create various surface effects in different colors.
DLC
DLC is a material similar to diamond carbon, with extremely high hardness and wear resistance. Through DLC plating, the watch surface can obtain a protective layer similar to diamond.
IP
IP, short for Ion Plating, is essentially a more detailed division of the aforementioned PVD technology. It typically involves three methods: vacuum evaporation, sputtering, and ion plating. Among them, ion plating is considered the best technique in terms of adhesion and durability.
The thin layer formed by this plating technique is almost imperceptible and does not significantly affect the thickness of the watch case. However, the main drawback is the difficulty in evenly distributing the thickness of the layer. Nevertheless, it still demonstrates significant benefits before and after plating.
The main technique used by Naviforce watches is Environmental Vacuum Ion Plating. The coating process happens in a vacuum, so there is no waste discharge or use of harmful substances like cyanides. This makes it an eco-friendly and sustainable technology. Apart from enhancing aesthetics, vacuum ion plating also improves the watch's scratch resistance, corrosion resistance, and prolongs its lifespan.
How to Extend the Color Protection Period for Plating?
1. Regular Cleaning and Maintenance
2. Avoid Contact with Acidic
3. Pay Attention to Wearing Environment
Above is Naviforce's explanation of watch color fading reasons and related plating techniques issues. Naviforce specializes in wholesale watches and customized OEM/ODM manufacturing, catering to diverse customer needs for brand and enterprise product customization.
Media Contact
Company Name: Guangzhou NAVIFORCE Watch Co., Ltd.
Email: Send Email
Country: China
Website: https://www.naviforce.com/
