I Hate Ceramic Bezels

[Pandacat]

I really dont understand why so many major watch brands are jumping on the ceramic bezel craze.

The bezels can shatter if there is a direct impact. A heavy duty sports watch should be able to take a beating. Take something like the rolex submariner. Some would argue rolex has lost its tool watch roots and is primarily a luxury item, but regardless any rolex watch is designed to take a beating. The additional risk of direct impact to the bezel scares me off of ever owning one. Not that im a navy seal or anything, but i just dont want the additional baggage of “what if.”

Why not use a tungsten bezel? Or something like tegimented steel like sinn does?

[peterpl]

How many ceramic bezels shattering have you seen compared to how many bezels that look like crap that are made from aluminium or steel?

The percentage wise would be tiny. I think more ppl would want a prestine looking bezel over the life of the watch than to have a bezel that looks like its being dinged up.

I love ceramic bezels and have had over 20 watches with ceramic bezels. Its the best thing they have done.

Also I've smashed my ceramic bezel numerous times on several watches. NONE of them cracked. You need to be pissed and off your head and properly smash it into a brick to crack them

[horseShu]

Downside to ceramic bezels is, assuming you didn't break them, they will always look shiny and new. So there will be no "vintage" feel to your watch down the road. Unlike those faded GMT aluminum bezel inserts that are so prized by collectors.

[SearChart]

Originally Posted by peterpl

How many ceramic bezels shattering have you seen compared to how many bezels that look like crap that are made from aluminium or steel?

The percentage wise would be tiny. I think more ppl would want a prestine looking bezel over the life of the watch than to have a bezel that looks like its being dinged up.

I love ceramic bezels and have had over 20 watches with ceramic bezels. Its the best thing they have done.

Also I've smashed my ceramic bezel numerous times on several watches. NONE of them cracked. You need to be pissed and off your head and properly smash it into a brick to crack them

Cracked ceramic bezels are pretty common, just like cracked crystals.

[Rock]

It's a matter of personal preference.
I'm not keen on the coloured ceramic bezels as I don't think they have as attractive colours or the 'presence' of the previous anodised ones, but having said that I prefer the black ceramics on the Sub and GMT. With the exception of the GMT II, I prefer the 5 digit models overall.

[AshCashEmAll]

Hmmm I would say being able to pay the price of a car for a wristwatch would be considered a luxury. Ceramic holds up a million times better then aluminum or steel and is scratch resistant.


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[peterpl]

Originally Posted by SearChart

Cracked ceramic bezels are pretty common, just like cracked crystals.

I'm sure they are common no doubt.

However the benefits of ceramic in terms of scratch proof/resistance surely far outweighs the damaged look of dented, cracked and scratched bezels made of aluminium or steel.

I used to own a few APs. Man those things are scratch magnets to the MAX. Thats why I've been looking at AP ROO models now with only ceramic bezels. Steel bezels looks good when new - after 6 months your $30k watch looks like a piece of crap.

[SearChart]

Originally Posted by peterpl

I'm sure they are common no doubt.

However the benefits of ceramic in terms of scratch proof/resistance surely far outweighs the damaged look of dented, cracked and scratched bezels made of aluminium or steel.

I used to own a few APs. Man those things are scratch magnets to the MAX. Thats why I've been looking at AP ROO models now with only ceramic bezels. Steel bezels looks good when new - after 6 months your $30k watch looks like a piece of crap.

I question how well ceramic holds up in the diving environment and walking around in ships, submarines, etc. But then again how many are actually used for that. For daily use ceramic is almost perfect.

Now if someone doesn't like the shiny look, I get that.

[toolr]

There are plenty of watches available without ceramic bezels you can choose from.

[herefortheattachment]

I agree. They are beautiful, but to me, ceramic bezels have shifted the Rolex sports line further away from tool watches towards jewelry. While Rolex’s ceramic bezels are durable and well-constructed, they are impractical in the sense that if they break they are, in comparison to a new aluminum insert, much more expensive to replace (some would argue needlessly so for the simple black inserts) - especially with replacement parts scarce outside of the OEM in comparison to their aluminum bezels. And while I prefer OEM parts, I do appreciate that aftermarket aluminum inserts are available for dirt cheap.

But since the advent of the quartz watch, it’s unlikely that most people use their Rolexes as tool watches, or push them to their limits; us WIS probably baby ours less than most. I imagine the typical Rolex sports watch owner is fairly gentle with their watch and prefers the scratch resistance of the ceramic over the added durability and lower replacement costs of aluminum.

I really admire what Rolex has done with ceramic. I still remember their unveiling of the Pepsi bezel years ago. Their ceramic bezels are beautiful and certainly changed the industry. That said, I don’t baby my sports/tool watches, so the ceramic isn’t for me, either.

[faimag]

I believe ceramic bezels are functional improvements but i just can’t like their shiny “plasticy” look. Nowhere near the warmth of the aluminium ones.

[Pandacat]

I personally like my watches a bit dinged up as long as i was the one to do the damage. I feel it adds character. I recently saw a thread of a seal team 6 member who wore his rolex submariner throughout his tours. He said it never failed him. To my memory i think it was the pre ceramic version. I wonder how well it would’ve done bezel wise if it was the current ceramic sub.

I get it most of us arent navy seals, but i am pretty sure some members here have fairly physical jobs. I would be curious as to hear if their ceramic bezels fair well in their environments.

[Woody]

You can always buy an Explorer II.......but come on, let's not kid ourselves. Rolex stopped producing tool watches in the 00s (some would say the 80s). The ceramic bezels are designed to sparkle in the "mood" lighting of restaurants, up-market bars and Business Class

[subtona]

Just don’t buy a watch w a ceramic bezel.
No reason to hate on them.

Plenty of options.

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by Pandacat

I really dont understand why so many major watch brands are jumping on the ceramic bezel craze.

The bezels can shatter if there is a direct impact. A heavy duty sports watch should be able to take a beating. Take something like the rolex submariner. Some would argue rolex has lost its tool watch roots and is primarily a luxury item, but regardless any rolex watch is designed to take a beating. The additional risk of direct impact to the bezel scares me off of ever owning one. Not that im a navy seal or anything, but i just dont want the additional baggage of “what if.”

Why not use a tungsten bezel? Or something like tegimented steel like sinn does?

Perhaps a simple design change to something like a Seiko Monster would be sufficient?
Then again one would lose the versatile design aesthetics of the classic Rolex diver

[Maxy]

Originally Posted by Pandacat

I A heavy duty sports watch should be able to take a beating.

Yes, agree but you are buying a luxury watch; not a heavy duty sports watch.

[Pandacat]

Originally Posted by Maxy

Yes, agree but you are buying a luxury watch; not a heavy duty sports watch.

Debatable

[csaltphoto]

Originally Posted by SearChart

I question how well ceramic holds up in the diving environment and walking around in ships, submarines, etc. But then again how many are actually used for that. For daily use ceramic is almost perfect.

Now if someone doesn't like the shiny look, I get that.

Well... I don't like the shiny look much but that is a personal preference. I've spent some time diving and and around marine work and I can speculate they won't hold up well. For example this is the interior of a ship I spend a fair amount of time on. Every surface you see is made of metal. And when the ship is moving around you bang into them quite a bit. Not to mention reaching for stuff. Near as I can remember the only soft surfaces on the entire boat are the bunks and the seats in the galley. You don't see a lot of ceramic on a working boat, at least on contact surfaces.

[Ihatecheese]

Everyone has their preferences. I don't think shattered bezels have plagued all the manufacturers of ceramic watches, rather a bother for the spec obsessed internet.

No issues with the ceramic watch and bezels I had. (Although Tudor and Hublot) i prefer ideally something that doesn't scratch although my 20y sub only has a few on its Ali bezel. I don't currently own any watches with ceramic cases or features.

[Psmith]

As I mentioned in another thread recently, Rolex introduced ceramic inserts 15 years ago, so seems a bit silly imho to still be 'debating' this. And of course the actual bezels are metal. Ceramics have been used by watch manufacturers for many years, even for cases - it's not a new class of materials.
And as others have said, these are luxury timepieces (functional jewelry if you will) and not tactical equipment. That said, I've had ceramic inserts since 2007 with no issues whatsoever and the watches have had pretty hard use.

[Simon_jrees]

Originally Posted by Pandacat

I really dont understand why so many major watch brands are jumping on the ceramic bezel craze.

The bezels can shatter if there is a direct impact. A heavy duty sports watch should be able to take a beating. Take something like the rolex submariner. Some would argue rolex has lost its tool watch roots and is primarily a luxury item, but regardless any rolex watch is designed to take a beating. The additional risk of direct impact to the bezel scares me off of ever owning one. Not that im a navy seal or anything, but i just dont want the additional baggage of “what if.”

Why not use a tungsten bezel? Or something like tegimented steel like sinn does?

The thing that's off putting for me with them is I don't like the colour of them on certain watches. E.g If I wanted a SS watch I wouldn't necessarily want a black bezel (Not including the sub) but they don't cater just for me

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by SearChart

I question how well ceramic holds up in the diving environment and walking around in ships, submarines, etc. But then again how many are actually used for that. For daily use ceramic is almost perfect

As a Shipwright/Marine Engineer and present owner of my own bay cruiser that's known to muck around an awful lot with boats and yachts up to 52 meters in length.
I can say my DSSD looks pretty battered and scratched after 9 years on the wrist.
Some of the scratches were from enthusiastic/boisterous dog teeth but the rest the worst of it are from sticking my hands into tight places where a normal member of this forum would never ever entertain.
Not to mention doing the washing up
And that is despite being very mindfull of avoiding hazards where possible.
Despite all that, i think my wife's Diamond ring was the only thing to damage the Saphire crystal necessitating a change as a requirement of Rolex at the last service.

The Ceramic bezel insert is still going strong despite being bumped, belted, rubbed and scraped against SS bolts, flanges, couplings and all manner of things one typically finds in machinery spaces in the floating marine environment.

Initially I was sceptical about the Ceramic bezel but over the last 9 years I can categorically state that it has held up better than the rest of the watch without fail with not a mark on it

[Cru Jones]

In 13 years of Rolex ceramic bezel inserts, there have been maybe 10 or so cracked or shattered inserts posted on TRF.

[sgwatchguy]

Originally Posted by Psmith

As I mentioned in another thread recently, Rolex introduced ceramic inserts 15 years ago, so seems a bit silly imho to still be 'debating' this. And of course the actual bezels are metal. Ceramics have been used by watch manufacturers for many years, even for cases - it's not a new class of materials.
And as others have said, these are luxury timepieces (functional jewelry if you will) and not tactical equipment. That said, I've had ceramic inserts since 2007 with no issues whatsoever and the watches have had pretty hard use.

Originally Posted by Dirt

As a Shipwright/Marine Engineer and present owner of my own bay cruiser that's known to muck around an awful lot with boats and yachts up to 52 meters in length.
I can say my DSSD looks pretty battered and scratched after 9 years on the wrist.
Some of the scratches were from enthusiastic/boisterous dog teeth but the rest the worst of it are from sticking my hands into tight places where a normal member of this forum would never ever entertain.
Not to mention doing the washing up
And that is despite being very mindfull of avoiding hazards where possible.
Despite all that, i think my wife's Diamond ring was the only thing to damage the Saphire crystal necessitating a change as a requirement of Rolex at the last service.

The Ceramic bezel insert is still going strong despite being bumped, belted, rubbed and scraped against SS bolts, flanges, couplings and all manner of things one typically finds in machinery spaces in the floating marine environment.

Initially I was sceptical about the Ceramic bezel but over the last 9 years I can categorically state that it has held up better than the rest of the watch without fail with not a mark on it

OP, if you don’t like the bezel, there’s a lot of options there in the market.


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[MARGARITATIME]

Absolutely love ceramic bezels. I am hard on my watches and would have scratches in a matter of days. If your not into ceramic get an older model. I wear my gshocks if I am going to be doing something excessive.

[AshCashEmAll]

Originally Posted by Pandacat

Debatable

Troll ?


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[Pandacat]

Originally Posted by AshCashEmAll

Troll ?


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No,why?

[eonflux]

Originally Posted by Pandacat

I really dont understand why so many major watch brands are jumping on the ceramic bezel craze.

The bezels can shatter if there is a direct impact. A heavy duty sports watch should be able to take a beating. Take something like the rolex submariner. Some would argue rolex has lost its tool watch roots and is primarily a luxury item, but regardless any rolex watch is designed to take a beating. The additional risk of direct impact to the bezel scares me off of ever owning one. Not that im a navy seal or anything, but i just dont want the additional baggage of “what if.”

Why not use a tungsten bezel? Or something like tegimented steel like sinn does?

This probably makes you cringe

[Pandacat]

Originally Posted by eonflux

This probably makes you cringe

Just looking at the picture makes me extremely uncomfortable

[British-GT]

For me I don’t like the way they look on an aged watch, they just don’t develop patina like the old watches, you get this worn in watch with a pop out brand new looking bezel.