6 titanium timepieces every watch collector should clock in 2023: from the classic Rolex Yacht-Master 42 and green Omega Seamaster, to the GPHG award-winning Tudor Pelagos 39
If, like Daft Punk and Kanye West, you’re looking for something harder, better, faster and stronger, this year was awash with watches that boast better durability, lighter weight and stronger cases thanks to the use of titanium.
Normally used as either grade 2 pure titanium or in the grade 5 alloy that is even more durable, the material is an all-round boon for all kinds of watches, from sport and tool watches to luxury models. Here are some of our favourite titanium picks from the year.
1. Tudor Pelagos
One of the most recognisable and attainable of these is Tudor, as its Pelagos line of serious dive watches has always featured the material. Made from grade 2 titanium, the Pelagos 39 took home the award for best sports watch at Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. However, we also loved the Pelagos FXD as it pays homage to the military spec of designs from Tudor’s long dive watch history, with red accents and an army green Nato strap giving the robustly engineered piece a suitably rugged finish.
2. Rolex Yacht-Master 42
Sister brand Rolex also gave us a grade 5 titanium Yacht-Master 42 at Watches and Wonders (W&W) earlier in the year. Even with its muted, brushed finish and astounding light weight in contrast to the standard Oystersteel, it was still an almost sleeper pick from the bumper crop of releases from the brand (Daytona, Bubble Day-Date and others).
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3. IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 Titanium
The other W&W release of note was the Gérald Genta-designed IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 Titanium, a grade 5 take on what was originally an integrated steel design, rather than a dive watch.
4. Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer
Outside W&W, Omega released a green Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer in both steel and titanium. While the green worked less well with the steel for us, we were excited by the use of the pure grade 2 metal.
5. Baume & Mercier Riviera Chronograph Titanium and Gold
For another intricate grey bezelled option, consider the Baume & Mercier Riviera, which mixes aesthetics and toughness by encasing its Valjoux chronograph movement in gold as well as titanium.
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6. Bulgari Octo Finissimo Skeleton 8 Days
Finally Bulgari, long known for their definitive high horology Bulgari Octo Finissimo, and in the wake of last year’s 1.8mm Octo Finissimo Ultra 10th Anniversary tour de force, gave us a sandblasted titanium piece with a skeleton dial and a full eight days of power reserve.
- Harder, better, faster and stronger? Channel Daft Punk and Kanye West’s steely aesthetic with a titanium timepiece – one of 2023’s big watch trends to clock
- Tudor’s military-inspired Pelagos 39 was just awarded best sports watch at Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, while IWC, Bulgari and Baume & Mercier all showed their metal with strong new elemental offerings