# Type of Bronze used in the BS100 case?



## sierra 18

Hi gents:

Just reading another post (not in the Aquadive forum but on WUS) about corrosion and bronze watches. I see in the specs for this (AD BS100) model that the bronze is described as salt water resistant bronze, but does anyone know what particular alloy of bronze is being used in the AD BS100 bronze cases?

And how well they will ultimately resist corrosion (as opposed to a pleasant patina). I seem to have read somewhere that Aquadive uses an alloy different than many others out there, which gives me confidence, but cannot seen to find that post/article again.

If anyone knows, I'd be curious.

Best,

Chris


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## sierra 18

Sorry, just found the info in a review I had read, in fact it was here in the Aquadive forum, which indicates:

"  Aquadive uses a real Bronze alloy of certified German origin, 100% manufactured (milled, machined, drilled, brushed and polished) in Germany. The alloy used is similar too, but more sophisticated than, basic CuSn8. It contains five additional elements to help protect it against total corrosion caused by salt water."

Good to read that the BS 100 bronze alloy is even more corrosion resistant than CuSn8. I want my piece to last a lifetime, I am not a flipper of watches, very, very rarely!

Best,

C


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## arutlosjr11

Glad you found it bud... Enjoy it! 




Sent from my iPhone


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## sierra 18

Does anyone know what the manufacturer recommended care directions are for the BS 100 case? There are forum members who say that they use brass polish, toothpaste, etc to clean patina, but I've not seen manufacturer recommendations online yet, not to say they aren't out there. In any event, some say patina protects, others say it allows deeper pitting of the metal. I'd rather hear from an authoritative metallurgical source than read anecdotes, but these are hard to find on the 'net.

I saw a picture of a Panerai Bronzo that was green and corroded after a 10 day stint of ocean swimming and activities, like scary corroded, with the copper in the alloy giving a green patch here and there. No doubt this can be quickly reversed with the right metal polish, but is it better for the long term health of the case to leave the patina, or is it better to polish it regularly?


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## W. C. Bartlett

Let me give you another prospective, I for one cannot wait for the case to evolve to a patina finish and be even more attractive and having attended GTG with numerous collectors I am not alone in my opinion. However, will look into the matter and if the information is out there will get back to you. By the way did you order an Aquadive bronze?

Bill



sierra 18 said:


> Does anyone know what the manufacturer recommended care directions are for the BS 100 case? There are forum members who say that they use brass polish, toothpaste, etc to clean patina, but I've not seen manufacturer recommendations online yet, not to say they aren't out there. In any event, some say patina protects, others say it allows deeper pitting of the metal. I'd rather hear from an authoritative metallurgical source than read anecdotes, but these are hard to find on the 'net.
> 
> I saw a picture of a Panerai Bronzo that was green and corroded after a 10 day stint of ocean swimming and activities, like scary corroded, with the copper in the alloy giving a green patch here and there. No doubt this can be quickly reversed with the right metal polish, but is it better for the long term health of the case to leave the patina, or is it better to polish it regularly?


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## PloProf Pimp

sierra 18 said:


> Does anyone know what the manufacturer recommended care directions are for the BS 100 case? There are forum members who say that they use brass polish, toothpaste, etc to clean patina, but I've not seen manufacturer recommendations online yet, not to say they aren't out there. In any event, some say patina protects, others say it allows deeper pitting of the metal. I'd rather hear from an authoritative metallurgical source than read anecdotes, but these are hard to find on the 'net.
> 
> I saw a picture of a Panerai Bronzo that was green and corroded after a 10 day stint of ocean swimming and activities, like scary corroded, with the copper in the alloy giving a green patch here and there. No doubt this can be quickly reversed with the right metal polish, but is it better for the long term health of the case to leave the patina, or is it better to polish it regularly?


Bronze cased watches really haven't been on the market that long. I believe Anonimo was the first brand to make them, a few years back. I know many guys that own them, but have never heard or read about care instructions from a brand regarding a bronze case. Its _*meant*_ to patina though, as these are dive watches meant to go diving in salt water. Its all just personal preference though, on whether you want patina or not. I can tell you, off all the methods I've read on various fora, the one I prefer best (and have never seen anyone else mention), is using a Cape Cod cloth. You can get them on Ebay. Buy the tin can with like 10 cloths in it, gloves, and polishing cloth. Don't buy the single foil sealed packs. Works much better than any home brew method, especially ketchup! Cape Cod's are also good for polishing vintage plexi and acrylic crystals, and also polishing stainless steel cases.


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## sierra 18

W. C. Bartlett said:


> By the way did you order an Aquadive bronze?
> Bill


Yes sir! Ordered Friday, confirmed. Brown bronze BS100. Of all the bronze offerings out there, this model is way ahead in my opinion of anything else available. There are so many design aspects that make it the superior choice to me of the other bronze pieces that were in the running for me. The only serious contender I had was the Kazimon, which I feel is an amazing piece as well. But, the Aquadive had some nice features I outlined in an earlier post that make it a great choice for me. I look forward to wearing this at work and off duty.


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## PloProf Pimp

sierra 18 said:


> Yes sir! Ordered Friday, confirmed. Brown bronze BS100. Of all the bronze offerings out there, this model is way ahead in my opinion of anything else available. There are so many design aspects that make it the superior choice to me of the other bronze pieces that were in the running for me. The only serious contender I had was the Kazimon, which I feel is an amazing piece as well. But, the Aquadive had some nice features I outlined in an earlier post that make it a great choice for me. I look forward to wearing this at work and off duty.


That, and if you look at the other Bronze watches on the market, their cases and bezels are crudely finished and machined, and lack the fine case work (brushing and polishing) of the Aquadive. Some of the other bronze watches out there look as if they have a stamped case.


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## sierra 18

I agree, I _*like*_ the patina that I have seen in some bronze watches, and this is an aspect that led me to want to buy a bronze watch, especially where said patina evolves slowly, and over time. I agree too on the fine case finishing of the Aquadive BS 100; the polished edges of the bezel where the high points are polished and the valleys are matte makes an incredible looking effect and one of thoughtful design.

C


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## arutlosjr11

sierra 18 said:


> I agree, I _*like*_ the patina that I have seen in some bronze watches, and this is an aspect that led me to want to buy a bronze watch, especially where said patina evolves slowly, and over time. I agree too on the fine case finishing of the Aquadive BS 100; *the polished edges of the bezel where the high points are polished and the valleys are matte makes an incredible looking effect and one of thoughtful design.
> 
> *C


I love these pics of mine the denote the above statement...


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## sierra 18

I agree, those are among the best shots for me in your photo series. The first one is a great balance of natural light, reflection, and detail. It really shows how nicely the polished case edge, the bezel and the SS hands reflect ambient light in low light conditions to create the sense of quietly-gleaming jewellery inside the lighted display case at the museum. Nice shots. 

Looking forward to getting mine. 

Best,

Chris


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## W. C. Bartlett

I keep telling my self patience Bill. patience Bill....waiting is hard...but wait I shall


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## sbph

sierra 18 said:


> I agree, I _*like*_ the patina that I have seen in some bronze watches, and this is an aspect that led me to want to buy a bronze watch, especially where said patina evolves slowly, and over time. I agree too on the fine case finishing of the Aquadive BS 100; the polished edges of the bezel where the high points are polished and the valleys are matte makes an incredible looking effect and one of thoughtful design.
> 
> C


I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how the patina develops naturally, but for those who'd like to speed up the process I thought I'd share a link I found with the hardboiled egg technique.

Steves Recipe for Bronze Patina - Modders - Time Tech Talk - TimeTechTalk.com


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## sierra 18

Of course, there's always the 10 days in the ocean hardcore to give you this (from the Watches by SJX blog: all photos are from the Watches by SJX blog and all photo credit is due to that website). I certainly don't want to panic anyone about bronze corrosion, but here's a cautionary photo as to why a slowly-acquired patina is preferable to me and why rinsing your watch--*any* watch--after ocean/salt water use is recommended. This is a shot of a rather expensive Panerai Bronzo where the owner (owner of a watch boutique in Paris) reportedly had it in the salt water for 10 days while in the Caribbean. Unknown if he was rinsing it in clear water after salt water exposure, but I'd say not.....










The above photo shows how the oxidization of the copper element of the bronze alloy causes that characteristic green patina, which I'm not aiming for. It also illustrates why you should rinse off your watch after exposure to salt water swimming, etc. I have even seen pictures of Rolex(s) that had corrosion after repeated salt water exposure without being cleaned. Personally, what I'm aiming for is more like this, which shows close views of the same Panerai I believe, with a more slowly-aged patina effect. Since the Aquadive has brushed case surface, I was interested in this picture to see how a brushed bronze case would look with patina:










Hopefully ending up looking something like this (in terms of patina I mean):










I'm planning on letting my bronze Aquadive just mellow into a soft, burnished-looking patina without any assistance or accelerated ageing, out of fear that it could cause the end result to just look "off".

That said, I did read the info from the link you sent above from TimeTechTalk, and those photos of the egg-patinaed Benarus show what I consider to be a result that is quite reasonable, I will agree. But, something in my instinct says, accelerated patina will have a less durable result, and slow-aged patina, like slow-aged single malt, will just be better as it is built up slowly over time. In any event, if one was to get the wrong result, I suppose you could just use a brass or bronze cleaner to reverse the results.

I think the Aquadive in bronze will have a very interesting end result. Many of the bronze cased watches (and especially in my opinion, Dino Zei, Anonimo, Panerai, Kazimon, and particularly the Ennebi bronze) have a simple case design which, when patinaed, makes the piece look like a beautifully weathered, well-worn nautical device on the wrist. For me the Ennebi Fondale bronzo more than any other.

The Aquadive BS100 has a more modern-style case than many of the ones I just mentioned. As a result, the antique-patina-aged look when the bronze weathers, in contrast with a more 1970's modern styling will have a very, I feel, unique result. Since the BS100 has the appearance of massive construction, especially when seen from the side profile, I believe this presence will go well with the patina, since many bronze nautical constructs one sees on older ships, are massive and often of a strange, convoluted-shape kind of thing. So I think the bronze BS100 will have that feel as it ages, that of a heavy-duty nautical tool that bears the burnished weathering of use, lending it an air of a worn favorite item, like a well broken-in leather jacket.

In any event, I guess I'll find out this summer.

Best,

Chris


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## sierra 18

Put this in your mind (photo credit to Arutlosjr11 forum moderator):










With the patina shown here (photo credit to Watches by SJX):










And tell me the Aquadive BS100, once wearing a nice patina, won't be one of the most stunning looking bronze watches out there on the market. Not to mention one of the best bangs for the buck, given case material (CuSn8 plus 5 additional alloy materials for increased salt water corrosion resistance), click spring (laser etched not stamped, 7 times more expensive than the more common stamped piece, with a better bezel feel), ceramic, not aluminum, bezel insert, Isofrane stock strap, and so forth....


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## sierra 18

Lucas99 said:


> Sent from my iPhone


Is it my computer or do these photos you posted not show up?


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## arutlosjr11

Mine is coming along well...









Sent from my iPhone


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## arutlosjr11

sierra 18 said:


> Is it my computer or do these photos you posted not show up?


They don't show up on my iPhone or PC either...


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## PloProf Pimp

sierra 18 said:


> Put this in your mind (photo credit to Arutlosjr11 forum moderator):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And tell me the Aquadive BS100, once wearing a nice patina, won't be one of the most stunning looking bronze watches out there on the market. Not to mention one of the best bangs for the buck, given case material (CuSn8 plus 5 additional alloy materials for increased salt water corrosion resistance), click spring (laser etched not stamped, 7 times more expensive than the more common stamped piece, with a better bezel feel), ceramic, not aluminum, bezel insert, Isofrane stock strap, and so forth....


Great posts by you, and it will be interesting to see the patina-zation of our collective BS100 bronze's. Me personally, I like the pic of that well weathered Panerai with all the verdi gris. Looks _*very cool*_ to me, and that is the overall look I'm aiming for. 

When you mention bang for buck with the Aquadive BS100 bronze, _*its not even close*_. Besides the much more expensive Swiss/Italian/German made Panerai, Enebbi, VDB, and Anonimo bronze's; all the other bronze models out there are crude and basic Chinese made watches that have a general wholesale price of $200-400 maximum. They are then marked up to their retail prices of $800-$1,500. Everyone incorrectly assumes there is no mark-up/profit margin with all the Chinese micro watches.

In addition to the great Aquadive features you mention above, its the fact that the Aquadive is of Swiss & German origin, construction, and assembly. And they give full disclosure on their website. Who else does that? Add in the Elabore ETA movement regulated in five positions with accuracy certificate by a Swiss master watchmaker, the beautifully and masterfully finished brushed & polished case work (compare it to all the others, and you'll see a lot of work and extra steps goes into the Aquadive case), the gorgeous enamel dial with welded raised metal indices, and the custom expensive and extremely durable DLC work; and you clearly see none of the Chinese bronze watches even come close, _especially in the bang for buck or value comparison_. Just my two shekels of course, and YMMV. :-!

http://www.aquadive.com/makingof.html


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## sierra 18

Yep, I dig it! Seriously good decisions by the design team here. I hope many buying this watch realize how well engineered and designed it really is.

Now, I wasn't sure if you were serious, but do you really like the green diving-helmet-under-the-sea-for-100-years-look of that Panerai?!? I mean I respect everyone's choices and personal right to an aesthetic, and would defend to the death your right to make said choice, but man, if my bronze watch did *that* level of verdigris, I'd plotz.

On the spot. Then I'd run down the street screaming, as if my hair was on fire. All said, the AD is going to likely patina (if done gradually) like those shots of the Panerai in context to Ariel's watch, that I posted above in this thread. A subtle darkening, with the brushed grain of the case working with the patina to produce a wonderful, warm effect.

Thanks for posting the link of the making of. Useful to know these details and, as you say, the level of detail in this watch puts it way beyond anything in, and perhaps well above, its price point.

I've done the downpayment for the brown, and now its the wait.


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## Zenrag

sierra 18 said:


> Is it my computer or do these photos you posted not show up?


Did the mods edit this thread? I can't see the original post from Lucas99.


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## arutlosjr11

Zenrag said:


> Did the mods edit this thread? I can't see the original post from Lucas99.


Lucas99's pics have never shown up and nothing has been edited.

Great Saturday to all...

Sent from my iPhone


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## subkrawler

arutlosjr11 said:


> Lucas99's pics have never shown up and nothing has been edited.
> 
> Great Saturday to all...
> 
> Sent from my iPhone


Lucas99 was a spammer, and was banned. That's why nothing showed up.


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## samanator

Here is a great link in reference to the OP question about maintenance for those of us that don't like Patina on their bronze:

https://www.watchuseek.com/f16/new-bronze-la-mia-famiglia-house-restoration-607062.html


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## sierra 18

Very cool, thanks!


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