While we have been covering materials in watchmaking since the earliest days of this title, bronze was the first topic of the Summer issue anchor specials. In 2019, bronze was having a moment – one that would be dramatically impacted by the pandemic and the post-pandemic world’s economic straits. More than six years later, bronze has yet to recover its lustre and remains firmly anchored in niche territory. Nevertheless, bronze has become a semi-regular feature for many major brands, including Panerai, Bvlgari, Tudor and IWC. This year, bronze made the difference for Bremont, as illustrated here, while also making some waves for Baltic and Norqain.

But, once again, what do we mean by bronze anyway? Here is a summary from our 2019 special: Typically, bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, although it can be a combination of copper and other metals or metalloids. Historically and right through to today, bronze is created by combining copper with arsenic, phosphorous, manganese, nickel, zinc, silicon and other materials. When it is used in watchmaking, the alloy tends to have some aluminium added, but there are other recipes, so to speak.

Common though it might have been in history, bronze is not a typical choice in watchmaking. Traditional watchmaking emerged long after the heyday of bronze had passed, so this alloy is about as traditional for watchmaking as molybdenum or vanadium. One small caveat here is another alloy, brass, which plays a major role in watchmaking. Brass is also a copper alloy, but with zinc instead of tin.

Some authorities do not even use the words bronze and brass, preferring the more generic and all-encompassing term “copper alloy.” All that said, and even with the three brands mentioned, these are all edge cases. As a collector in the know, you might even realise some interesting models in bronze will be breaking the waves later this year. Even this cannot raise bronze to be anything beyond a niche material that is best conserved for one-shots and the like. Now, if Patek Philippe or Rolex were to experiment with bronze, that would change things but that is not happening soon.

This story was first seen as part of the WOW #79 Summer 2025 Issue

For more on the latest in luxury watch reads, click here.