Between steel and titanium, which material do you think ages better? Does one develop a better looking patina over time?
It totally depends on the grade and finish.
Ti. I prefer the lightweight and look most often. Steel is cool and I do like a high polish at times but I’m a TI guy mostly.
Titanium is much lighter than steel. In my opinion it’s more comfortable on the wrist. I am not convinced they look different or wear different in that both will scratch through normal wear and tear. But if you are looking for a more comfortable lighter watch, then it’s titanium all the way. That being said, there are plenty of people who prefer the heavier feel of steel.
Titanium, especially by GS.
Love the lightweight feel and it better at regulating temperature compared to steel. TI is especially important for larger watches like the Mistflake to make it more wearable.
Titanium and it’s not close
Could you explain? Is this because it scratches more? Or just scratches differently?
Both. The scratches in the titanium basically disappear when wiped clean. I also think the color of titanium looks better aged than the stainless steel, personally.
I think they're overstating how durable the oxide layer is. It's thin and if you scratch through it to the titanium itself, the scratch isn't going to disappear when it reforms. It's probably even more evident on GS's finely brushed and zaratsu polished surfaces compared to a bead blasted surface (common with more tool-ish Ti watches.)
You can see a lot of examples of scratched up titanium models in this sub. Those scratches didn't disappear after wiping them.
Steel isn't that much better though. There are also plenty of examples of scratched up steel models.
All else equal I choose titanium: I find it more comfortable. There are different grades of each that will look different. Generally, brushed titanium is a bit darker, shows "snail trails" and smudges a bit easier.
Ti if I have a choice. More durable. Lighter weight.
Both metals will be easily outlast the owner. The purer the titanium the better it ages. And pure titanium doesn’t rust.
But it’s the internals of the watch that will need serving, repairs, and replacements, the outer case is kind of irrelevant.
I definitely prefer titanium.
Love the look of SS over Ti but after owning and wearing a Seiko Landmaster for a few months now, I very much prefer the feel of this on my wrist. The weight difference is a bigger difference than I thought it would be. Plus the durability increase, every watch I get from this point will be Ti
Ti. I won’t buy or wear stainless watches anymore, unless they’re small in diameter and thin (like my Datejust 36), after getting used to a Pelagos 39 and SBGE285. They weigh 105 and 115g respectively on bracelets sized to my wrist. Stainless steel GMT and Dive watches of the same size are 160-180g. It’s a noticeable difference on your wrist once you’ve gotten used to the lightweight of titanium. Getting used to these watches lead me to sell my stainless Speedmaster Date because it wasn’t nearly as comfortable, almost entirely due to the weight.
Now I’m after a titanium chronograph with a <49mm lug to lug and <41mm dial. Leaning Zenith Chronosport
1/10 of a second doesn't do anything for me
Steel imo. It has a certain shine to it that the titanium models just don’t have.
I really like Ti, I think it’s a bit more scratch resistant when they apply their special coating, but on a bracelet you will have to like the color of it, it’s a bit darker
I’m curious too
I prefer stainless steel. Titanium just feels too light sometimes. I can also tell the color difference, especially for the Evo9 titanium since I have an Evo9 stainless steel.
The aesthetic differences are irrelevant. I always hear that titanium has a darker more dull look compared to stainless steel. But nobody notices this unless it's a side by side comparison.