So... PVD

[EchoSevenNine]

Love it or hate it?

Personally i hate it.

I makes a steel watch look like a plastic one for starters and it looks battered in no time.

Maybe its my OCD but the slightest mark seems to stick out a mile and it would do my head right in!

I'm probably in the minority... whats your thoughts.

[kevkojak]

Presumably you mean black PVD specifically? (PVD is the name of the treatment process - Most gold plated watches are also coated using Physical Vapour Deposition too).

If so, I love it.
The trouble I've found is that people tend to presume any black watch is PVD treated. Not the case, most of the cheaper ones (Seiko, Citizen, Rotary and the boutique stuff etc) are Ion Plated, which is just a very cheap flimsy black coating over the steel which WILL look a mess if it's scratched. PVD coating is quite a bit more durable.

The best watch I've had with the PVD treatment was a Victorinox Dive-Master 500, looked amazing with the orange dial against the black and after a couple of years light wear it still looked like new.

[verv]

Its not for me. If i wanted black i would opt for ceramic.

[Papa Hotel]

I like the look but I've had a few and moved them on quickly with the same concerns about longevity. Possibly misplaced concerns, but I'm ok with chipped PVD not being my problem.

Maybe some day I'll have one that will hang around but anything with a bracelet is a complete no-no, they invariably look like s**t in a very short space of time.

[notenoughwrists]

I like it - the new Seiko Black series look ace. I also bought the Mrs. a LE Seiko SARB, full pvd head and bracelet, rose-gold hands and indices - it looked mint, and 6 years of daily wear certainly show, but not to its detriment really - it has aged very well


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[Bry1975]

Yep best avoiding pvd bracelets as easily wear and a pain to refinish.

[MB2]

Its not for me. If i wanted black i would opt for ceramic.

I agree with that sentiment and I don't think PVD really has a place on a luxury watch due to the potential wear of the coating vs Ceramic. I have a Hublot that has a PVD/Ceramic clasp and the PVD has worn whilst the ceramic looks like new.

That said my BP FF is the "Dark Knight" edition and that looks good in shiny black and I assume is PVD. That doesn't show undue signs of wear so I expect a lot will depend on the quality of the coating & use too but for a luxury watch I agree Ceramic is the better choice.

[Dave+63]

As Kevkojak has already said, PVD is a process not a material.

The quality and longevity of any coating applied by the PVD process will depend on the properties of god material bring coated and the quality of both the substrate and particular PVD process.

[Derivative]

If we’re talking black PVD then I’m with you OP. It looks dull and removes all the fun from the polished/brushes surfaces of naked steel.


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[thisisallen]

In pics it looks good. but when I actually bought one and wore it, it wasn't attractive (to me) on my wrist. so my suggestion is the old, try before you buy.

[PSTW]

I want to like it. Black things, tool watches particularly, look a bit more ‘technical’ when they’re in black. The photographs very often look very good. However, I can’t say I’ve ever seen a black PVD watch in the flesh or on my wrist that I liked. I don’t know what it is or what changes my view so dramatically in person.

I don’t have any fear or concern about undue wear - things wear and expensive equipment,looks better for a bit of use. Older Rolex Submariners, for example. Not the safe queens, but the watches that have seen 20-30 years on someone’s wrist. They look amazing- the marks give them a character you can’t buy.

I think it’s just about the way they look in the flesh.

[jameswrx]

Love it or hate it?

Personally i hate it.

I makes a steel watch look like a plastic one for starters and it looks battered in no time.

Maybe its my OCD but the slightest mark seems to stick out a mile and it would do my head right in!

I'm probably in the minority... whats your thoughts.

I’d agree with you until I happened upon a squale/ticin 1553 in black pvd. Was an impulse cheap eBay repair case and I actually love it.

[sweets]

A good old-style 1980s Porsche Design Chrono in black PVD, which is gently wearing off all the corners, and creamy lume, is an object lesson in the attraction of Wabi.
A classic design, which was effectively made iconic by the addition of PVD in the early 1970s.
None else made a black watch then, and an icon was created as a result.

Dave

[Dave+63]

A good old-style 1980s Porsche Design Chrono in black PVD, which is gently wearing off all the corners, and creamy lume, is an object lesson in the attraction of Wabi.
A classic design, which was effectively made iconic by the addition of PVD in the early 1970s.
None else made a black watch then, and an icon was created as a result.

Dave

Like this one?

Although it’s not actually a Porsche Design obviously, the PD is titanium but it’s the only photo I’ve hit to hand?

[alphajet]

The Damasko Damest coating is very scratch resistant.

[sweets]

Like this one?

Although it’s not actually a Porsche Design obviously, the PD is titanium but it’s the only photo I’ve hit to hand?

Nope, more like this one, gone but not forgotten



Love the way the front of the bezel, pusher and crown edges, case edges and link edges gradually aquire a slate grey from the black

[dommorton]

I like my Orfina Watches that are apparently PVD coated. One was NOS and barely worn, but the black one has had loads of use and seems to be holding up very well.

[Dave+63]

Nope, more like this one, gone but not forgotten



Love the way the front of the bezel, pusher and crown edges, case edges and link edges gradually aquire a slate grey from the black

That’s lovely, why did you let it go?

I like my Orfina Watches that are apparently PVD coated. One was NOS and barely worn, but the black one has had loads of use and seems to be holding up very well.

You need to beat that one up a bit Don!

[dommorton]

Ha. Well patina aka wear, just isn't my thing.

[Norbert]

OP thank you for raising this , if i may please can I ask has anyone any real-time experience of the practicality and durability of a Tudor Black Bay Dark ? This has crept onto my radar of late , however head over heart before I make the plunge ... thank you in anticipation.


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Norbert

[Mark lowman]

Not sure if I’m totally in love with mine. But I am glad it’s on a rubber strap saves wear on a bracelet.

[PIERS (UK)]

As the poster mentioned above, PVD is just a process, whether it be black, grey, clear, blue or another colour.

For my watches, which I get done in the UK, I use a process called Nitron MC which is applied by a PVD process but provides some hardening properties to the surface, so if you ding the watch, you will see the mark, but the black will remain. ( unless you really whack it ). I had a couple of black watches back that I supplied for a TV show that were worn by stuntmen, that had marked bezels but they had put the watches through hell.

Also its very much dependent on the design of the surface, so for example the edges of lugs are more likely to show marks, partly because they are the first contact point, but also they are typically have finer edges which are more prone to marking.

I've found that the first Axis watch I did which had a different bezel ( sloped ) which wasn't flush with the edges of the case was more prone to marks, whereas a rounded bezel, flush with the lugs ( Axis II which I've pictured ) is far less likely to mark, in fact I've worn this model on an off for the past year and found no marks yet, but final factor in this is the wearer - if you are more conscious of a PVD coated watch and careful then it won't mark at all, unless you don't really care about it and happy to show the 'battle scars' ;-)

Whilst the initial Axis I black (2013-2014) watches sold out pretty quickly, I have generally found that there is much less demand for black watches now, (I'll sell approx 15 steel watches to 1 black PVD based watch ) which certainly shows that they are less in favour now than five years ago ( from my perspective ).

[bedlam]

Its not for me. If i wanted black i would opt for ceramic.

Ceramic is too brittle IMO.

[Belligero]

Well, it's a process that makes a watch cost more and look cheaper, with the added bonus that it develops the appearance of a mange infection as it wears yet renders the surface damn-near unrefinishable.

Cool — what's not to like?

[MAW]

Image1523726910.579764.jpg

PVD can certainly wear & show up the slightest mark... but in this case I couldn’t care less...


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[MAW]

Image1523726910.579764.jpg

PVD can certainly wear & show up the slightest mark... but in this case I couldn’t care less...


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Apologies for the dreadful picture by the way!


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[Onelasttime]

I've dabbled and always flipped, but then go full circle and really need a PVD watch.

My favourite was an old Fortis Flieger GMT with bracelet that had the usual wear marks on the case edges and links, but it looked ace, like it had been worn properly without fear…

[Sinnlover]

Does anyone have experience of Sinn's PVD watches?
Apparently it resists wear better as the tegmenting process makes the coating harder.

[Omegamanic]

I had an old Tag that had a PVD treatment, that unfortunately looked awful :(

[lconcado]

I personally wouldn’t do it to a high end watch. I guess people do it to add variety but I’d rather do that with a number of straps




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[Omegamanic]

I personally wouldn’t do it to a high end watch. I guess people do it to add variety but I’d rather do that with a number of straps




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Agreed, but I’d rather have the choice. Plus two of my favourite Cartier watches are ADLC.

[Bry1975]

Fyi Sinns pvd coatings are/were applied non Europe, the case hardened surface MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE, tho as its brittle will chip quite easily.

[lasz]

A good old-style 1980s Porsche Design Chrono in black PVD, which is gently wearing off all the corners, and creamy lume, is an object lesson in the attraction of Wabi.
A classic design, which was effectively made iconic by the addition of PVD in the early 1970s.
None else made a black watch then, and an icon was created as a result.

Dave

It doesn't even have to be the PD Chrono, though it's a great example. My oldest surviving watch, a Fossil Defender my mum got me in 1995, has quite a bit of wear on the coating now with the steel shining through in places, but it doesn't really bother me, maybe because I know that it's telling my story. I try to be gentle with my watches but I also understand that wear and tear affect everything that gets used, which is still the point of owning a watch for me, so I don't mind it too much.

[thenikjones]

Does anyone have experience of Sinn's PVD watches?
Apparently it resists wear better as the tegmenting process makes the coating harder.

I had a 756S in about 2005/6 and it was generally OK but I never really took to it, felt a bit “angry” looking. In the time - say 6 months - I had it, it didn’t get any noticeable wear to the coating.

Oddly, one of the bracelet links was VERY light, I got it used so never talked to Sinn about it.

[jameswrx]

Not sure if I’m totally in love with mine. But I am glad it’s on a rubber strap saves wear on a bracelet.

I think it’s definitely love, it’s made me all misty eyed too!

[snowman]

I like PVD in small doses.

I've got a twin for the Picard post earlier, except mine is a Breil Manta. It has the same kind of lived in, but not wrecked wear.

I've also got a Sinn EZM7S, with their tegimented black finish, which as far as I can see is unmarked after a couple of years.

Not so keen on a shiny black finish though.

M

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[ColDaspin]

Black cases (PVD or ceramic) aren't my cup of tea in general. They tend to come with black dials and end up looking a little 'monolithic' on the wrist and you lose the detail/interest and contrast that steel brushing provides. The final result IMO is something that often looks a little cheap. Strap options become more limited and, if you want one on a bracelet, you're pretty much stuck with black, and then you end up with a monotone lump of black on your wrist.

I'd make an exception for the odd Panerai model though. With the tobacco lume, some of those work pretty well IMO.

[helidoc]

Although PVD can wear, it can look awesome! I’m pretty happy with this, PVD or not.



As far as ceramic goes, although it won’t wear, if you drop it, it will shatter. There is no perfect material, everything is a compromise

D


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