The look of Rolex steel

[goldfixer21]

Don't get me wrong, I do love my stainless steel Rolex watches, but their stainless steel is no different from any other company using 904L. Rolex doesn't have a magic steel formula, neither do they have a unique gold alloy either. If they did, anyone could copy it easily anyway. An XRF tester can easily identify every alloy in any metal, and the % of each one.

[goldfixer21]

Originally Posted by Gearjockey

Curious if the folks who laser weld (solder) with 904L SS wire actually procure the product from Rolex.
I see it is available commercially after market. Guess it’s not that proprietary.
Seems to blend in perfectly.

Rolex doesn't produce wire products, and if they did they certainly wouldn't sell it. You can purchase stainless steel wire from a number of companies, in just about any alloy you want. I have spools of 316l and 904l that I use for laser welding, it's not a secret formula.

[fsprow]

Materials science background here. Nothing special about 904 unless you plan to have your wrist in hot strong corrosives as found in some industries. Slight appearance difference is all and a bit more prone to surface scratches.

[geoach]

Originally Posted by padi56

Rolex S.Steel is supplied to them ready made in billet form, but they do proses all there own precious metals.

isn't it what I posted above

[Devildog]

Originally Posted by DoubleDeac

Hey guys, I have owned my sub-date for about 6 months now and the one thing that I am still impressed with is how the steel looks. The brushed parts of the case and and bracelet is unlike I've ever seen on another watch. It appears to have a sheen on it that stands out from afar (especially after it's been freshly cleaned w/ soap and warm water). Couple this with the polished parts, it looks amazing.

Anyway, thought I'd mention this as I don't hear about this much, but was wondering if any of you also noticed this as well

Yes, Rolex 904 has a lovely luster.

Downside is that its soft as butter, but it looks nice

[Cru Jones]

A freshly washed steel Rolex as a nice shine to it, even other brands like Ball and Girard-Perregaux also use 904L steel

[911991]

Rolex does a wonderful job on finishing the steel on its SS watches. The brushed and polished surfaces are amazing (and definitely worth staring at as a new owner), but as others mentioned all the top brands do this and some better than Rolex. But my 316l SS Sub is hard as a rock...