Is it safe to pair steel bracelets with platinum watches?

[fairfax]

I’ve been considering sourcing a stainless steel bracelet for my GO Panoretrograph in platinum. Does anyone have experience in trying this or would you advise against this? Many thanks!

[AshAP]

Platinum is a darker metal than steel so there is a chance that it will look ridiculous.


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[Heff]

Originally Posted by AshAP

Platinum is a darker metal than steel so there is a chance that it will look ridiculous.


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Lol. Ridiculous seems a bit much.


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[bondtoys]

Originally Posted by AshAP

Platinum is a darker metal than steel so there is a chance that it will look ridiculous.


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Imo Platinum is brighter than steel, but I agree that there is a visible difference between steel and PT that is obvious when they are directly side-to-side

[GradyPhilpott]

Rolex seems to be able to mix their steel case and bracelet with their platinum bezel on the Yachtmaster to good aesthetic effect.

If you're wondering about how a steel bracelet might affect the platinum case in terms of friction, you will probably need to contact a jeweler or a metallurgist.

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by GradyPhilpott

Rolex seems to be able to mix their steel case and bracelet with their platinum bezel on the Yachtmaster to good aesthetic effect.

If you're wondering about how a steel bracelet might affect the platinum case in terms of friction, you will probably need to contact a jeweler or a metallurgist.

That's a very good point. However, what I'd still be careful of is the level of contrast desired between dial/bezel and case/bracelet and between the case and bracelet themselves.

In this case, however, the bigger question is whether this watch would look good with a bracelet at all, and, if so, where to get one that will fit.

[Russell996]

Originally Posted by fairfax

I’ve been considering sourcing a stainless steel bracelet for my GO Panoretrograph in platinum. Does anyone have experience in trying this or would you advise against this? Many thanks!

I have done it on a piece and they look identical to me. I was more worried about the relative hardness but so far all looks good.

[KBM]

Originally Posted by Russell996

I have done it on a piece and they look identical to me. I was more worried about the relative hardness but so far all looks good.

Hi Russell,

I was recently looking into a related topic myself. Have you been using a steel bracelet on a platinum watch? May I ask for how long and if you have removed the bracelet to check for wear on the contact points between the ss and pt?

Thank you in advance!

[Russell996]

Originally Posted by KBM

Hi Russell,

I was recently looking into a related topic myself. Have you been using a steel bracelet on a platinum watch? May I ask for how long and if you have removed the bracelet to check for wear on the contact points between the ss and pt?

Thank you in advance!

To be fair, the piece is in rotation with quite a few other pieces so hasn’t had a massive amount of wrist time. I have removed the bracelet and so far all is good. The bracelet is a perfect fit and no wear is evident.

[KBM]

Originally Posted by Russell996

To be fair, the piece is in rotation with quite a few other pieces so hasn’t had a massive amount of wrist time. I have removed the bracelet and so far all is good. The bracelet is a perfect fit and no wear is evident.

Thank you for your thoughts. Out of curiosity, which watch is it? Would love to see a pic.

[fairfax]

Thanks for everyone’s responses so far. I guess to summarize my concerns:

1) color mismatch (not that worried as the case is brushed and the PT and steel don’t look too different on the Panoretrograph PT case vs the GO Panograph 21mm bracelet
2) steel (if it’s 316 or harder) being harder than platinum may have the endlinks grinding against the softer case. This is my biggest concern
3) galvanic bonding between the different metals, but I’m not too worried about this

I also do like the GO bracelet which has been lauded and has good microadjust capabilities. I’m also a big fan of bracelets in person and was hoping to find a solution.

[fairfax]

Originally Posted by Russell996

To be fair, the piece is in rotation with quite a few other pieces so hasn’t had a massive amount of wrist time. I have removed the bracelet and so far all is good. The bracelet is a perfect fit and no wear is evident.

Would love to hear which brand/model watch did you have experience with too. Is it GO?

[CasinoRoyale_007]

Lange PT seems to look quite acceptable with steel / show minimum (if any) wear from steel aftermarket bracelets (then again I doubt many people daily this configuration...so no idea regarding long-term wear)