What material are submariner bracelet made from

[angus]

Hi,

I would like to know what grade of steel is the submariner 16610,16613 and 16618 submariner made from. Is it 440 stainless steel. What difference is it from the 316L steel. I am deciding to get a substitution bracelet for my sub as I wear it on a daily basis.

Please do let me know. many thanks!

[roadcarver]

Its either 316L or 904L steel... I know that 904L has a higher nickel content and since some folks are allergic to nickel, Rolex may be using 316L for areas that touches the skin on a constant basis.

[Andad]

All 904L.

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by angus

Hi,

I would like to know what grade of steel is the submariner 16610,16613 and 16618 submariner made from. Is it 440 stainless steel. What difference is it from the 316L steel. I am deciding to get a substitution bracelet for my sub as I wear it on a daily basis.

Please do let me know. many thanks!

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the bracelets are made of the same 904L steel and crafted with the same amount of care and quality control that goes into the making of each Rolex.

JJ

[f16570]

Agree withh JJ, thats what I had heard.

f

[Andad]

Originally Posted by f16570

Agree withh JJ, thats what I had heard.

f

Hi Frazer,

Deid ye miss post three.

[leopardprey]

There seems to be a lot of controversey on this subject. Can we get any official Rolex confirmation? Does the 904L steel that Rolex uses recieve any special treatment to not allow Nickel discharge? How does Rolex respond to people who get skin irritations from the Nickel discharges, and also how is Rolex dealing with new regulations in some European countries that just came out, limiting steel used in Jewelery (including watches) of having Nickel content?

[angus]

Many thanks for all of your kind response. I'm thinking of getting those gold plated submariner bracelet to replace my original. Such as this on the "flea bay":

http://cgi.ebay.com/OYSTER-WATCH-BAN...QQcmdZViewItem

what will be your adivce on this. does the gold plated material come off very easily? also, will this after market bracelet damage my sub?

many thanks

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Originally Posted by padi56

Rolex uses 904L also 316L but the myth of the "special Rolex steel" comes up frequently. An employee of Rolex said in 2002: Quote.

At the moment, we have several companies all over the world, serving our needs for stainless steel. The watch cases and bracelets are all mainly made of X2CrNiMo17-12-2 which is the best compromise between the attributes of the variant materials. As usual, the steel is melted under vacuum, so we get an very pure base, which is easy to handle and allows an perfect polishing. I think, the same procedure as in every good (expensive gold) company,and now X2CrNiMo17-12-2 is used for parts than come into skin contact


One of those providers is http://www.boehler-thyssen.ch/

Rolex does use indeed Steel 904L, but only for parts that are not in direct contact to the skin. 904 has a higher amount of Nickel than 316, so it is used for parts such as case ring bars screws pins etc.

X2CrNiMo17-12-2 is the formula for 316L SS.

Now perhaps this has changed,but I would doubt.Don't think Rolex would put anything on sale that could possible
cause a allergy without some sort of warning on label.

Here is what I quote from qualitytime.net:

Originally Posted by Spacedweller

This is what http://www.qualitytyme.net/pages/rolex_faqs.html has to say about the steel type that Rolex uses:

"While most high-end watch companies utilize 1.4435 (or 316L) Stainless Steel, Rolex uses 1.4439 (or 904L) Stainless Steel. While they both have the same grade of hardness, 904L has a slighytly higher nickel discharge, and thus a slightly higher resistance to corrosion. 904L is mainly used in industry applications handling chlorides, sulfer dioxide gas or other toxic materials. While this may sound like overkill for use with wristwatches, it's just another exaple of over'engineering on the part of Rolex where only the best will do."

Note the part about the nickel discharge

Originally Posted by Spacedweller

There is more nickel in the 904L than in the 316L.

As far as I remember, the 904L steel contains 25-28% nickel and the 316L about 13%.

But I have also read that the nickel in the 904L is better bound in the steel.

(thread: http://www.rolexforums.com/newreply....reply&p=233069)

[Tools]

Originally Posted by angus

....
what will be your adivce on this. does the gold plated material come off very easily? also, will this after market bracelet damage my sub?

Well angus, that's a whole different question than your initial inquiry.

I would ask why you would want to replace a practically indestructible original Rolex bracelet with an inexpensive knock-off....but, you could do worse things.

Almost any plated bracelet will show wear-though to the base metal on the inside (against your skin) and on the outer areas subject to rubbing such as the surface of the links. Long sleeve shirts will accelerate the outside wear.

Wear patterns will show up in a matter of months (sooner with cheap, thin plate)

I can't imagine that a different band could possibly do any damage to your watch...

I suppose it could ba an alternative to wear on your original, and isn't much different than putting on a strap or NATO, but a really cheap plating job will look just that.....cheap..

[Arturo]

Why on earth make a Frankenwatch out of a Rolie by changing the bracelet? Makes no sense to me.

[greenfan]

The same goes for GMT bracelet too?

[angus]

Originally Posted by Tools

Well angus, that's a whole different question than your initial inquiry.

I would ask why you would want to replace a practically indestructible original Rolex bracelet with an inexpensive knock-off....but, you could do worse things.

Almost any plated bracelet will show wear-though to the base metal on the inside (against your skin) and on the outer areas subject to rubbing such as the surface of the links. Long sleeve shirts will accelerate the outside wear.

Wear patterns will show up in a matter of months (sooner with cheap, thin plate)

I can't imagine that a different band could possibly do any damage to your watch...

I suppose it could ba an alternative to wear on your original, and isn't much different than putting on a strap or NATO, but a really cheap plating job will look just that.....cheap..

wel, thanks for your advice. my original bracelet has been attacting scratches like theres no tommorrow. I know that scratches gives the sub its character, however, I still find it stressful wherever someone wearing a steel watch bumps his/her hands against my sub. Not that the sub will nt survive, but the bracelet does gets its fair share of scratches.

[leopardprey]

Bo, See that is the problem. We get different reports from different watch forums stating different facts about where 904L steel is used. What I want to see is something official from Rolex. I would like to think Padi's report is correct, and I do not doubt Padi reported what he heard. I just want to see something official from Rolex to back that up. Since their Ads state 904L and as you posted from another forum, all Rolex SS is 904L.

I do notice at times a slight tingling sensation from wearing a Rolex. No rash or itch, just a tingling and wonder if it is frmo a Nickel discharge that happens when my sweat reacts with 904L. Ironstark who works at Rolex has said they do occasionally get complaints on this. I wore an OMega SS watch for 3 years prior to getting Rolex as year ago, and never remember any tingling sensation on the wrist.

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by leopardprey

Bo, See that is the problem. We get different reports from different watch forums stating different facts about where 904L steel is used. What I want to see is something official from Rolex. I would like to think Padi's report is correct, and I do not doubt Padi reported what he heard. I just want to see something official from Rolex to back that up. Since their Ads state 904L and as you posted from another forum, all Rolex SS is 904L.

I do notice at times a slight tingling sensation from wearing a Rolex. No rash or itch, just a tingling and wonder if it is frmo a Nickel discharge that happens when my sweat reacts with 904L. Ironstark who works at Rolex has said they do occasionally get complaints on this. I wore an OMega SS watch for 3 years prior to getting Rolex as year ago, and never remember any tingling sensation on the wrist.

Very simple, Chad. We all get "tingling" sensations when we wear our Rollies only!!

[leopardprey]

I knew someone was going to say that!

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by leopardprey

I knew someone was going to say that!

And I betcha you knew who that "someone" was going to be!!

[leopardprey]

My favorite TT Blue wearing bald Indian on the Forum!

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Originally Posted by JJ Irani

Very simple, Chad. We all get "tingling" sensations when we wear our Rollies only!!

Yeah, JJ, but unlike you we don't get it THERE!

[Downing]

Originally Posted by leopardprey

Bo, See that is the problem. We get different reports from different watch forums stating different facts about where 904L steel is used. What I want to see is something official from Rolex.

I agree. At this point, a definitive answer to the question would have to come from Rolex.