The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I know a couple of you on here own bronze watches (and I'll be picking up my first one in around April/May time all being well), but who amongst you artificially forces the patina? Over the months I've seen countless threads on other watch forums dedicated to way of increasing and/or speeding up the patina process. Liver of Sulpher, vinegar baths, hard-boiled eggs(!), urine (yes, honestly!)....

All bizarre ways of increasing the patina......and personally I can't think of anything more ridiculous!

I honestly cannot for the life of me figure out why anyone would want to do that. To me it's like artificially scratching a steel cased watch to "give it patina". I mean, what's the point?

Over time a bronze watch will patinise and change it's appearance, but when it happens naturally it's a product of it's life and the experiences the watch been through. To artificially force it seems completely and utterly pointless.

That said, (and obviously each to their own and all that) I'll be interested to hear any reasons for doing it......

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I'm interested in this too. I like many bronze watches I have seen with a slightly aged look, but not sure why you would force it. Beyond the "looks are a personal thing" and if you like it who cares what the rest think. People go out of their way to keep a polished watch polished and others hardly wear black coated watches for fear of scratches. Why make that new bronze one look 10 years old or more?

Mine is being left to age naturally and I wouldn't dream of trying to force it. The only slight challenge that I have found is that there is some vert de gris building up in come of the nooks and crannies on the case and it's hard to do anything about that without affecting the patina so it ends up being left.

I think the idea is more to "personalize" the watch to one's individual taste vs forcing patina on it. A great chef I know even 'painted' different parts of his bronze watch with different food ingredients to produce striations which he found personally attractive.

The greatest appeal is that a simple diet sprite bath will restore the bronze back to it's former lustre -- allowing you to repeat this process over & over again. It's anthropomorphising certainly -- but a bronze watch certainly feels more 'alive' than any other metal.

Finally a warning: once you've reached a stage of patina that appeals the most to you, be VERY careful when eating french fries or hot dogs -- an accidental drop of ketchup on the case will wipe out the patina on that particular spot, turning it shiny & bright!

PS: The easiest way to 'speed up' the patina is to bring it swimming in the ocean & let the sea water air dry on the watch. It will darken literally within 1/2 hour. But then if you jump into the heavily-chlorinated hotel pool, the patina will be wiped out & your watch will come out sparkling clean... Rinse & repeat

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a few Pams...

Thanks for the post H2F. I can fully understand wanting a watch that is personalised, but IMO a personalised watch is one that shows the experiences it has been through in it's existence, not artificially created experiences. A watch that is just worn will become personalised over time naturally. If I swim in the sea and it darkens, then so be it. And if I then swim in a chlorinated pool and the patina is removed, then so be that too : everything that happens to it is as a result of it just being worn.

I guess I just struggle with the idea of "personalising" a watch by forcing a process that will happen naturally of it's own accord.

PS - Good call on the ketchup though!

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I pee on my watches all the time for a quick on-the-go shine. Sorry to all of you who have bought one from me. Should I have put that in the FS post???

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SHARKMAN

haha, Yessssss! Aged to perfection with pee.

I've read so many treads on various forums regarding patina......some people are nuts.
What happened to rule number 1?....... Condition
To each their own I guess.