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A bronze watch is becoming a popular choice again. When you are so great that they named an era in human history after you, bronze has to be really something. After all, it was the first alloy that humans mastered smithing a few millenniums ago. So, let's start by giving you some precious pieces of information. We will teach you everything you need to know about bronze and bronze watches specifically. 

Below we will answer a few of the most asked questions when searching for a bronze watch. We will discuss the history of bronze watches and how they became popular, and the drawbacks and advantages of the material itself.

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PI42GMMEGUXX &Pioneer gunmetal watch - white dial - mesh strap
PI42GMMEGUXX &Pioneer gunmetal watch - white dial - mesh strap

Pioneer

White Dial - Mesh
£239.00
NR36SINYAGXX NR40SINYAGXX &Native silver watch women - white dial - olive green nylon strap
NR36SINYAGXX NR40SINYAGXX &Native silver watch women - white dial - olive green nylon strap

Native

White Dial - Olive Green NATO
£129.00
outlet sale
Vegan
NR36SIVENANA NR40SIVENANA &Native silver watch with blue face - navy vegan leather
NR32SIVENANA NR36SIVENANA NR40SIVENANA NR28SIVENANA &Native silver watch with blue face - navy vegan leather

Native

Navy Dial - Navy Blue Vegan Leather
£70.00 £139.00
-50%
NEW
NR36SIMEBLBL NR40SIMEBLBL &Native black face ladies watch - silver case - black mesh strap
NR36SIMEBLBL NR40SIMEBLBL &Native black face ladies watch - silver case - black mesh strap

Native

Black Dial - Black Mesh
£75.00 £149.00
-50%
ST16BRRGLEBR &Brown leather watch strap - rose gold buckle - 16mm

Brown Leather Watch Strap

£39.00
ST18PORGMERO &Milanese watch strap - rose gold - 18mm

Rose Gold Mesh

£49.00
outlet sale
ST16BRRGLENA &Blue leather watch strap - rose gold buckle - 16mm

Navy Blue Leather Watch Strap

£20.00 £39.00
-49%
PH40SILENAXX PH36SILENAXX &Philosopher silver watch mens - white dial - navy blue leather strap
PH40SILENAXX PH36SILENAXX &Philosopher silver watch mens - white dial - navy blue leather strap

Philosopher

Navy Blue Leather
£174.00
PH36SI3LSIXX PH40SI3LSIXX &Philosopher silver watch mens -white dial - 3 link strap
PH36SI3LSIXX PH40SI3LSIXX &Philosopher silver watch mens -white dial - 3 link strap

Philosopher

3-Link
£194.00
ST18PORGLEBR &Brown leather watch strap - rose gold buckle - 18mm

Brown Leather Watch Strap

£39.00
PI42SILEBRNA &Pioneer mens tan watch - navy dial - silver case
PI42SILEBRNA &Pioneer mens tan watch - navy dial - silver case

Pioneer

Navy Dial - Brown Leather
£229.00
outlet sale
ST18PORGLENA &Blue leather watch strap - rose gold buckle - 18mm

Navy Blue Leather Watch Strap

£20.00 £39.00
-49%
Vegan
NR36RGVENAXX NR40RGVENAXX NR28RGVENAXX &Native ladies leather strap watches - white dial - rose gold case
NR36RGVENAXX NR40RGVENAXX NR28RGVENAXX &Native ladies leather strap watches - white dial - rose gold case

Native

White Dial - Navy Blue Vegan Leather
£70.00 £139.00
-50%
Vegan
PH36SIVEBRXX PH40SIVEBRXX &Philosopher mens tan watch - white dial - silver case
PH36SIVEBRXX PH40SIVEBRXX &Philosopher mens tan watch - white dial - silver case

Philosopher

Brown Vegan Leather
£174.00
Vegan
NR36GMVEBLBL NR40GMVEBLBL NR28GMVEBLBL &Native gunmetal watch - black dial - gun metal case
NR36GMVEBLBL NR40GMVEBLBL NR28GMVEBLBL &Native gunmetal watch - black dial - gun metal case

Native

Black Dial - Black Vegan Leather
£139.00
PI42GM3LGUXX &Pioneer gunmetal watch - white dial -3 link strap
PI42GM3LGUXX &Pioneer gunmetal watch - white dial -3 link strap

Pioneer

White Dial - 3-Link
£249.00
UN28RG5LROXX UN32RG5LROXX &Unika rose gold ladies watch - white dial - 5 link strap
UN28RG5LROXX UN32RG5LROXX &Unika rose gold ladies watch - white dial - 5 link strap

Unika

White Dial - 5-Link
£214.00
IN32RGLEBLXX IN40RGLEBLXX &Infinity rose gold ladies watch - white dial - rose gold case - black leather strap
IN32RGLEBLXX IN40RGLEBLXX &Infinity rose gold ladies watch - white dial - rose gold case - black leather strap

Infinity

Black Leather
£164.00
UN28GMMEGUPM UN32GMMEGUPM &Unika gunmetal watch - brushed dial - mesh strap
UN28GMMEGUPM UN32GMMEGUPM &Unika gunmetal watch - brushed dial - mesh strap

Unika

Polished Metal Dial - Mesh
£102.00 £204.00
-50%
New
Vegan
PH36SINYAGXX PH40SINYAGXX &Philosopher silver watch mens - white dial - olive green nylon strap
PH36SINYAGXX PH40SINYAGXX &Philosopher silver watch mens - white dial - olive green nylon strap

Philosopher

Olive Green NATO
£164.00
Vegan
NR36GMVEBRNA NR40GMVEBRNA &Native gunmetal watch - navy dial - gun metal case
NR32GMVEBRNA NR36GMVEBRNA NR40GMVEBRNA NR28GMVEBRNA &Native gunmetal watch - navy dial - gun metal case

Native

Navy Dial - Brown Vegan Leather
£139.00
PH36SILEBLBM PH40SILEBLBM
PH36SILEBLBM PH40SILEBLBM

Philosopher

Brushed Metal Dial - Black Leather
£174.00
New
NR36GM3LGUNA NR40GM3LGUNA &Native mens blue dial watches - gun metal case - 3 link strap
NR36GM3LGUNA NR40GM3LGUNA &Native mens blue dial watches - gun metal case - 3 link strap

Native

Navy Dial - 3-Link
£159.00
ST18PORGLEBL &Black leather watch strap - rose gold buckle - 18mm

Black Leather watch Strap

£39.00
PI42SIRUBLXX &Pioneer mens watch rubber strap - white dial - silver case
PI42SIRUBLXX &Pioneer mens watch rubber strap - white dial - silver case

Pioneer

White Dial - Black Silicone
£110.00 £219.00
-50%
ST16BRRGLEBL &Black leather watch strap - rose gold buckle - 16mm

Black Leather watch Strap

£39.00
PI42GMRUBLBL &Pioneer mens watch rubber strap - black dial - gun metal case
PI42GMRUBLBL &Pioneer mens watch rubber strap - black dial - gun metal case

Pioneer

Black Dial - Black Silicone
£110.00 £219.00
-50%
outlet sale
UN28RGLEBLBL UN32RGLEBLBL &Unika ladies leather strap watches - black dial - rose gold case - black leather strap
UN28RGLEBLBL UN32RGLEBLBL &Unika ladies leather strap watches - black dial - rose gold case - black leather strap

Unika

Black Dial - Black Leather
£97.00 £194.00
-50%
UN28RGMEROBM UN32RGMEROBM &Unika rose gold ladies watch - brushed dial - mesh strap
UN28RGMEROBM UN32RGMEROBM &Unika rose gold ladies watch - brushed dial - mesh strap

Unika

Brushed Metal Dial - Mesh
£214.00
NR36RG3LROBL NR40RG3LROBL &Native black face ladies watch - rose gold case - 3 link strap
NR36RG3LROBL NR40RG3LROBL &Native black face ladies watch - rose gold case - 3 link strap

Native

Black Dial - 3-Link
£80.00 £159.00
-50%

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Are a bronze watch and a brass watch the same?

Absolutely not, although we understand the confusion. First, a little time-travel.

In ancient times, the island of Cyprus had rich copper mines. Of course, at that time, the name was "cuprum", hence the modern today's name. Both brass and bronze have a copper base, but they aren't the same. It's a common mistake. It goes so far that even Google search tends to mix these two.

A few millenniums ago, blacksmiths experimented with copper by adding tin. That experiment gave them firm alloy, easy to work with, and sparkled the Bronze Age. Bronze is the most common of all the copper alloys and has a wide range of use, from ship making to the electrical industry. Also, it's one of the few metals used for coin making, along with silver and gold. To increase certain properties, smiths add other elements in traces, like nickel, in the alloy. Bronze has lost its popularity and wideness of use due to stainless steel nowadays. Stainless steel is more durable, more resistant, and cheaper to produce.

Brass is an alloy made from copper and zinc and some other elements in traces, like iron or aluminium. As zinc is harder to find in nature, opposite to tin. Hence, the discovery of brass took place many centuries after the bronze. However, brass wasn't popular until the industrial revolution. Even today, brass has little to no popularity in watchmaking. 

How did bronze watches become popular?

One word - patina. Patina (or tarnish, for the silver watches) is a mostly green layer that appears on the objects made from bronze. Some watch enthusiasts prefer the patina look. The most famous object with patina is the Statue of Liberty that had a bright gold-ish colour at the start. Actually, patina naturally forms on bronze, brass, and copper objects by the oxidation process. So, by giving your bronze watch some time to oxidise, you will get a timepiece with a unique look. That look works great for all the fans of vintage and retro.

The second reason is the bronze is highly resistant to saltwater. That fact made the bronze a popular choice for the diver's watches. Also, regarding the divers, bronze isn't that shiny, so it doesn't attract unwanted attention under the sea. In the end, the layer of patina protects the material from corrosion. 

What are the downsides of bronze watches?

Bronze disease

There is a thing called "the bronze disease". Although it might sound similar to patina, the bronze disease actually ruins the bronze watches. You see, in a certain set of events that include humidity and bronze, this process starts. Although this process isn't yet fully understood, it happens more often than you think. When the cuprous chloride in bronze reacts with water, it starts to create hydrochloric acid. The acid starts to erode the bronze and further reacts with the copper. You can notice that by the appearance of the green fuzz on the surface. If you don't treat it, the acid will literary destroy your wristwatch. Also, there is no cure for this phenomenon; you can only slow the process. It's funny, though, how bronze is resistant to saltwater but not to mere humidity. Always store your bronze watches in a totally dry environment. 

Patina

Although most people buy bronze watches just for the patina, some people aren't fans of it. For those people, the advice is to get some patience and learn to clean the bronze. The patina will always show, again and again, as a natural oxidation process for bronze.

Skin reactions

Bronze has numerous variations regarding the percentage of the elements added. Substantially, some contain more nickel than others. Nickel allergy is a very common allergy that develops when your skin gets into constant contact with nickel. That means bronze watches are not hypoallergenic. Even without the nickel problem, the other factor is copper. When in longer contact with skin, bronze watches tend to leave green marks on the surface of your wrist. It's not dangerous, though it can get pretty annoying.

Does Nordgreen offer a bronze watch?

Our material of choice is stainless steel 316L. As for watchmaking, it has serious advantages over bronze. Stainless steel is more durable, more scratch-resistant, and much sturdier than bronze. Also, it's much more affordable, lightweight, and maybe the most important thing, hypoallergenic. However, we have a great offer on bronze-coloured watches.

As a company that listens to our customers, we decided you shouldn't be limited to your choice of colours. Although we don't make watches from silver, gold, or bronze, we make beautiful timepieces in those very colours. Our Philosopher, Native, and Pioneer men's watches come with the gunmetal choice. You can even pair them with our interchangeable straps, also available in gunmetal colour. You can have all the stylish advantage of the bronze watch, without any physical disadvantages of the bronze material.

Conclusion

There is an old navy saying: "Above the sea, steel is better, under the sea, bronze is better". Bronze watches, as pretty as they can be, just aren't made for everyday wear. Also, they lack a certain dose style and versatility, making them a choice for just a smaller group of bronze aficionados. However, nobody can deny the beauty of them, with or without the patina.

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