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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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Vegan
ST18PORGVEBL &Black vegan leather watch strap - rose gold buckle - 18mm

Black Vegan Leather Watch Strap

£39.00
NEW
PI42GMMEBLXX &Pioneer gunmetal watch - white dial - black mesh strap
PI42GMMEBLXX &Pioneer gunmetal watch - white dial - black mesh strap

Pioneer

White Dial - Black Mesh
£239.00
PH36SINYBLBL PH40SINYBLBL
PH36SINYBLBL PH40SINYBLBL

Philosopher

Black Dial - Black NATO
£164.00
outlet sale
Vegan
ST20PORGVEDG &Vegan leather watch straps in grey - rose gold buckle - 20mm

Dove Grey Vegan Leather Watch Strap

£20.00 £39.00
-49%
Infinity - BUNDLE White Dial Rose Gold | Brown / Black / Mesh Straps
IN32RGLEBRLBLMRO

Infinity

BUNDLE White Dial Rose Gold | Brown / Black / Mesh Straps
£126.00 £252.00
-50%
outlet sale
PI42SI5LSIXX &Pioneer silver watch mens - white dial - 5 link strap
PI42SI5LSIXX &Pioneer silver watch mens - white dial - 5 link strap

Pioneer

White Dial - 5-Link
£259.00
outlet sale
PI42SI5LSIBS &Pioneer silver watch mens - sunray brown dial - 5 link strap
PI42SI5LSIBS &Pioneer silver watch mens - sunray brown dial - 5 link strap

Pioneer

Brown Sunray Dial - 5-Link
£125.00 £249.00
-50%
outlet sale
ST16PORGNYBL &Nato strap in black - rose gold buckle - 16mm

Black NATO Watch Strap

£15.00 £29.00
-48%
outlet sale
ST20PORGNYBL &Nato strap in black - rose gold buckle - 20mm

Black NATO Watch Strap

£15.00 £29.00
-48%
Vegan
ST16PORGVEBL &Black vegan leather watch strap - rose gold buckle - 16mm

Black Vegan Leather Watch Strap

£39.00
outlet sale
NR36SILEGRNA NR28SILEGRNA &Native ladies leather strap watches - navy dial - silver case - grey leather strap
NR36SILEGRNA NR28SILEGRNA &Native ladies leather strap watches - navy dial - silver case

Native

Navy Dial - Grey Leather
£154.00
New
UN32GOCHGOXX UN28GOCHGOXX
UN32GOCHGOXX UN28GOCHGOXX

Unika

White Dial - Chain Strap
£224.00
PH36SINYAGBL PH40SINYAGBL
PH36SINYAGBL PH40SINYAGBL

Philosopher

Black Dial - Olive Green NATO
£164.00
UN28SILEDBBM UN32SILEDBBM &Unika ladies leather strap watches - brushed dial - silver case - dark brown leather strap
UN28SILEDBBM UN32SILEDBBM &Unika ladies leather strap watches - brushed dial - silver case - dark brown leather strap

Unika

Brushed Metal Dial - Dark Brown Leather
£97.00 £194.00
-50%
outlet sale
UN28SILEGRBL UN32SILEGRBL &Unika ladies leather strap watches - black dial - silver case - grey leather strap
UN28SILEGRBL UN32SILEGRBL &Unika ladies leather strap watches - black dial - silver case - grey leather strap

Unika

Black Dial - Grey Leather
£97.00 £194.00
-50%
outlet sale
Pioneer - BUNDLE Black Dial Rose Gold | Brown Leather / Black Leather / Rose Gold Mesh Strap
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Pioneer

BUNDLE Black Dial Rose Gold | Brown Leather / Black Leather / Rose Gold Mesh Strap
£164.00 £327.00
-50%
PH40SIRUBLXX &Philosopher mens watch rubber strap - white dial - silver case
PH40SIRUBLXX &Philosopher mens watch rubber strap - white dial - silver case

Philosopher

Black Silicone
£174.00
NEW
NR36SIMEBLNA NR40SIMEBLNA &Native silver watch mens - navy blue dial - black mesh strap
NR32SIMEBLNA &Native silver watch mens - navy blue dial - black mesh strap

Native

Navy Dial - Black Mesh
£164.00
PH36GMVEBLBM PH40GMVEBLBM
PH36GMVEBLBM PH40GMVEBLBM

Philosopher

Brushed Metal Dial - Black Vegan Leather
£174.00
UN28RGLEGRPM UN32RGLEGRPM &Unika rose gold ladies watch - polished metal dial - rose gold case - grey leather strap
UN28RGLEGRPM UN32RGLEGRPM &Unika rose gold ladies watch - polished metal dial - rose gold case - grey leather strap

Unika

Polished Metal Dial - Grey Leather
£97.00 £194.00
-50%
UN28RGLEBLBM UN32RGLEBLBM &Unika rose gold ladies watch - brushed dial - rose gold case - black leather strap
UN28RGLEBLBM UN32RGLEBLBM &Unika rose gold ladies watch - brushed dial - rose gold case - black leather strap

Unika

Brushed Metal Dial - Black Leather
£102.00 £204.00
-50%
Infinity - BUNDLE Rose Gold | Rose Gold 5-Link / Brown Leather Strap
Image description is missing

Infinity

BUNDLE Rose Gold | Rose Gold 5-Link / Brown Leather Strap
£112.00 £223.00
-50%
PI42SINYNANA &Pioneer silver watch mens - navy blue dial - navy blue nylon strap
PI42SINYNANA &Pioneer silver watch mens - navy blue dial - navy blue nylon strap

Pioneer

Navy Dial - Navy NATO
£229.00
Vegan
ST14PORGVEBR &Vegan brown leather watch strap - rose gold buckle - 14mm

Brown Vegan Leather Watch Strap

£39.00
Native - BUNDLE White Dial Rose Gold | Rose Gold 5-Link / Black / Brown Leather Strap
Image description is missing

Native

BUNDLE White Dial Rose Gold | Rose Gold 5-Link / Black / Brown Leather Strap
£202.00 £237.00
-15%
outlet sale
ST20PORGRUBL &Rubber watch straps in black - rose gold buckle - 20mm

Black Silicone Watch Strap

£15.00 £29.00
-48%
Vegan
ST20PORGVEBL &Black vegan leather watch strap - rose gold buckle - 20mm

Black Vegan Leather Watch Strap

£39.00
Vegan
PI42GMVENANA &Pioneer gunmetal watch - navy blue dial - navy vegan leather strap
PI42GMVENANA &Pioneer gunmetal watch - navy blue dial - navy vegan leather strap

Pioneer

Navy Dial - Navy Vegan Leather
£239.00
Pioneer - BUNDLE Black Dial Silver | Silver Mesh / Navy NATO / Black Leather Strap
Image description is missing

Pioneer

BUNDLE Black Dial Silver | Silver Mesh / Navy NATO / Black Leather Strap
£154.00 £307.00
-50%
ST16PORGCHRO

Chain Strap

£69.00

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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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