Plastic parts

[yoniman]

I heard about Speedmaster plastic generation, pre 2000, where high-grade plastics are used to perform a specific function such as gears. True or false?

Also, does Rolex use a variety of plastic components in their movements, such as gears, levers, and springs?

Thank you, watchmakers, for answering.

It's all about health, happiness & family. The rest are just necessary inconveniences we have to deal with.

[Tools]

I think that this is a bit twisted perspective.

The Speedy used a Delrin synthetic brake in its movements from the late 70's because of the superior specs for this part. In the clear case back Speedy, they went back to a metal brake for aesthetics since Delrin has a different look. Delrin is a high-tech space age polymer - much more than the usual image of "plastic".

Rolex has used teflon coated reverser gears (the purple gears seen on the backside of the movement) for decades due to wear and friction considerations, just like Omegas Delrin use.

Rolex latest introduction into the hairspring arena is Syloxi, a synthetic silicon product. Syloxi hairsprings are presently used in the Lady movements but may eventually pass the "old" Parachrom.

[Kam1992]

I’ve read about the Speedmaster plastic generation from pre-2000, and it’s true they used high-grade plastics for specific functions like gears. These plastics were chosen for their durability and performance.

As for Rolex, they primarily use metal components in their movements. While some modern watches might incorporate plastics for certain parts, Rolex is known for sticking with traditional, high-quality materials like metals and ceramics.

Nowadays, there are high-quality plastics that are used in various industries due to their durability and performance. Engineering Plastics are high-performance synthetic materials with high durability and heat resistance. These engineering plastics are used in industrial components that require superior functionality. The high-performance plastics are specifically designed to have better characteristics than general-purpose or commodity plastics. These properties may include better mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties; improved chemical and ultraviolet light resistance; and biocompatibility for food packaging applications. It’s worth reading more about this if you’re interested in materials that offer superior performance and could be useful in various applications.

[RotorSelfWinding]

Material Sciences are fascinating. Ultimately it comes down to performance and reliability of the movements. I generally trust a brand like Rolex to do what's best for their timepieces.

That being said, I do know some brands, like Tag in the past, has used plastic spacers to fit their movements in larger cases. To me, that's different. That's actually material that doesn't need to be in the watch.