Quick question oyster steel ?

[S7gpt]

Googled but can’t any reference to 904l being any more scratch resistant to typical 316 - anyone know ?

[amphr1]

It's corrosion resistance, and also the appearance is slightly different

https://www.keepthetime.com/blog/316...el-in-watches/

[S7gpt]

Originally Posted by amphora001

It's corrosion resistance, and also the appearance is slightly different

https://www.keepthetime.com/blog/316...el-in-watches/

Thanks - looks like a oyster steel, whilst it has benefits is softer than the normal 316 used in watches and therefore easier to scratch but also easier to polish !

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by S7gpt

Thanks - looks like a oyster steel, whilst it has benefits is softer than the normal 316 used in watches and therefore easier to scratch but also easier to polish !

There's fors and againsts, swings and roundabouts with everything.
Is it harder or softer in day to day use?
Who knows?

The extra corrosion resistance and potentially easier to re-furbish in the right hands has to be a good thing

[Strad]

316 is more scratch resistant and 904L is more corrosion resistant.

[HogwldFLTR]

The advantage of the corrosion resistance is that it is more likely to remain WR longer. Much of the reason, from my understanding, of the change was the amount of corrosions seen when case backs were removed.

[fsprow]

The added corrosion resistance of 904 over 316 steel is only important in the presence of extremely corrosive industrial liquids. It has no relevance to corrosion that a wrist watch may experience. 904’s only “advantage” lies in advertising, not in performance.

[DuckaDiesel]

Could it also be that its a smudge magnet?

At least the polished areas. Man I could not keep my DJ41 clean. Glad to have an all brushed sd43 now instead.

I have had polished watches before in 316L and dont remember them picking up fingerprints so easy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[TunaTuna]

904 is a higher number than 316 so it's obviously better

[Andad]

If you scratched a 904L steel watch you would have scratched a 316L watch.

The difference in the appearance of the scratches would be difficult to detect.

It’s not as if one would scratch and the other wouldn’t.

The harness of 904L is shown on the tables as lower than 316L but it could be harder depending on how it is ‘worked’.

It surprised me that Rolex moved to a stainless steel with a much higher Nickel content considering the allergies that Nickel can cause.

[Old Expat Beast]

Rolex 904L seems really soft and scratchable to me, compared to any and all other brands I've owned. Oyster-soft, you might say. Pretty shiny, though, which is I think what Rolex was really going for.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by S7gpt

Googled but can’t any reference to 904l being any more scratch resistant to typical 316 - anyone know ?

First Rolex does not manufacture its own steel its got from a third party in billots,and there is nothing magical about 904L SS today now called Oyster steel to make it sound a bit more exclusive. It was mainly a brag factor and marketing by Rolex as they were once the only watch manufacturer using it. Today several other companies use 904L SS in watches XOSKELETON for one,but in the real world 904L steel was developed to be used in high salt/acid factories like for instance vinegar pickling factories factories that use acid products etc.And the only difference between 904L and 316L is simply this,the main difference between 316L over 904L it has slightly more Molybdenum(Mo)approx 2% more, approx 1-2% more Crome (Cr), 1% copper(Cu), and approx 10- 15% more nickel and that's it all quite cheap commodities.And today far more 316L is sold than 904L, now if it was the other way round 904L would be cheaper than 316L.There are some slight disadvantages to 904L it will scratch and show scratches more easily than 316L.The only advantage is, its a bit more corrosion resistant, but in the real world with today's mainly pampered watches its doubtful if any real advantage over the industry norm 316L.And the internet myth that 904L is harder than 316L its not true, its how the metal is finally tempered defines its overall hardness, so 316L can be harder than 904L.Most all high end brands like say Patek use the industry 316L, if there was any real advantage dont you think all the major brands would use it,marketing is a wonderful tool myself often call it brain washing.

[George58]

Patek forges their watch cases. The case is put in dies hammered to form the shape. Rolex punches out the case from bar stock then it goes to cnc to mill out the shaped..When cold forge metal it makes it stronger than just milled out. Look on Patek site its explained.

[DJ2020]

Originally Posted by fsprow

The added corrosion resistance of 904 over 316 steel is only important in the presence of extremely corrosive industrial liquids. It has no relevance to corrosion that a wrist watch may experience. 904’s only “advantage” lies in advertising, not in performance.

Absolutely correct!

[Lol-x]

Whichever steel is more shiny wins
904 may be more expensive to fabricate that 916, I don't know..
The heat treatment process of hardening will determine its rockwell hardness. This can vary depending on the process.
Maybe someone would be prepared to sacrifice a Rolex case or caseback and an Omega case or caseback to see which has the highest rockwell rating..

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by DJ2020

Absolutely correct!

How so?
Can you also account for all those vintage watches that have severe piting in the area around where the Caseback sits against the Mid-case and have reached their condemnation limit?
Have they been routinely exposed to those highly corrosive substances that people make reference to?
What prey tell, would those highly corrosive substances be which the pited watches are exposed to?

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by George58

Patek forges their watch cases. The case is put in dies hammered to form the shape. Rolex punches out the case from bar stock then it goes to cnc to mill out the shaped..When cold forge metal it makes it stronger than just milled out. Look on Patek site its explained.

Interesting
Thanks for bringing it to our attention

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by padi56

First Rolex does not manufacture its own steel its got from a third party in billots,and there is nothing magical about 904L SS today now called Oyster steel to make it sound a bit more exclusive. It was mainly a brag factor and marketing by Rolex as they were once the only watch manufacturer using it. Today several other companies use 904L SS in watches XOSKELETON for one,but in the real world 904L steel was developed to be used in high salt/acid factories like for instance vinegar pickling factories factories that use acid products etc.And the only difference between 904L and 316L is simply this,the main difference between 316L over 904L it has slightly more Molybdenum(Mo)approx 2% more, approx 1-2% more Crome (Cr), 1% copper(Cu), and approx 10- 15% more nickel and that's it all quite cheap commodities.And today far more 316L is sold than 904L, now if it was the other way round 904L would be cheaper than 316L.There are some slight disadvantages to 904L it will scratch and show scratches more easily than 316L.The only advantage is, its a bit more corrosion resistant, but in the real world with today's mainly pampered watches its doubtful if any real advantage over the industry norm 316L.And the internet myth that 904L is harder than 316L its not true, its how the metal is finally tempered defines its overall hardness, so 316L can be harder than 904L.Most all high end brands like say Patek use the industry 316L, if there was any real advantage dont you think all the major brands would use it,marketing is a wonderful tool myself often call it brain washing.

Sorry Peter, but you really need to understand that those percentages you refer to are critical with regard to performance characteristics.
Like everything, materials are made to a tolerance but in metalurgy the adherence to the tolerance range can change outcomes dramatically.
1 or 2 % of one element here or there may seem insignificant at first glance. But there's way more to it than that and it's about the sum total of everything.
One element even slightly out of tolerance can also render the material outside of spec.