Clear As Day: When Watches Reveal All With Sapphire Cases
While gold, steel, and platinum are mainstay metals for watch cases, modern watchmaking has welcomed plenty of other materials in recent years. From bronze to titanium to ceramic and more, offering familiar models in new materials has been a popular approach of many brands looking to offer fresh iterations of old favorites. And it doesn’t get fresher than a crystal clear case in full sapphire—a material once reserved as the glass protecting the dial or movement. Feast your eyes on four extraordinary examples of watches with sapphire cases.
By Adrienne Faurote
Total Transparency: 5 Watches with Sapphire Cases for See-Through Visibility in Every Direction
By Roberta Naas
Just recently, Greubel Forsey unveiled its $1.3 million Double Tourbillon 30-Degrees Technique Sapphire watch. The entire case of this limited edition (8 pieces) watch was milled from a single piece of sapphire, revealing the 396-part movement. This watch is exemplary of the new direction many watch brands are taking when it comes to utilizing high-tech materials for watchcases.