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In 1802, a new element was discovered in samples from Ytterby in Sweden and Kimito in Finland by a chemist named Anders Ekeberg. Since he could not dissolve it in acid, he named it tantalum after the Greek myth of Tantalus. Tantalus was condemned to stand forever in water that he could never drink, beneath perfect fruit that was always out of reach. More than two centuries later, tantalum has been used by watchmakers for decades and seems to be becoming a trend. Featured in the collections of notable microbrands like Atelier Wen. How and why did this happen?
century of discovery
Unlike precious metals such as gold and silver, which were discovered in ancient times, tantalum is a completely modern element. Although it was not produced in metal form until Charles Galissard de Marignac discovered the process in 1864, German chemist Werner von Bolton used it to make light bulb filaments in 1902. Until then, it wasn’t pure or perfect. , light bulbs used carbon filaments, but tantalum required less energy for a brighter glow. Its ductility is also noteworthy. This means that it remains flexible and strong even when stretched into thin coils. That was tantalum’s main commercial use until 1910, when tungsten filaments became the standard.
Although it took a century for tantalum to become a commercial metal, much was discovered about its physical properties. Its chemical inertness has always been its greatest feature, meaning that it is extremely stable and non-reactive. Even titanium, the industry standard metal for surgical implants because it is body-safe and inert, is much more reactive than tantalum. Platinum remains the least reactive metal overall, but tantalum does not react with almost all acids (except hydrogen fluoride) below 150°C. If your sweat is hot enough to boil, or made from hydrofluoric acid, you have a bigger problem than your watch.
Industrial uses of tantalum
In addition to its optimal biocompatibility for surgical use, tantalum also has It is also very hard and scratch resistant.. In fact, it is approximately four times harder than stainless steel and more than twice as hard as grade 5 titanium, with a hardness range of 870 to 1,200 Vickers. It’s roughly equivalent to something like Chemically hardened steel such as Sinn’s Tegimented steeland We are approaching the realm of ceramics.. It also has a surprisingly high melting point of 3,017°C, making it suitable for all kinds of modern industrial applications, including jet engines, nuclear reactor vessels, carbide processing tools, missile parts, and tanks.
Tantalum, even in alloys, forms very thin oxide layers. This makes it very attractive in the production of electrical components such as resistors and capacitors, as its oxide layer acts as an insulating dielectric while its pure form remains conductive. Tantalum capacitors are prominent in smartphones and other consumer electronics because they are much smaller and lighter than alternative capacitors such as aluminum. This oxidation layer gives tantalum its characteristic appearance, a dark gray luster with a nice blue tint. Despite the various characteristics that make tantalum so special in watchmaking, it is actually that deep glacial blue that captures our imaginations and hearts.
first tantalum watch
Legend has it that that hue is why the first tantalum wristwatch was created by Audemars Piguet in the 1980s. Although there seems to be no solid evidence for this story, King Juan Carlos of Spain is said to have wanted a less reflective Royal Oak to wear while hunting. After his gunsmith tried applying the same bluing technique to the steel case as on the rifle’s barrel, the results were poor and the king went directly to the Associated Press. Tantalum is an excellent alternative to blued steel, and the first fully produced Royal Oaks made of tantalum was launched in 1988. More models were subsequently released, including the interesting Yuthiem chronograph model. Jaeger-LeCoultre hopped on the tantalum train at the 1989 Basel Fair with the Odysseus chronograph, which featured a tantalum case. mechanical quartz movementand acid etched meteorite dial. Are you way ahead of your time?
In 1993, tantalum became somewhat mainstream thanks to the Omega Seamaster Diver 300 Meter Chronograph, which featured an elaborate tri-metal combination of tantalum, titanium, and rose gold. Frankly, the use of these metals is completely irrational, since their hardness and weight properties contradict each other, but this was a conceptual wonder. It is a model called Omega has continued to create collections while undergoing various evolutions.primarily uses tantalum for the bracelet links and bezel. Most importantly, it made a wider audience aware of tantalum as a watch material.
Tantalum’s Tool Tantrum
The tantalum storm continued with Panerai, Hublot, and even the legendary independent FP Journe. It probably could have had a higher degree of success if it wasn’t such a nightmare material to actually manufacture. All of the aspects that make tantalum great as a finished product also make it extremely difficult to machine. Due to its high melting point, it accumulates an incredible amount of heat and cannot dissipate it well. That heat wears out cutting tools much faster than most other materials, even titanium and platinum, which are already recognized as difficult to machine. Tantalum is highly ductile, allowing it to stretch and deform rather than crack or break, making this metal chewy like clay.
Is tantalum rare?
One of the often misunderstood aspects of tantalum is its rarity. Some say it’s rarer than gold or platinum.However, in terms of price, tantalum hardly registers. The simple truth is that tantalum is the rarest and most stable element in our solar system, but what about within the Earth’s crust? It is much more abundant than gold. Gold abundance is approximately 0.004ppmOn the other hand, tantalum is around 1/1 millionth. Although it is 250 times more common, it is generally difficult to refine as it does not occur naturally in pure metal form like a can of gold. Its weight can be reminiscent of other precious metals, and watch manufacturers command premium prices due to the difficulty of processing it, but its material costs are typically less than US$200 per kilogram.
Ethical considerations for tantalum
Tantalum has a dark side that needs to be addressed. Until the 2010s, most of the world’s tantalum was mined in Western Australia, a prominent region for all types of mineral resources and exports. However, after a hiatus between 2008 and 2011 due to the global financial crisis, the mine was officially closed in February 2012 due to lack of demand for tantalum. The lack of demand was not necessarily due to tantalum’s unpopularity, but rather to the development of much cheaper sources in Africa. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a particularly large supplier, with a 2023 report showing DRC as the source of 41% of the world’s tantalum production. Already in 2003, the United Nations linked the smuggling and export of tantalum-containing minerals to financing internal armed conflicts. The war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported the highest death toll since World War II, but this does not take into account the amount of child labor and worker exploitation found in many of the country’s mining environments. No.
A further 18% of tantalum supplies come from Rwanda and Burundi, which have more highly controlled mines, but much of that export may still be smuggled out of the DRC. Australia once produced 45% in 2000, but that has since fallen to 4%. Other countries contributing to the world’s tantalum supply include China, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Canada, the United States, Brazil, Finland, Greenland, and Mozambique. The 2010 Dodd-Frank reforms required many American companies to disclose whether tantalum was sourced from the DRC; Global focus on reducing conflict mineralsbut the process is not infallible or immune to evasion. Watch companies (with some special exceptions) are not metal foundries and do not manufacture their own materials from scratch. Therefore, there is no obligation to inform customers about the status of tantalum sources. If ethical consumption is important to youyou may need to keep that in mind or contact the company.
Where to buy tantalum watches
So, are you ready to open your wallet to buy a tantalum watch? Thankfully, the choices have been steadily increasing over the past few years. In addition to Special Atelier Wen Perception,new The Greubel Forsey Nano Foudroyante EWT is a stunning flying tourbillon housed in a tantalum and white gold case.. At CHF 465,000, it’s an incredible watch, even if it’s not exactly affordable. The Alternative Watch Alliance of Ming, JN Shapiro and Fleming makes a splash at Geneva Watch Days 2024 With the launch of a full tantalum bracelet that fits many watches, and of course JN Shapiro already has experience with tantalum.. Affordable microbrands such as Zeros’ Tantalum Swordfish are also dabbling in the material, but they tend to be limited and sell out quickly.
If you can’t find (or afford) a new tantalum watch, you may want to browse second-hand sites. Searching and categorizing tantalum can be difficult, as many titanium watches can be mistakenly listed in that category, but if you look hard enough, you can find some pretty good items. Knowing how scratch resistant and inert tantalum is, many of the older specimens are still in great condition. Some of the most affordable used tantalum watches are the Hublot Big Bang Chronographs, which cost around $6,000 to $8,000 USD. Once you hit five digits, you’ll see a sea of Harry Winston. Audemars Piguet watches such as the Yuthiem and Royal Oak can be had for around USD 12,000 to USD 15,000 for a quartz movement and USD 30,000 to USD 50,000 for an automatic. Between $50,000 and $100,000, consider advanced complications from FP Journe, Urwerk, Hublot and Audemars Piguet.
Considering the difficulty of manufacturing tantalum watches, it is highly unlikely that tantalum watches will become as mainstream as titanium, or even platinum for that matter. But thanks to the likes of Alternative Horological Society and FP Journe, awareness of this material is arguably at an all-time high. If Zelos can create a solid tantalum watch case for about $1,500, that’s within the realm of possibility. Other enthusiast favorites such as the Baltic Sea Or Yema. In fact, next year we will definitely see more limited editions of tantalum, rather than large-scale manufacturers like Rolex, Tudor, and Omega producing tantalum in earnest.
