When browsing online you may come across many watches made from all different types of materials but one that seems to be something of the past is silver watches. If you are an avid watch collector then you’ll probably know the reason why many watch manufacturers don’t choose to use silver when creating watches now.
If you are unsure why watches made from silver aren’t seen in today's time is because of discolouring.
Over a long period and use, you will start to notice that the silver is now darkening. So many top watch brands today will not use silver to make watches as having ‘tarnish’ on a watch does not look pretty and could potentially damage their reputation as a high-quality watch brand.
Many people will wonder can silver watches be cheap if this is the case? Well, it all quite depends on the watch. Due to silver watches not being sold by the watch manufacturer, they have become something of an antique to watch collectors which can seem some go for thousands of pounds as they are a collector's items but like most things you can find silver watches in an affordable range.
But you might come across watches online that are ‘silver’ but this is due to the colour and most of them are not made of silver but stainless steel due to the many better benefits that come with it as they look very similar, many watch brands will label a ‘silver watch’ due to their colour but they are made from a much reliable stronger stainless steel.
To understand the price of silver watches, we must understand why you won’t find many watches made from silver anymore.
Our in-house watch expert team has put together this article to explain further on can silver watches be cheap while going further on why stainless steel is the more viable option when it comes to purchasing a ‘silver’ watch.
Why Aren’t Brands Making Silver Watches Anymore?
You will not find many silver watches produced anymore due to they can discolour plus their softness as well. Since the production of stainless steel has increased and found its way to be a common reliable metal, it has taken over silver as it makes the watch more reliable and stronger against any possible signs of damage.
Back in the day in older times, when pocket watches were at their most popular and stainless steel wasn’t a viable option for watch manufacturers. Most of the watches that you found were created from silver as you couldn’t use materials such as iron as it would corrode plus gold was too expensive for most people so the next option would have been silver.
Silver unlike a lot of metals is soft, it’s very common to strengthen silver by getting it alloyed with materials like zinc or copper. If alloyed with copper, it will make the colourations under the bracelet either black or green which isn’t sustainable for watches.
The burden of ‘tarnishing’ is just too heavy for watch manufacturers to consider handling for people who are looking to purchase a luxury watch. If you know someone in your family or know about it from a friend who has had something silver like cutlery. If you’ve ever tried to polish a set of silver cutlery tarnishing is a massive job to clean off which can be seriously annoying.
Not only is ‘tarnishing’ a massive part of why you won’t find watches made from silver anymore is due to it being a lot softer than other types of metals.
It is so soft that it is very prone to getting scratches and you can find it bending even during normal wear and tear. That means if you purchased a silver watch over the long term you’d find yourself spending a lot of time polishing it to remove scratches and a bent case.
Why Is Stainless Steel Better Than Silver?
A lot of high-quality watches that you will find today that you can purchase are made from stainless steel. It is known to be one of the most durable materials and strong, if it was possible we’d all be wearing diamond watches as they are on paper the strongest material we know but that is impossible.
Stainless steel is better than silver for several reasons when it comes to watches as it is anti-corrosion, extremely durable and doesn’t require much maintenance compared to silver.
It is also incredible lighter than most materials which means it’s comfortable for people to wear. When purchasing a watch, we want to wear it frequently daily plus it should hold up when you are doing recreational activities without it bending or breaking.
Not only do you get all these amazing benefits regarding the durability of the watches but they produce high-quality watches that look great and give off a more luxurious vibe compared to plastic watches which would look cheap.
Whether you are someone who loves to deep-sea dive or you spend the most time in business meetings then a stainless steel watch would be your best bet when it comes to watches as it will hold up regardless in whatever environment that you find yourself in.
Conclusion
It may be hard for you in today's time to find a good affordable silver watch but we could only recommend that you purchase a silver watch as more of a collector's item than if you are planning to wear it frequently due to the upkeep that you have to do on a silver watch plus it is at a much higher risk of bending then a watch that is made from stainless steel.
If you are looking for the perfect watch that is silver but has all the amazing benefits that stainless steel has compared to silver then check out our collections where we have high-quality watches at an affordable price for both males & females.