Materialien

Diamonds

The diamonds on the dial have a diameter of approximately 1mm and a weight of approximately 0.005 carats per stone.

The diamonds are cut in an eight-cut. The eight-cut is a specific type of cut where diamonds, as the name suggests, are cut in such a way that eight edges are created.

Diamonds with an eight-cut are also referred to as 8/8 diamonds. These are diamonds with a "simplified brilliant cut" in a rounded form. This cut is called "simplified" because a brilliant normally has at least 56 facets. Eight-cut diamonds, on the other hand, have eight facets on the top and eight facets on the bottom, as well as a table, making a total of 17 facets if the culet and girdle are not counted. They are excellent for use as small decorative stones. Due to their small size, they are often used in the manufacture of watches on the dial. If the eight-cut diamond is carefully cut, it achieves a higher brilliance compared to a full-cut brilliant. This is because, in the size range up to a maximum of 0.02 carats, larger facets have an optimal effect.

Stainless Steel 316L

All watches from LOUIS XVI are made from 316L stainless steel, which is also used in the production of surgical instruments, making it extremely durable and never rusts.

But what exactly is 316L stainless steel and why is such a material used in wristwatches? By definition, 316L stainless steel is an alloy with molybdenum and the low-carbon version of the 316 alloy (standard steel). This chemical composition makes the 316L stainless steel alloy particularly resistant and durable against corrosion caused by acids typically found in seawater and sweat.

316L stainless steel is therefore used in watches to make them more resistant to water and sweat. This is particularly beneficial for watch enthusiasts who lead an active lifestyle. You can be assured that your wristwatch will withstand all challenges effortlessly.

PVD - Physical Vapour Deposition

PVD stands for "Physical Vapour Deposition". The PVD coating serves to make watches more durable, increase their resistance, and enhance their appearance.

During the vacuum coating process, very fine layers of hard substances in vapor form are applied to the base material, forming a comprehensive coating layer. The entire powder coating must take place in a vacuum chamber to prevent a reaction between the vapor and the air. Layer thicknesses can start in the nanometer range. However, by repeating the process several times, layers up to a few micrometers can be built up.

The great advantage of the vacuum coating process is that the sputtered material does not chemically react with the surface. The adhesion is exclusively due to the process.

The conventional PVD process results in a strong black surface. Therefore, black watches are usually treated with the PVD process and can be easily recognized. Besides the conventional coating with the black material, there is also PVD gilding. In this process, a thin layer of metal is also evaporated and applied to the watch. This results in a gold or rose gold coating instead of a black surface.

In PVD gilding, identical procedures are used as in the conventional PVD coating. However, instead of spraying lead or graphite, gold particles are used.

Sapphire Glass

All LOUIS XVI watches have scratch-resistant, double-sided anti-reflective sapphire glass. A quality feature we are very proud of. Sapphire glass is much harder and more scratch-resistant than the mineral glass often used in conventional watches. Sapphire glass cannot be scratched through everyday use. If it were only about technical advantages, today probably every manufacturer would equip their watches with sapphire glass. But not every manufacturer does - because the high quality has its price. The production of sapphire glass is very time-consuming and expensive.