Looking for a steel watch? Charlie Paris offers French watches with steel bracelets and for all of our watch cases we use 316L steel, a steel that is resistant to corrosion. But what is 316L steel? What are its characteristics ? Don't worry, in this article, Team Charlie Paris will introduce you to 316L steel and its characteristics.

1. 316L Steel, Stainless Steel, Steel what are the differences?

2. Steel an oxidizable alloy

3. From steel to stainless steel

4. So what are the characteristics of 316 and 316L steel?

5. Why 316L in our watches?

 

1. 316L Steel, Stainless Steel, Steel what are the differences?

Steel is a metal alloy consisting mainly of iron but also of carbon. The carbon added between 0.02% and 2% transforms iron into steel and makes it even stronger but also gives it some "flexibility", which is why steel is widely used in construction. At this point steel (and 316L steel) is not a stainless alloy. Beyond 3% carbon, iron becomes cast iron, but this large amount of carbon makes this metal very hard but also brittle.

 

2. Steel an oxidizable alloy

Raw steel is an oxidizable alloy. It will naturally bind with oxygen molecules present in air or water through redox reactions. This reaction is more commonly called "corrosion". These reactions result in the appearance of iron oxide and hydroxide, also known as rust, the famous red-orange substance found on certain iron structures. Rust is a destructive agent that gradually consumes steel until it decomposes completely.

 

3. From steel to stainless steel

Strauss and Maurer, two German chemists filed a patent in 1912 to exploit the first stainless steel, a clever mixture of steel and chromium (the discovery of which dating from 1797 is attributed to the French Nicolas Louis Vauquelin) and nickel (discovered in 1751 by Axel Frederik Cronstedt), which makes the steel very resistant to corrosion and prevents it from rusting. The chromium content of stainless steel is at least 10.5%, its Carbon content must be less than 1.2% and its Nickel content of about 8%.

There are 3 categories of stainless steel: ferritics, martensitics and austenitic stainless steels.

 

4. So what are the characteristics of 316 and 316L Steel?

316L steel is a type of austenitic stainless steel, the carbon content of which does not exceed 0.02%, the amount of chromium is around 17%, and the content of nickel reaches 10 to 12.5%. To this alloy is added 2 to 2.5% Molybdenum.

The L in the abbreviation 316L signifies that this is a "Low Carbon" steel. As mentioned above, this steel contains only 0.02% carbon against 0.05% for "conventional" 316 steel. When welding at very high temperatures, a substance called "chromium carbide precipitation" is created and therefore the steel, although stainless, becomes more prone to corrosion. Having a minimum of carbon in the structure of this alloy prevents the creation of this precipitation and therefore 316L steel is not subject to corrosion.

Molybdenum, discovered in 1778 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele, is added to stainless steel to form 316L steel. On the one hand, Molybdenum hardens the alloy but above all makes it much more resistant to corrosion, even in extreme environments (chlorinated, salty, and acid environments). This is why 316 L steel is also used for outdoor uses such as guardrails or handrails.

 

5. Why is 316L in our watches?

For all of our men's watches and ourladies watches, we have chosen to work with 316L steel. You will understand this alloy is recognized for its durability and also its great resistance to corrosion, 2 elements that we consider essential for our cases, especially those of our automatic watches. From an aesthetic point of view, 316L steel is a stainless steel whose luster lasts over time and does not tarnish.

Finally, 316L steel is very easily and completely recycled. So stainless steel watches can have a new life. Stainless steel can be recycled endlessly without losing its quality. The commitment from an ecological point of view, one of the strong values ​​at Charlie Paris, it is naturally that we turned to this type of steel for our Made in France watches. Our watch straps steel are also made from 316L steel.