THERMAL BLUING

Heat blued steel

The bluing of steel watch hands and screws takes place in-house using traditional methods.
Thermal Bluing

By Garrick Watchmakers

Thermal bluing requires a deft hand and is time-consuming, but the result is that each screw or watch hand is bestowed with its own unique shade, featuring a fusion of blue and purple hues.
Turning steel watch hands blue using copper filings and a flame in the garrick workshop

An increasing number of watch brands choose to chemically treat screws or watch hands to achieve a blue colour. The outcome is a homogeneous shade of blue which is devoid of any personality. The screws subjected to this approach appear the same, adopting a predetermined shade and denoting their mass-produced origins.

In line with the company’s no-compromise philosophy, Garrick thermally blue watch hands by hand, carefully subjecting the steel to high temperatures to achieve the most exquisite blue tone.

The process begins with the hands being placed on a copper tray containing brass filings. The hands are heated and, courtesy of the brass filings, the temperature remains relatively constant.

During the bluing process, the time-served watchmaker has to allow for different depths of metal. Those areas which are thinner will adopt a bluish shade more readily than thicker sections. Consideration will also be given to the prevailing temperature of the room.