Rolex Cerachrom Bezel: A Closer Look

Out of all the watch’s parts, it’s the bezel that takes the most beating. Most vulnerable to impact, corrosion, scratches and fading, the bezel simply has to be robust in order to make the timepiece reliable.

Ceramic has become a choice material for bezels for several decades now, due to its desirable traits of scratch resistance, hardness and malleability. Many watchmakers have been using ceramic since the mid-1980s, but Rolex for one, took its sweet time and only debuted their ceramic bezel in 2005. In lieu of third party providers, Rolex created the Cerachrom, its own exclusive and patented ceramic bezel.

The now popular Cerachrom bezel has become one of the most desirable traits of Rolex watches; and still continues to evolve through the years. Here’s a closer look at the history of the Cerachrom and what makes it so special.

The technology of the Cerachrom is entirely unique to Rolex. The material starts off as extremely fine zirconium or aluminium oxide powder, then mixed with pigments for its color and a binding agent that allows it to be molded. Extreme temperatures are applied to the bezel, as high as 1500 degrees, to remove impurities and improve its strength. Finally, gold or platinum are used on the numbers, for a touch of luster and maximum legibility.

The result is a corrosion-resistant, virtually scratch proof and vibrantly colored bezel that is unaffected by UV rays and whose beauty will last for many many years.

Even when the Cerachrom bezel’s strength and beauty have been established, Rolex continued to push the envelope. Numerous new models and advancements were introduced since its first appearance in 2005, a number of them firsts when it comes to using ceramic in bezels.

In 2011, Rolex introduced a monobloc Cerachrom bezel in the Cosmograph Daytona Everose Gold. Instead of a bezel insert, this model had a single piece of Cerachrom holding the crystal in place, ensuring waterproofness. On top of the Cerachrom is the Daytona’s tachymetric scale in exceptionally legible rose gold.

In 2013, Rolex again achieved what was thought of as impossible – two colors on a single piece of ceramic. The two-color aesthetics of the GMT Master II proved to be a challenge to achieve on the Cerachrom. Rolex after many years of fine-tuning, beat the odds with the black and blue bezel of the Rolex GMT Master II Batman.

Yet again, Rolex introduced another innovation in 2015, with the Rolex Yacht-Master Everose Gold. The all black Cerachrom bezel insert came in a sandblasted matte finish, topped with raised and polished indexes. Instead of using precious metals, it used the interplay of matte and polished surfaces to improve legibility.

Today, Rolex uses the Cerachrom ceramic bezel in nearly all of its professional models. Thanks to their passion for innovation, the hard wearing material now comes in different designs and in multiple colors, all of them deep and intense. The possibilities seem endless with the Cerachrom, and we’re excited to see what Rolex has up its sleeves.