The future of case and bracelet scratch protection?

Scratches, this is always a problem we are trying to solve for our customers.


Especially on stainless steel or titanium cases, this can be painful. Right now, the best way is the "hardening" coating which is basically a colorless DLC coating and it can reach a hardness level of up to 1200HV. But the problem there, with time passing or after a high froce impact on the surface, the coating can spall off. So they are good in the beginning but can reduce the protection over time. We are using this type of hardening coating on our current model, the PD V1 9039.


At WICKED WATCH CO we are always seeking for the best and innovative ways to deliver a great quality for the buck. It took us some time to find new ways of protecting our cases, bracelets etc. We have found a special treatment that helps us to protect our watches.


With the new way we have found, the outcome is a significant improvement in wear and galling resistance due to a surface hardness of up to 1300HV, and typically maintained or even improved corrosion resistance. 


The new technology helps to:


  • Replacing coatings such as hard-chrome plating for environmental and cost reasons, or PVD/DLC for cost or “line-of-sight” reasons
  • Replacing traditional low-temperature carburizing diffusion processes for environmental, cost, corrosion resistance or lead-time reasons
  • Replacing conventional heat treatment on martensitic steels to improve wear and corrosion resistance


The result of the hardening test depends on the raw material, the surface finish etc.. We made some samples and sent them to test in the lab to find out, how good is the treatment. The result are stunning, with perfectly even penetration and with a high hardness level, we are very happy with it.


We look forward using this new technology on future projects and we want to hear the feedback from our customers! 

Here is the test report for the Titanium Grade 5 cases:

Here is the test report for the 316L stainless steel cases:

Here is the video of the hardened steel in action:

By Pascal Isenegger August 27, 2025
Subject: Updates on Shipping, Tariffs & Watches (with fewer surprises!) Dear Friends, With new rules and tariffs popping up almost monthly, we’re doing our best to have your back—and to make sure there are no “surprise bills” riding along with your packages. Here’s the latest: Swiss Made watches Thanks to the cancellation of the “De Mimis” rule, all Swiss Made watches are now subject to a 39% tariff upon arrival in the US. Not exactly the kind of number anyone wants to see. The good news Our lineup is diverse. We don’t rely solely on Swiss Made. Watches produced with our trusted partners in China are not affected by the 39% tariff. Even better, we ship these with DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), which means they arrive at your door with no extra fees, no fine print, no nasty surprises. Buy with confidence, relax on delivery day. What about Swiss Made orders? We’re working hard to simplify the process and cut down the paperwork—even if it means taking a hit on our end. What matters is that your pre-orders of Basilea and similar models won’t come with a surprise bill on delivery. Planned shipping is September/October 2025, though with how fast the rules change, who knows what twist might come next? (Whatever it is, we’ll handle it so you don’t have to.) Other stock (like Pearl Diver, etc.) We’re setting up a US-based stock to ship directly through USPS. More info on that soon. Finally, a big thank you. The amazing people in the United States! Our most important market, and without your support, WICKED WATCH wouldn’t be where it is today. I promise—we’re not going to let you down. If you’d like more details on timelines or our products etc., just reach out to me directly on WhatsApp: +41 76 455 19 17 . Best regards, Pascal
By Pascal Isenegger July 11, 2025
The Lume Lie: Unmasking the Truth About "Grade X1 BGW-9"
By Pascal Isenegger June 6, 2025
What makes us different
By Pascal Isenegger May 11, 2024
New upgrades for our PEARL DIVER!
By Pascal Isenegger April 15, 2024
Comparison between a stamped buckle and a CNC machined one
By Pascal Isenegger August 18, 2023
Titanium case backs
December 29, 2022
In 2023 we are having some watch releases planned and one of them are the V1.2 of the bronze PEARL DIVER. We have finished almost all dial we made with LUMICAST and still have some cases left, this lead us to do some new excited stuff for our customers!
By Pascal Isenegger December 7, 2022
A story we hate to share but it is the truth
August 11, 2022
Early rendering stage of an upcoming project we are working on.  The renders are not final. There will be some changes like the bezel insert engraving style, hands. Additional dials. 41 mm diameter, 46 mm lug to lug, 12.50 mm height, powered by Sellita Elab Grade SW200-1 or Soprod Newton (could not decide yet). Lugs are 20 mm. Stainless Steel 316L with experimental hardening which gives the steel a hardness of 1800-3000 HV, we will provide a test report to proof our claims, just like with the lume, we like to verify what we promise and not just blind-trust our suppliers! Genuine Swiss Made Lumicast indices and chapter ring with highest possbile Grade of lume and some even have a lumicast dial (in the works). Hands are polished with middle chamfer. Box sapphire or maybe double domed (not decided yet). Exhibition case back. Parts are made in Switzerland and China with final assembly and QC in Switzerland with our watchmaker in La Chaux-de-Fonds. We ship from our Swiss Office worldwide. This way we can offer it at an affordable price. we are aiming at $649 including shipping. Each color will be limited to 50 pieces. How do you like it? The project is not named yet ^^
July 9, 2022
The first new model to be launched in 2022 is the timascus Basilea collection.