High end watches are made with a variety of precious materials, including gold, silver, platinum, ceramic, titanium and gems such as rubies and diamonds. But there is one material that is truly out of this world, and that is meteorite.

Where Do Meteorites Come From?

Meteorites are solid space material that comes from numerous celestial bodies such as comets or asteroids. They travel through outer space and will occasionally enter the gravitational field of a planet (such as Earth) where it’s drawn into the atmosphere. It is usually made of nickel or iron and is optimal for watches since its hardness and density makes an outstanding dial.

Meteorites are also some of the oldest objects in the universe, with some being dated as far back as 4 billion years. They also vary greatly in size. While some can be held in your hand, others are large enough to produce impact craters that are almost 200 miles across. It is estimated that only about five hundred reach the Earth’s surface annually, most of which are small and land in the sea. This means that the few that strike land and are recovered are extremely valuable to those lucky enough to find them.

How Are Meteorite Watch Dials Made?

Once a meteorite is discovered, it has to be cut and finished, which takes substantial skill and time. Rolex, for instance, makes each of their dials from solid Gibeon meteorite slices, which engineers then connect to the dial’s surface where they treat it with acid wash based finish. This brings out the crystalline pattern, and a metal which originally looked dull becomes lustrous after hours of meticulous finishing and polishing. The dial pattern angle will depend on the plane which was cut.

While many meteorites can be used in watch manufacture, there are two which are preferred by the watch industry, and these are the Muonionalusta and Gibeon meteorites.  The Gibeon meteor is believed to have arrived to earth during the prehistoric era, and was recovered in Namibia, while Muonionalusta was discovered in 1906 within Sweden and is believed to be about 1 million years of age. These two meteors are popular because they display Widmanstätten structures, which are patterns and striations which become more visible after they’ve been given chemical baths.

Why Are Watches With Meteorite Dials So Expensive?

Rolex pioneered the usage of meteorite dials, which have appeared in their Day Date and Daytona series, and they are also used by Omega. Aside from the rarity of meteorites themselves, each is one of a kind and they are extremely difficult to work with. The material is brittle and rigid, and if handled improperly the dials will break during production. This is why most meteorite dials are reinforced using the baseplate underneath which provides greater stability, and since meteorite is also magnetic, it must be plated with rhodium.