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Blued steel refers to watch hands, screws, or other components that have been heat-treated to develop a beautiful blue oxide layer on the steel surface. The process involves carefully heating polished steel to approximately 290-320°C until it transforms from golden yellow through brown to a rich blue color. The oxide layer provides mild corrosion resistance, but blued steel is primarily valued for its distinctive aesthetic.
Traditional bluing involves placing polished steel components in a brass pan filled with fine brass shavings and heating uniformly over a flame or heat source, carefully monitoring the color change. The skill lies in removing parts at precisely the right moment to achieve the desired blue tone—too little heat leaves yellow or brown, too much produces grey-black. Some manufacturers use chemical or PVD processes for consistency, though purists prefer flame-blued hands for their unique color variation.
Blued steel hands are a signature element of traditional watchmaking, found across the spectrum from affordable to ultra-luxury. A. Lange & Söhne is particularly renowned for their blued screws and hands. Nomos Gläshütte uses blued steel hands as a design signature. Many dress watches from Swiss and German manufacturers use blued steel hands to add visual contrast and reference horological tradition. The technique remains a hallmark of quality finishing.
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