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Forged carbon: innovation and charm

Nereide Carbonio - Nereide Carbon


One of the most beautiful and particular Nereide ever is about to arrive. A watch in which the dial and bezel come to life thanks to a very particular material: forged carbon.

But what exactly is forged carbon and why is it so special? In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about this innovative material and introduce you to our latest watch that uses it in the bezel and dial: Nereide Carbonio.

 

How does forged carbon come to life?

Forged carbon is a recently developed composite material, obtained by combining fragments of carbon fiber with a synthetic resin. It combines very high resistance to fatigue with lightness, making it ideal where top performance is required. An example? The aerospace industry, where it is used to make lining panels, parts of the landing gear, propeller blades and other parts of the engine.

Nereide Carbonio - Nereide Carbon macro

Additionally, forged carbon offers greater corrosion resistance than other materials such as aluminum and titanium: an attractive option for parts exposed to the external environment. This is why we used it for the bezel insert of Nereide Carbonio.

 

What makes it better than carbon fiber

Forged carbon should not be confused with carbon fiber, which is another type of composite material formed by continuous and interwoven filaments of carbon fibers. Forged carbon has a less uniform and orderly structure than carbon fiber, thus it is more flexible and adaptable to complex shapes. Furthermore it contains higher fiber volume content, which combined with higher variation in strand orientation, increases the average strength over standard carbon fiber. This composite material has one-third the density of titanium and equal or greater strength.

Forged Carbon vs. Carbon Fiber

The characteristics of forged carbon, however, make it a difficult material to work with. The process of crafting solid objects of forged carbon articulates in several stages:

  • Preparation of the material: a paste of carbon fibers mixed with an epoxy resin is prepared
  • Molding: the paste is placed in the mold that has the final shape of the component
  • Compression and baking: a pressure of up to 300 kg/cm2 is applied to the mold while heating it to consolidate the mixture into the required shape.
  • Finishing: any burrs or imperfections are removed from the piece and quality check is carried out.

 

Fascinating but difficult to master

Forged carbon is a quite recent material, therefore also the manufacturing techniques are new and constantly evolving, thus requiring considerable investments in research and development.

Nereide Carbonio - Nereide Carbon

To date, mass production of forged carbon components is difficult and expensive due to the high precision and tight tolerances that are required to ensure that every component is identical and of high quality. Nevertheless, it remains an extremely interesting material both in terms of performance and aesthetics.

 

A Nereide with unprecedented features

One of forged carbon most distinctive features is the arrangement of the fibers. Filaments are cut and randomly positioned within the mold, which is then filled with resin. This technique provides the final compound with its typical high resistance and causes the fibers to reflect light differently at every angle.

Nereide Carbonio - Nereide Carbon

For this reason, when properly smoothed and polished, forged carbon surfaces almost seem to move when the light that hits them changes direction. This is the very particular effect we have researched and obtained to provide Nereide Carbonio with a soul of its own, living through a vital and expressive face.

This new model fits perfectly into our vision of watchmaking that brings together innovation and aesthetics to create uncompromising watches to offer a unique experience to the wearer.

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