MAY 2021
When the price of rhodium soared to unprecedented levels, the watchmaking world was alarmed. This hard, corrosion-resistant metal, whose brilliance approaches that of silver, is commonly used in the watchmaking industry. The interesting aspect of the treatment developed by POSITIVE COATING is that it looks the same as rhodium, and offers similar properties.
POSITIVE COATING has been working for several years to offer an alternative treatment to rhodium (patent filed in 2019). In fact, rhodium resources are extremely limited: 25,000 tons/year, mainly extracted in South Africa (80% of global production). The current price of rhodium has peaked: at the end of March 2021, it was 15 times more expensive than gold. It is 35 times more expensive than 5 years ago.
This new treatment has the advantage of being perfectly consistent (an exact replica of the surface topography) and uniform, with a precision of around one nanometer. It therefore fully satisfies the highest requirements in micro-technology and represents a good alternative to rhodium, particularly on tungsten monoblock oscillating weights.
POSITIVE COATING HAS BEEN
SUCCESSFULLY
OFFERING THIS ALTERNATIVE TO RHODIUM
FOR SEVERAL MONTHS
Founded in 2004, POSITIVE COATING specializes in the development of innovative solutions in the field of surface treatments based on cutting-edge chemical and physical treatments such as PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) and ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) technologies. Situated at the heart of a prestigious micro-technology industry, the business contributes to the development of superior technological products.