The stainless steel case hardened using TEGIMENT technology provides extremely effective protection from scratches on the case surface.
TEGIMENT Technology raises the hardness level of the base material, e.g. stainless steel, by a significant factor. The technology was first introduced in the 756 Duochronograph at the International Baselworld Watch and Jewellery Show in Basel in 2003, replacing the ice hardening technique for nickel-free watch cases first presented in 2002. Originally TEGIMENT Technology was only used on stainless steel cases. The term is now used to refer to all materials with a hardened surface.
TEGIMENT Technology provides highly effective protection against scratches. The method is not, however, based on the application of a coating. Instead it is the surface of the material itself which is hardened by means of a special process, thereby creating a protective layer (“tegimentum” in Latin). The surface of any watch hardened using TEGIMENT Technology has a significantly greater level of protection against scratches than that afforded by the hardness of the base material.