Greatly increased scratch-resistance thanks to surface hardening.

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.