Why tantalum is the ‘final boss’ of watchmaking materials (opens in new tab)

When Swedish chemist Anders Gustaf Ekeberg discovered tantalum in 1802, little did he know that the metal would be widely used today in mobile phones, surgical equipment, aerospace components and watches. Classified as a transition metal in the periodic table, tantalum is a very dense and hard material with a high melting point. It also features a blue-grey sheen that is particularly appealing to luxury watchmakers and collectors. “Tantalum is naturally a beautiful blue-grey. It is not a surf...