Damascus steel is one of the most famous types of steel in history, known for its characteristic ripple pattern created via a forging process that involved repeatedly layering and hammering the metal. In watchmaking it’s a fairly niche material to see, though in 2025 its use has exploded and where it was once the almost exclusive preserve of Scandinavian brand GoS Watches, there are constantly more and more brands embracing the metal.
Historically Damascus steel was produced using a high carbon composition, which is what results in the interweaving of lighter and darker layers. In turn that creates a strong, shatterproof metal that can be sharpened to a resilient edge, hence its use in blades. In modern metallurgy the Damascus style is more often created by layering different steel alloys to create the same effect. Even more cutting edge than that, some brands are experimenting with different metals altogether, such as Damascus titanium.
GoS Völund Fullerö Sword
As noted in the introduction, GoS Watches have the reputation for being the most synonymous brand with Damascus steel designs. Virtually all of their watches incorporate the material in some form or another. Their latest launch came earlier this year with the debut of the brand-new Völund collection, with the first piece being the Fullerö Sword. It features a dial with a very distinctive Damascus steel pattern that was carefully created by master metalworker Conny Persson to emulate the pattern on a Viking artefact, the Fullerö Sword that was excavated in the 1960s.
A fun detail is that there’s a hidden Lumicast ring, made of Swiss Super-LumiNova, around the edge of the dial. It glows an intense orange colour in low light conditions, illuminating the dial and making it look like it’s molten hot, as if in a forge. Below the dial is the La Joux-Perret G101 automatic movement inside the 41.5mm case embellished with further Viking inspired patterns.
More details at GoS Watches.
Venezianico Ti-Damascus
Venezianico is a watch brand dedicated to the history and legacy of Venice as one of the early trading capitals of the world. The city served as a gateway between the west and the Middle East, where Damascus steel is heavily associated (Damascus being in Syria) so it likely saw a high influx of high quality Damascus steel items. As such, Venezianico pay tribute to this by using Damascus steel on the dial of their flagship Nereide dive watch. First with the Damasco and more recently the Ti-Damascus.
Ti-Damascus, as the name suggests, pushes the boat out by swapping steel for titanium. It uses multiple grades of titanium with slightly differing properties to create a similar layered, ripple pattern. Venezianico have then thermally treated it to create the vivid colours. The watch features a 42mm steel case and houses the Sellita SW200-1 movement.
More details at Venezianico.
Oceaneva Deep Marine Explorer II Damascus
American brand Oceaneva are masters of the value proposition. The Deep Marine Explorer II offers 1,250m of water resistance, which from many rival brands would cost a few thousand pounds but with Oceaneva’s seemingly never ending sales (the only sale I’ve seen longer is from DFS), is available for less than £500. Adding to that value is the limited edition Damascus series, which introduces the historic metal to the case and dial of the model.
There are a huge number of colours and styles available ranging from classic steel coloured models to ion plated versions like the coffee brown alongside plain dial versions in monochrome. Even the pin buckle of the rubber strap is Damascus. The watch measures 42mm in diameter, containing the Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement.
More details at Oceaneva.
Louis Erard x GoS Le Régulateur
I have been debating whether to include the Louis Erard x GoS Le Régulateur in this article because it essentially amounts to GoS Watches sneaking onto the list for a second time. However, I think it’s worthy of inclusion because it serves like a canary in the coal mine, indicating the increasing popularity and interest in Damascus watches. Louis Erard aren’t exactly mainstream but due to their high profile collaborations with artists like Alain Silberstein and watchmakers like Konstantin Chaykin, they’ve introduced a much wider audience to the concept of Damascus dials.
As a regulator watch, it features separate hour, minute and seconds indicators, allowing you to use it to regulate a second timepiece with ease. It also means there’s plenty of empty dial area that can be filled with the Damascus steel’s signature pattern.
More details at Louis Erard.
Bulova Lunar Pilot x Budii
Bulova is celebrating their 150th anniversary this year and as such they are paying tribute to some of their most significant watchmaking milestones. With the launch of the Lunar Pilot x Budii, a collaboration with Brazilian pop artist Thiago Rosinhole, they pay tribute to the Apollo 15 moon landings, which saw an astronaut wear the original Lunar Pilot timepiece on the moon in 1971.
It’s a 43mm stainless steel chronograph in the classic Lunar Pilot shape with its round, curving lugs and wide, flat chronograph pushers. The accent colour here is a dark blue that’s used across the pushers, tachymeter bezel and dial. That dial is obviously the focal point of the dial because it’s made from Damascus titanium, the same material seen on the dial of the Venezianico Ti-Damascus also featured in this article. It even shares the same multi-coloured finishing.
More details at Bulova.
McQuaide Q1
McQuaide is a name you might not be familiar with because it is a very young brand that was launched earlier this year in Britain. Though they are determined to grow and are already a member of the British Alliance of Watch and Clock Makers. They style themselves as the only British watch brand to have a specialism in Damascus steel, which is a claim strongly backed up by their debut watch the Q1.
It features a very bold 43.2mm diameter case with a thickness of 15mm, which is very large but does provide plenty of surface area on which the Damascus pattern can be admired. The watches are designed in the UK and assembled in partnership with Horologium, offering quality at an accessible price. They’re also paired with distinctive textured dials that offer a stylised play on Damascus with being made from the material.
More details at McQuaide.
Sinn 1800 Titandamszener
Like the Venezianico Ti-Damascus, the Sinn 1800 Titandamszener does away with the usual steel to replace it with titanium. Though it’s execution couldn’t be more different as instead of the tight structure of the Venezianico’s dial, the Sinn has a broad pattern that almost feels more akin to a light-dark camouflage pattern than Damascus. However, that’s because the layers are arranged on a flat plane, meaning that you can see the characteristic pattern best on the sides of the case.
A lot of Damascus is also polished to give it a high shine and reflective quality that emphasises the alternating layers, but that’s not the case here. Instead, the naturally darker tone of titanium is allowed to dominate, which works really well in making the watch feel like a practical tool as opposed to a piece of jewellery. It’s another large watch with a 43mm diameter housing the Sellita SW300-1 automatic movement.
More details at Sinn.
Roger Dubuis Knights of the Round Table Damascus Titanium
Damascus titanium also finds itself highlighted as the case material for the Roger Dubuis Knights of the Round Table Damascus Titanium, from 2023. Roger Dubuis aren’t exactly known for their subtlety so the dramatic patterns of the metal are right at home in their most extravagant creations. Considering that your attention is immediately drawn to the cracked ice Murano glass dial with blue accents and golden sculptures of Arthur and his knights, the fact that the watch has a Damascus case almost fades into the background.
The case itself measures a vast 45mm in diameter, accommodating the sculptural artwork of a dial, offering plenty of surface area to see the Damascus pattern. Inside the case is RD821 calibre, a Poinçon de Genève movement produced in-house and finished by hand. One of the more extravagant Damascus watches around.
More details at Roger Dubuis.
No Schofield Obscura in there? Is it because of the price or any particular reason?