All black watches

Diamond Like Carbon

At Unity we’ve gone for an all black watches aesthetic. It’s a striking and very exclusive look, and we use the DLC coating process to achieve the characteristic black color. DLC stands for Diamond Like Carbon, a clear reference to the two main properties of this coating; its toughness and its intense, characteristic black color.

DLC treatment is a type of PVD coating that takes advantage of the properties of carbon and is based on the application of multiple layers of a carbon compound onto steel. A DLC coating that is applied correctly using the appropriate technology does not crack and is not prone to wear. Indeed, its high resistance to wear and corrosion are its principal features and the reason why it has been used in engines and industrial metal-cutting tools for years, long before it was applied in the watchmaking sector. At Unity we’re clear about using it, and to ensure the black color of our automatic all black watches stays black, we apply the DLC coating in Switzerland with our supplier Lac Labo technologies.

Depending on the base metal finish, polished or matte steel, the black coating will turn out shiny or matte. DLC coating is barely 2 or 3 microns thick, so it accurately “reproduces” the finish and whatever imperfections are present in the base metal. That’s why, in order to achieve a perfect black finish for our All Black watches, it’s necessary to carry out the following processes before applying the DLC coating: first, a preliminary polish to eliminate imperfections from the machining process; each piece then undergoes a matte process that consists of an extremely fine, very high pressure sanding to remove the sheen produced by the polish and leave a matte surface finish; finally, the pieces are cleaned using ultrasound. From left to right: machine-finished case body, polished case body, matte case body, case body with DLC.

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