Staybrite

Staybrite is a trademark that has meant quality in stainless steels for over 80 years. The name goes back to the beginning of corrosion resistant stainless steel. The name first became well-known with the development of the Staybrite 18/8, the most popular chromium-nickel steel 1.4301. In Switzerland, Staybrite quickly became a synonym for quality steel in the watch industry. The Staybrite DDQ, 12% chrome, 12% nickel alloy, had an exceptional deep-drawing quality that allowed it to be easily formed. In today's "Callwey's Watch Lexicon", the somewhat misleading explanation of Staybrite says: "English term for a corrosion resistand steel alloy containing 18% chrome, 8% nickel, and 0.2% carbon, that can be beautifully polished and is used for watch cases." Staybrite is used even today as a quality stainless steel for Swiss watch cases. We have assisted in its further development, during the 1960’s. 1.4301 was used in  the watch industry, during the ‘70s. The Swiss watch industry selected the Staybrite 1.4435 as its standard . However, this  is now being replaced by the pure Swiss stainless steel Staybrite 1.4435NCu. This new grade  has excellent polishing properties. It is the only patented Swiss stainless steel to be used exclusively in the watch industry. Ask your jeweller whether your watch was created from Staybrite grade steel. We only deliver the steel with certificates and only if it says Staybrite, is it Staybrite.

The brand name Staybrite has belonged to Firth AG since 1954 as predecessor of Hempel Special Metals AG in Dübendorf. Firth AG was founded in 1919 under the name Firth Steel Sales AG in Switzerland as a subsidiary of Firth Brown. Firth Brown later was purchased by British Steel who in turn sold the firm to the F.W.Hempel & Co. Group in 1979.

The brand name Staybrite is registered and protected in several countries today:


Switzerland
France
Great Britain
Japan
China
Hong Kong

The 1.4435NCu was patented in Switzerland in 2004 and also in the rest of Europe since 2006. Additional countries in Asia are in the registration phase.

Would you like to learn more about the story behind our stainless steels?
„1913 – 1988; 75 years of Stainless Steel“  (PDF   4259 Kb)

By the way, in 1988 (20 years ago) we had a production volume of 10 million tons worldwide. In 2007, circa 27.5 million tons will be produced; a growth market indeed!

... or some interesting facts about the Staybrite developments in the Swiss watch industry:
„The Metallurgical Evolution of Staybrite Alloys for Watch Case Applications“ (PDF  1343 Kb)

VOX – summer 2006, Seite 94ff