Super Titanium vs Grade 5 Titanium
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These two get mixed up a lot, and the reason is that they are not the same kind of thing. Grade 5 is a titanium alloy; Super Titanium is Citizen's surface-hardened titanium. Here is how a hardened titanium compares with a bare alloy.
The short version
Grade 5 is a harder bulk alloy, but its surface is still bare metal. Super Titanium is Citizen's titanium hardened at the surface with its Duratect process, which Citizen states is around five times harder than untreated titanium. For pure scratch resistance a hardened surface like Super Titanium beats a bare Grade 5 case; Grade 5, in return, is a known, disclosed alloy available across many brands.
| Property | Grade 5 | Super Titanium |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) | Citizen brand for surface-hardened titanium |
| Hardening | None; harder than pure titanium but bare | Duratect surface hardening |
| Scratch resistance | Moderate to good, surface is bare metal | High, hardened surface |
| Grade disclosed | Yes, Ti-6Al-4V | Often not; the base grade is proprietary |
| Availability | Many brands | Citizen (Seiko and GS: High-Intensity Titanium) |
| Weight | Light | Light |
An alloy and a treatment are different things
This is the heart of the comparison. A grade describes the metal itself; a treatment changes only its surface. Grade 5 tells you the bulk composition and strength. Super Titanium tells you the surface has been hardened, without necessarily telling you the base grade. You can even have a hardened Grade 5, which is why the two are not mutually exclusive.
Scratch resistance and what you give up
For sheer resistance to everyday marks, a hardened surface wins, so Super Titanium and other hardened titaniums outperform a bare Grade 5 case. The trade-off is transparency and choice: Grade 5 is a standardized alloy sold by countless brands, while Super Titanium is proprietary to Citizen and usually does not publish the underlying grade.
CitizenThe Citizen A060 Super Titanium (Washi Dial)SeikoProspex "Cave Diver" Shogun Titanium (SPB349)SinnT2 EZM 15 (Titanium)TAG HeuerMonaco Split-Seconds Chronograph TH-Titanium
ZelosBlacktip 200m Titanium
StraumJan Mayen Titanium
FormexAria Manufacture Chronometer (Titanium)RolexYacht-Master 42 (RLX Titanium)Montblanc1858 Geosphere 42mm Titanium (strap)PaneraiSubmersible GMT Luna Rossa Titanio 42mmOmegaSeamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep 6000M (Titanium)Frequently asked questions
Is Super Titanium the same as Grade 5?
No. Grade 5 is a titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V); Super Titanium is Citizen's surface-hardened titanium, a treatment brand rather than a grade. The base metal underneath is often not disclosed as a specific grade.
Is Super Titanium more scratch resistant than Grade 5?
Yes, at the surface. Citizen states its Duratect hardening makes Super Titanium around five times harder than untreated titanium, so a hardened surface resists everyday scratches better than a bare Grade 5 case. Seiko and Grand Seiko call their equivalent High-Intensity Titanium.