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.
How they compare in the catalog
| In the catalog | Super Titanium / hardened | Grade 5 |
|---|---|---|
| References | 221 (14%) | 426 (27%) |
| Brands using it | 12 | 163 |
| Median price | $1,174 | $6,305 |
| Median case size | 40 mm | 41 mm |
| References with a published weight | 127 | 121 |
Two things here run against the assumption that hardened titanium is the premium option. It is the cheaper of the two, a median of $1,174 against $6,305, and it comes from far fewer makers: 12 brands against 163.
Both facts have the same cause. Surface hardening is concentrated in high-volume Japanese production, where Citizen and Seiko harden titanium as a matter of course across affordable ranges, while Grade 5 spans the whole market including the sport-luxury end that pulls its median up. The most scratch-resistant titanium you can buy is generally not the expensive titanium.
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.
Grand SeikoHeritage "Snowflake"
CitizenThe Citizen A060 Super Titanium (Washi Dial)
SeikoProspex Shogun SPB189
ZelosBlacktip 200m Titanium
RZEFortitude GMT
CasioMR-G MRG-B2000 Kurogane-iro
TudorPelagos FXD GMT
StraumJan Mayen Titanium
FormexAria Manufacture Chronometer (Titanium)
PaneraiLuminor Marina Titanio 44mm
OmegaSeamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep 6000M (Titanium)
IWCPilot's Watch Performance Chronograph 41 AMG (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.