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 gives a surface five times as hard as stainless steel. 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 only |
| Weight | Light | Light |
An alloy and a treatment are different things
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. The two are not mutually exclusive, either: a Grade 5 case can be hardened too.
How they compare in the catalog
| In the catalog | Super Titanium / hardened | Grade 5 |
|---|---|---|
| References | 229 (12%) | 614 (31%) |
| Brands using it | 12 | 173 |
| Median price | $1,184 | $7,869 |
| Median case size | 40 mm | 42 mm |
| References with a published weight | 133 | 139 |
Two things here run against the assumption that hardened titanium is the premium option. It is the cheaper of the two, a median of $1,184 against $7,869, and it comes from far fewer makers: 12 brands against 173.
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 many brands, while Super Titanium is proprietary to Citizen, which 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)
RolexYacht-Master 42 (RLX Titanium)
PaneraiSubmersible GMT Luna Rossa Titanio 42mm
OmegaSeamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep 6000M (Titanium)Sources
Counts, medians and shares from the catalog are computed by the guide itself, as its methodology describes. The material properties, maker statements and dates on this page were checked against these sources.
- Citizen, Super Titanium technology
- NeoNickel, Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5 Titanium): properties
- Titanium Field Guide, Methodology
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 gives Super Titanium a surface five times as hard as stainless steel, so a hardened surface resists everyday scratches better than a bare Grade 5 case. Seiko and Grand Seiko use their own proprietary name, High-Intensity Titanium, for a titanium they promote as harder than ordinary titanium.