Is it possible that stainless steel watches get rust. Any experience? Thanks.
Under certain conditions, even stainless steel will rust. They include: Exposure to some noble metals (copper/silver) in a corrosive atmosphere - and why stainless must be separated from silver or silver plate in a dishwasher. Stainless steel will pit if touching silver as many DW detergents are rich in chlorine. Under some conditions, and depending on your skin chemistry, if you wear a copper bracelet on the same arm as the watch, the surface of the watch will pit. If you commonly are exposed to some kinds of welding fluxes, if you are exposed to water with high salt concentration and you do not rinse off the watch after exposure, that can pit the surface. Stainless Steel is no more than corrosion-resistant, not corrosion-proof. Most of the time under most conditions, it is fine. But not all of the time under every condition. As it happens, what affects SS the most is any kind of electrolysis due to galvanic action involving halogen salts.
Stainless steel doesn't usually rust..... However, a lot of so-called stainless steel watch cases are actually base-metal, and does.
Stainless can oxidize over time but it doesn't look much like regular rust. Depending on the exact composition of the stainless alloy in question and what other materials are in contact with it, that's more or less of an issue. In constant contact with skin oils and gentle polishing from contact with skin and clothing, watches rarely rust regardless of what they're made of, I think you have nothing to worry about. Note: for future reference, bleach is absolute hell on stainless. It's bad enough on steel, worse on stainless. Especially because you have this idea that stainless is more or less impervious, when in reality it just isn't.
Stainless Steel comes in many different grades, a prime example is to see if a magnet sticks to it if so it has a high iron content as the grade of the stainless increases its magnetic ,iron properties decrease have you ever left a stainless knife, fork, spoon in a kitchen sink for a few days it will show evidence of rusting most jewelery is low grade stainless as it does not need to to be suitable for medical grade or marine grade quality under normal conditions wearing your stainless steel watch will not make it rust however if you were to leave that watch in contact with another metal and they are wet then yes it will rust as it will create a chemical reaction.
