Abstract: A protective coating for a copper alloy substrate includes a layer of a transition metal, referred to as primer layer, and a corrosion protection layer formed by at least one portion of the primer layer. The primer layer includes the transition metal combined with an oxidized transition metal. A process for depositing the protective coating is by physical vapor deposition (PVD) technology. The substrate is positioned in a chamber, with a target made of a transition metal, the chamber being supplied with various gases. The substrate is dehumidified and descaled. A thin primer layer of transition metal is deposited on substrate and bombarded with a mixture of argon ions and oxygen ions. A corrosion protection layer is formed by oxidizing the transition metal of the primer layer.