Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date crafted in Everose gold featuring a President bracelet.
Everose Gold
These are all intricate topics, and we will touch on them briefly. We highlight this because high-end watchmaking has recently gained attention regarding its investment potential. Specifically, certain types of watches may serve as alternative investment assets. To clarify, we have consistently advised caution here, but we recognize the reality that many of you, valued readers, are curious about watches’ ability to not just preserve value but to increase it.
A few years back, before we felt bold enough to discuss the trend of watch investments, we alluded to the potentially murky world it could lead to. This was addressed in an Editor’s Note titled Watches as Currency, with watches made from precious metals epitomizing this notion. If gold, particularly, is akin to currency, donning watches made from this material could indeed feel like having cash on your wrist. Perhaps just a digital readout showing the watch’s value? You might ask if this would attract thieves? Welcome to the realm of those who showcase all-gold watches; Singapore could be the safest place to do so.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date in Everose gold with President bracelet.
Conversely, the watch-buying community is well aware that the most significant bargains on the secondary market are precious metal cased timepieces. This encompasses all precious metals, not solely gold. Frankly, these watches tend to depreciate the most, even those from the most prestigious Swiss watchmakers. The reasoning behind this is complicated, especially in contrast to the soaring values of steel watches; however, specialists (including us) hypothesize that the retail prices of precious metals have historically been too inflated. This issue is even more pronounced when a brand offers a model in both precious and non-precious metal variants.
Hublot Square Bang Unico Ceramic Magic Gold.
Magic Gold
In 2012, Hublot showcased its material innovation prowess with the introduction of Magic Gold. While the brand had been recognized for its progressive approach to materials prior, its reputation was primarily linked to synthetic substances. Hublot also offers a proprietary gold alloy named King Gold, distinguished by its reddish hue from an elevated copper blend, but this achievement was overshadowed by Magic Gold’s emergence—a composite metal matrix (MMC) that we briefly discussed in the Summer. Although several watch brands are experimenting with MMCs, we focus on Magic Gold as it is likely the most recognized material in watch cases and continues to be integral to the collection – Cerachrom and Ceragold are different stories altogether.
At its launch, Magic Gold promised a revolutionary breakthrough as a scratch-resistant gold alloy. It’s common knowledge that gold is a soft and dense metal prone to scratching while steel, though harder, is also easily scratched, as frequent in watch enthusiast conversations. Hublot aimed to develop a material that met the criteria of 18k gold (as most gold watch cases do) while exhibiting scratch resistance unheard of in metal alloys. To accomplish this, they incorporated ceramic (either in continuous strands or as particulates) into a gold matrix. This was unprecedented in watchmaking, leading Hublot to collaborate with materials science experts at the EPFL in Lausanne. While the brand possesses its own research and development facility, conducting fundamental research independently is often impractical.
The materials experts began by selecting their input materials, which included 24k gold, aluminum, and boron carbide—a ceramic recognized as the third hardest substance known. The proportions utilized were 75 percent gold, 3 percent aluminum, and 22 percent boron carbide. Initially, boron carbide powder is compacted into a desired shape and subsequently sintered to create a porous solid. Then, pure molten 24k gold is introduced into these pores under 200 bars of pressure, with Hublot likening this to forcing water into a room full of footballs (EuropaStar, 2011). This metaphor clarifies that the ceramic serves as a matrix holding the gold, not the opposite, aligning perfectly with the concept of Magic Gold as an MMC. The result is that Magic Gold is harder and more scratch-resistant than traditional gold alloys while retaining the luxurious aesthetic and characteristics of gold. Just how tough is it? Apparently, only diamond tools can inflict damage on Magic Gold.
To manufacture Magic Gold, CNC machines outfitted with ultrasonic cutters and diamond-tipped tools had to be specifically ordered from Germany. Our previous update on Magic Gold indicated that machining 28 bezels took three weeks, and only 30-40 complete cases could be produced monthly. This number likely hasn’t changed, as Magic Gold remains incredibly rare within Hublot’s offerings. It’s significant that this innovation continues to evolve, having endured over a decade of real-world testing. No method is flawless, so it’s possible Magic Gold could be updated in the future.
Hublot Square Bang Unico Magic Gold.
Sedna Gold
Honesty is essential regarding why watch brands with extensive industrial capabilities display their material science prowess with products that boldly highlight their expertise. Although Sedna gold was initially closely associated with Omega, which launched it in 2013, it is now also a common feature in Blancpain’s offerings. Naturally, both brands fall under the Swatch Group umbrella, and the shared use of Sedna gold represents just one indication of the synergies involved. Considering this, we will recognize Omega’s advancements with precious metals, while also acknowledging the notable work being done by Rado, Tissot, and Swatch itself in ceramics, composites, and polymer materials.
Hublot Big Bang Integrated Time Only King Gold.
All of this affirms that Swatch Group understands how to conduct fundamental research into new materials and how to industrialize those findings. In 2016, we noted that Omega was making significant strides with its anti-magnetic movements, and today we can report numerous brands within the Swatch Group have adopted similar tactics. LiquidMetal, a zirconium-based amorphous alloy utilized in ceramic bezels through high heat and pressure, was first employed by Omega but has since been adopted by Blancpain. Concerning case materials, Omega was also the first to introduce Ceragold in 2012, a blend of ceramic and gold, although it does not quite reach the standard set by Magic Gold.
While Ceragold is indeed a niche material for Omega, Sedna gold is widespread. Named after the red planetoid once regarded as the solar system’s furthest observed object, this 18k alloy is a proprietary mixture of gold, copper, and palladium. Similar to other rose gold alloys, its unique hue is attributed to the copper content. The palladium blend provides long-lasting color stability, much like platinum does in other alloys. Omega has applied Sedna gold extensively, primarily replacing conventional rose gold across all collections, while Blancpain currently limits its use to the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe line.
We must also recognize Omega’s recent explorations of other precious metal alloys ranging from Canopus gold to probably the most recognized proprietary blend, Moonshine gold. Notably, Swatch publicized the name, incorporating it into a MoonSwatch version. This is the most acknowledged brand-specific gold alloy because of Swatch’s extensive market reach—the Mission to Moonshine watch is likely among Swatch’s most favored models of 2023—and it consistently mentions Moonshine as an Omega trademark.
A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold “Lumen.”
Honey Gold
Also making a return in this updated list is the alloy released by A. Lange & Söhne in 2010. Initially appearing in the Homage to F.A. Lange limited edition trio, it’s formally designated as Honeygold; we generally list it as honey gold according to our style guide. The Glashütte manufacturer has diligently maintained a strategic approach to keep the use of honey gold minimal. It was only five years after its bold debut that A. Lange & Söhne chose to reintroduce it at Watches and Wonders 2015.
At this Hong Kong precursor to the grand Geneva exhibition, the 1815 200th Anniversary F.A. Lange was introduced as a limited edition of 200 pieces. Following this, honey gold has been incorporated into a select few releases, not all of which are connected to F. A. Lange in any way. This year’s prominent offering is the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold Lumen, which is featured prominently elsewhere in this issue. Other significant models in this proprietary gold alloy include the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater (last year), the standard Zeitwerk (2021), a second series of Homage to F.A. Lange pieces (2020), and the Langematik Perpetual (2019).
In terms of aesthetics, honey gold’s hue sits between its pink and yellow counterparts, exhibiting a notably lower saturation—it’s paler yet redder than yellow gold and closely resembles honey (not surprising). This alloy’s color results from its increased copper content compared to regular yellow gold, alongside the addition of zinc; naturally, this remains an 18k alloy, meaning the other 25 percent of the alloy comprises non-gold elements.
A. Lange & Söhne did not create honey gold purely for its appearance; aesthetic motive was not the primary concern. Instead, the company’s objective was to develop a gold alloy that offered improved scratch resistance for its cases. With a hardness of 320 Vickers, honey gold is roughly double the hardness of standard 18k yellow gold, which typically ranges between 150 and 160 Vickers. The outcome is a more robust watch case that is less susceptible to scratches and dings.
Despite its enhanced hardness, honey gold is not necessarily more challenging to work with. Any machinery adept at processing steel cases, which are harder, can easily handle honey gold; A. Lange & Söhne primarily does not manufacture cases in any case. However, when applied to movement components, it can pose challenges to artisans. The Homage to F.A. Lange models feature balance cocks crafted from honey gold instead of the more common German silver. Consequently, hand-engraving these pieces with the brand’s signature floral motif demands more effort and time, necessitating the use of specialized tools with hard blades.
IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar; Opposite: IWC Portugieser Hand-Wound Tourbillon Day & Night.
Armour Gold
A recent entrant to the collection of proprietary gold alloys, Armour Gold represents IWC’s initial venture into precious metals, though the brand has a history of innovation in materials. Like many of the brands mentioned, IWC gained recognition for using ceramics for its cases, establishing a familiarity with durable yet visually appealing materials in their new releases. Therefore, Armour Gold aligns seamlessly with IWC’s long-standing focus on creating watches designed for professionals.
In discussions with IWC professionals in Geneva, we briefly discussed Armour Gold’s significance. They expressed that its functional advantages were paramount, despite aesthetics being a significant aspect. Indeed, Armour Gold genuinely lives up to its moniker; every alloy mentioned here offers some functional uniqueness, even though we have conducted no independent testing. IWC introduced Armour Gold rather quietly in 2019; many journalists were astonished that it wasn’t a new development for this year.
For IWC, the primary characteristics of Armour Gold are its enduring resistance to wear, and the company would not have launched it merely for its aesthetic appeal. When the material debuted in the Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition Le Petit Prince, it was noted as the brand’s first experiment with “hard gold.” This particular gold is approximately five to ten times more resistant to wear compared to standard red gold, implying better scratch resistance than conventional gold alloys. In a separate press release related to a watch featuring Armour Gold, IWC indicated that this level of durability and hardness arises from an “enhanced microstructure,” although the specific details remain unclear.
Currently, IWC offers only nine models in Armour Gold, including three new editions released this year (Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44 with black or white dial and Portugieser Hand-Wound Tourbillon Day & Night).
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