When Conventional Gold Isn’t Good Enough

Gold has at all times been a illustration of prosperity, grandeur, and divinity. It’s additionally lengthy been related to knowledge and is, after all, a logo of accomplishment in sports activities or lecturers. It could additionally confer with a peak interval in time or as soon as life in cultural references such because the golden age or golden period. In watchmaking, it’s typically reserved for probably the most prized watches and identified for its heft, shine and aura of luxurious. However what for those who’re not content material with “easy” white, yellow or rose gold? What if you’d like a bit bit extra, I don’t know, pazazz? As luck would have it, increasingly producers are weighing in on the subject with particular alloys that supply a distinct tone or perhaps a larger resistance to shocks or scratches. With that in thoughts, let’s have a look at a number of the best and particular golds out there!

A. Lange & Söhne Tourbograph perpetual – honeygold

Let’s get straight into probably the most complicated piece of this checklist, and one which’s housed in one thing known as Honeygold: the A. Lange & Söhne Tourbograph Perpetual. This beautiful 50-piece restricted version showcases the model’s experience in chronograph watchmaking, in addition to including in a tourbillon escapement, fusée-and-chain mechanism and a perpetual calendar show with a moonphase. The 684 components that make up the motion are housed in a surprising 43mm by 16.6mm Honeygold case, an alloy that has a color similar to honey (therefore the title). Additionally it is more durable than typical gold alloys, which suggests it’s more durable to machine and end, therefore the rationale it’s reserved for A. Lange & Söhne’s most unique items.

For extra info, please go to ALange-Soehne.com.

Fast Info – 43mm x 16.6mm – 18k Honeygold case, polished – pushers for chronograph & rattrapante perform – sapphire crystal entrance & again – 18k Honeygold base dial, relief-engraved – black-rhodium plated – 18k gold fingers – Lange Calibre L133.1, in-house – manual-winding – 684 components – 21,600vph – 36h energy reserve – fusée-and-chain transmission – split-seconds chronograph – tourbillon escapement – perpetual calendar with moonphase – hand-stitched leather-based strap with 18k Honeygold buckle – restricted version of fifty items (offered out) – EUR 500,000 (when introduced in 2020)

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak perpetual calendar Selfwinding – Sand Gold

Subsequent up is the latest addition to the long-running and iconic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak lineage, the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Selfwinding 26674SG. This mannequin makes use of the model’s distinctive 18k Sand Gold alloy for the case, dial and bracelet, which mixes strong gold with copper and palladium. The fabric was launched final yr and has a novel champagne-like color to it. Aside from the distinction in tone, it has the properties of gold alloys usually used within the trade. However, the exceptionally refined tone provides a discreet gold tone (and a few correct heft) to at least one’s wrist! This latest APRO additionally gave us an improved and extra sensible QP motion, the place all the pieces is adjusted via the crown as an alternative of via a collection of correctors. The worth is about at CHF 130,000.

For extra info, please go to AudemarsPiguet.com.

Fast Info – 41mm x 9.5mm – 18k Sand Gold case, brushed & polished – octagonal Sand Gold bezel – sapphire crystal entrance & again – sand gold tone dial with Grande Tapisserie sample – full QP show – 18k white gold fingers – Calibre 7138, in-house – ultra-thin computerized – 422 components – 28,800vph – 55h energy reserve – hours, minutes, perpetual calendar with week, day, date, month, bissextile year and astronomical moonphase – built-in Sand Gold bracelet with folding clasp – CHF 130,000

Omega speedmaster calibre 321 – canopus gold

A watch as legendary because the Speedmaster deserves not solely a correct motion but in addition a correct contact of excellence on the skin. And with the Speedmaster Calibre 321 in 18k Canopus Gold, Omega definitely delivers in each facets! The proprietary alloy is fabricated from 75% gold, 20% palladium and 5% rhodium and platinum, which leads to a cloth that’s extra immune to put on and fading. Just about all exterior components are machined out of this particular materials, which additionally occurs to have a whiter brilliance than common white gold. Inside, the faithfully recreated Calibre 321 is given a Sedna-gold-plated end for a contact of distinction. The Omega Speedmaster 321 in Canopus Gold retails for EUR 80,000.

For extra info, please go to OmegaWatches.com.

Fast Info – 38.6mm x 13.9mm – 18k Canopus (White) Gold, brushed & polished – domed sapphire crystal, sapphire crystal caseback – 18k Canopus Gold bezel with tachymeter scale – black onyx step dial – 18k white gold fingers – recessed subdials – Omega Calibre 321, in-house – historic copy – Senda gold-plated end – hand-wound column-wheel chronograph – horizontal clutch – 18,000vph – 55h energy reserve – hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph – flat-link Canopus Gold bracelet with folding clasp – safety push-buttons & consolation launch adjustment system – EUR 80,000

IWC portugieser hand-wound tourbillon day & evening – armor gold

Subsequent up is IWC Shaffhausen’s Armor Gold, within the form of the reasonably splendid Portugieser Hand-Wound Tourbillon Day & Evening. The fantastic thing about Armor Gold, a particular alloy developed by IWC themselves, is that it retains the lustre of standard 5N gold but has an improved microstructure that makes it extra wear-resistant. It may be present in quite a few watches, starting from a number of Massive Pilot fashions to this stunner within the Portugieser assortment. The black obsidian dial reveals a flying tourbillon escapement and a spherical day/evening indicator, with gold-plated leaf-shaped fingers to inform time. Fitted to a black leather-based strap made by Santoni, it retails for CHF 105,000.

For extra info, please go to IWC.com.

Fast Info – 42.4mm x 10.8mm – 18k Armor Gold case, brushed & polished – sapphire crystal entrance & again – obsidian black lacquered dial – utilized gold numerals – gold-plated leaf-shaped fingers – uncovered flying tourbillon escapement – globe-shaped revolving day/evening indicator – IWC Calibre 81925, in-house – hand-wound – 28,800vph – 84h energy reserve – silicon pallet lever & escape wheel coated in Diamond Shell expertise – black Santoni leather-based strap with 19k Armor Gold folding clasp – CHF 80,000

hublot large bang unico – magic gold

Final up is maybe probably the most resilient gold available on the market, Magic Gold by Hublot. This progressive materials is a hybrid of gold and ceramic powder and was first launched in 2015. Boron nitride is compressed in a mould and subjected to intense warmth, making a ceramic with a porous construction. Liquid 24k gold is then injected underneath excessive strain, giving the composite materials an 18k purity stage and much superior properties on the subject of scratches and dings. The color can also be fairly distinctive, as showcased by this Massive Bang Unico chronograph. The muted yellow-greyish case is offset with black components throughout and an openworked motion. It retails for EUR 40,600.

For extra info, please go to Hublot.com.

Fast Info – 42mm x 14.55mm – 18k Magic Gold case, polished – black lateral protectors, screws and inserts – sapphire crystal entrance & again – openworked dial with utilized rose gold markers & fingers – openworked subdials – Calibre HUB1280, in-house – computerized winding – flyback chronograph with column wheel – 354 elements – 28,800vph – 72h energy reserve – built-in black rubber strap with black ceramic and black titanium folding buckle – restricted version of 200 items – EUR 40,600