One of a Kind: Six Watches Made From Proprietary Gold Alloys
What’s even more exclusive than yellow, white or rose gold? A gold alloy that’s only available from a single brand. Here are six watches made of unique gold alloys from the WatchTime Archives.
Lime Gold (Montblanc)
Montblanc relies on its own gold color, which has a green shimmer and is therefore named “Lime Gold.” It debuted this year in the 1858 Split Second Chronograph, which comes with green numerals and hands and a green nubuck alligator leather strap to match the case. The color combination goes well with the retro look of this 44-mm split-seconds chronograph. 44 mm, Caliber MB M 16.31, manual winding, limited to 18 pieces, $50,000.
Sedna Gold (Blancpain)
Described as an extra-durable alloy of gold, copper, and palladium (rather than silver), Sedna gold is proprietary to the Swatch Group, Blancpain’s parent company, and familiar to fans of another brand within the group, Omega, which has been using it on several models, including the Seamaster Diver 300M, since 2013. In 2020, Blancpain combined the patented material for the 43-mm case and bezel of the Bathyscaphe, adding a deep blue dial. 43 mm, Caliber 1315, automatic winding, $25,200.
Honeygold (A. Lange & Söhne)
A. Lange & Söhne has released limited edition models in “Honeygold” at varied intervals since 2010. Lange registered this official name as a trademark. Lange’s most recent model in Honeygold is the 1815 Thin Honeygold “Homage to F. A. Lange,” which was introduced with its two-part white enamel dial in 2020. According to Lange, the association with honey came from the warm luster of the alloy, which is also harder than conventional gold alloys. The material derives its properties from a special heat treatment as well as from the alloy’s components, about which the brand provides no information. 38 mm, Caliber L093.1, manual winding, limited to 175 pieces, $34,400.
Eon Gold (Roger Dubuis)
Roger Dubuis developed its own alloy for its movements in rose gold to provide them with resistance against tarnishing. Called “Eon Gold,” the blend also withstands saltwater. It will be used by the Geneva-based manufacture for all its new watches with rose-gold cases beginning in 2021. The new double tourbillon even features a case and bezel made of Eon Gold, which is 45 percent harder than conventional rose gold and therefore more resistant to wear and scratches. 45 mm, water resistant to 100 meters, hallmark of Geneva, limited to 8 pieces, $287,500.
Everose Gold (Rolex)
Rolex is different in many ways. One of them is that the brand gives many of its technologies their own name, thereby making them a brand as well. This also applies to the rose-gold alloy called “Everose,” which Rolex developed itself and produces in its own gold foundry. As the “Ever” implies, Everose Gold retains its color unchanged for a particularly long time. With the new Datejust 36, stainless-steel Oystersteel and Everose gold are combined to create a handsome bicolor design, which has its own name at Rolex: Rolesor. 36 mm, Caliber 3235, automatic, $11,250.
Magic Gold (Hublot)
Even if some gold alloys are harder than others, gold is inherently soft and can never be really scratch resistant — unless the alloy consists of 25 percent ceramic. Hublot has patented this combination, which requires a unique manufacturing method, as “Magic Gold.” This gives a nearly invulnerable surface to watches like the Big Bang MP-11 Magic Gold. Although the surface is polished, the material has a matte, high-tech look that differs noticeably from the appearance of purely metal-based gold alloys. 45 mm, Caliber HUB9011, manual winding, limited to 50 pieces, $89,500.
This article originally appeared in the WatchTime Special Design Issue 2022, on sale now.
