The Power of Platinum: Six Watches That Make the Most of This Magic Metal
A Spotlight on Platinum Watches
Platinum is an unusual metal, as it doesn’t tarnish, nor does it wear out as gold tends to. While it is more ductile than other precious metals, it is also less malleable, making it harder to work with. In watchmaking, it is usually used in 95-percent or higher purity, as then full advantage can be taken of its unique characteristics. Its white hue has a softness to it, which gives it a certain understatement, while its heft, as it is about one-third heavier than 18k gold, underscores that it is special. In watchmaking, brands often reserve this metal for only their most exclusive models, taking full advantage of the unique characteristics that platinum has to offer.
VACHERON CONSTANTIN PATRIMONY RETROGRADE DAY-DATE
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It has become a tradition to combine platinum watches with either a blue or salmon color, and this Vacheron Constantin gives a master class on why. The sunburst satin-finished dial in a salmon color underscores the precious nature of the metal without overtaking it. The blue details, as well as the strap, give an almost playful accent without becoming whimsical. This results in a very lively yet understated watch featuring both a retrograde day as well as a date function. Inside this Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date ticks Vacheron Constantin Caliber 2460 R31R7/3, which is certified with a Geneva Seal and visible through the sapphire insert in the caseback.
Price: $62,000
BREGUET MARINE ÉQUATION MARCHANTE
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The 5887 is unique in that it displays the running equation of time (the time according to the current position of the sun, by which the length of a day can vary by −16 to +14 minutes) at a glance using a “running” (marchante) central hand on the dial rather than on a subdial that shows the minutes to be added or subtracted to the current civil time. It even displays the cam that controls the equation-of-time function — alongside a tourbillon and a perpetual calendar. The latest version of the model combines a 43.9-mm platinum case with a black “wave” guilloché dial, “evoking the image of an ocean cradled by the silvery glow of the Moon.”
Price: $270,000
JAEGER-LECOULTRE DUOMÈTRE CHRONOGRAPH MOON
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Another watch that combines a platinum case with the beautiful hue of a salmon-colored dial is the Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre Chronograph Moon. Blue details add further to this watch’s charisma, as does its complex movement, which combines twin barrels and two gear trains to power a foudroyante chronograph, day/night, and moon-phase indicator, as well as, of course, the time. Two hands above the openings in the dial show the power reserve of each of the barrels. At 42.5 mm, this is not a small watch, but when you see the back side, it becomes clear that all that space is needed to house the beautifully finished Caliber 391.
Price: $86,000
ROLEX COSMOGRAPH DAYTONA
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For the platinum version of the legendary Cosmograph Daytona, Rolex played with colors in a subtle way. While ice-blue dials are a tradition for the brand to use in its platinum-cased watches, the chestnut brown details make a subtle difference. Not only does the outline of the chronograph counters have this color, but so does the Cerachrom bezel with a tachymeter scale. As the bracelet is also made from platinum, the watch has quite a bit of heft. It is powered by Rolex Caliber 4131 featuring the brand’s hallmark blue Parachrom hairspring and high-performance Paraflex shock absorbers, which are visible through the sapphire insert in the caseback.
Price: $77,800
OMEGA CONSTELLATION GLOBEMASTER
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This Omega Constellation Globemaster is the perfect example of pure understatement. Its sophisticated movement not only features the brand’s signature co-axial escapement but is also equipped with an annual calendar complication and certified by METAS as a Master Chronometer. The months are written in an elegant font between the hour markers, with its green hue coming back in the alligator strap. The 41-mm-large case is crafted from platinum, where its brushed finish not only puts more focus on the polished fluted bezel but also adds to the overall refinement of this Omega.
Price: $53,000
PURNELL ESCAPE II
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With its two high-speed triple-axis tourbillons, the Purnell Escape II is a true horological delicacy. The movement design is a collaboration with well-known master watchmaker Eric Coudray, whose passion for complex tourbillons is only surpassed by his skill in creating them. The intricate dance of the two triple-axis tourbillons can be admired from every angle, as the unique platinum case is set with several sapphire segments. Even the dial displaying the hours and minutes is in sapphire, allowing you to admire the mainspring barrels underneath. As the triple-axis tourbillons are quite power-hungry, there are actually four mainspring barrels, with the current power reserve shown by the small arrow-shaped hand at 9 o’clock.
Price: On request
This article was originally published in the January / February 2025 issue. To subscribe to the print edition of WatchTime Magazine, click here.
