What's more exclusive than yellow, white or rose gold? A gold alloy available from a single brand. Discover six watches made from unique gold alloys from the WatchTime archives.
Lime Gold (Montblanc)
Montblanc focuses on its own gold color, which has green highlights and is therefore called โLime Goldโ. This alloy debuted this year in the 1858 Split Second Chronograph, featuring green numerals and hands, as well as a green alligator nubuck strap to match the case. This color combination fits perfectly with the retro aesthetic of this 44mm split-seconds chronograph. Caliber MB M 16.31, manual winding, limited to 18 copies, โฌ50,000.
Sedna Gold (Blancpain)
Described as an extra-durable alloy of gold, copper and palladium (rather than silver), Sedna gold is exclusive to the Swatch Group, parent company of Blancpain. It is familiar to fans of another brand of the group, Omega, which has used it on several models, including the Seamaster Diver 300M, since 2013. In 2020, Blancpain combined this patented material for the case and the 43 mm bezel of the Bathyscaphe, adding a deep blue dial. Caliber 1315, automatic winding, โฌ25,200.
Honeygold (A. Lange & Sรถhne)
A. Lange & Sรถhne has released limited editions in โHoneygoldโ at various intervals since 2010. Lange has registered this official name as a trademark. Lange's most recent model in Honeygold is the 1815 Thin Honeygold “Homage to FA Lange”, introduced with its two-part white enamel dial in 2020. According to Lange, the association with honey comes from the warm glow of 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 components, about which the brand does not provide any information. 38 mm, Caliber L093.1, manual winding, limited to 175 copies, โฌ34,400.
Eon Gold (Roger Dubuis)
Roger Dubuis developed his own alloy for his rose gold movements to provide them with tarnish resistance. Called โEon Goldโ, this mixture is also resistant to salt water. It will be used by the Geneva-based manufacturer for all its new watches with rose gold cases from 2021. The new double tourbillon even features a case and bezel in Eon Gold, 45% harder than conventional rose gold and therefore more wear and scratch resistant. 45 mm, waterproof to 100 meters, Geneva hallmark, limited to 8 copies, โฌ287,500.
Everose Gold (Rolex)
Rolex stands out in many ways. One of them is that the brand gives many of its technologies their own name, thus making them a brand in their own right. This is the case of the rose gold alloy called โEveroseโ, which Rolex developed itself and produces in its own foundry. As the term “Ever” suggests, Everose gold retains its color unchanged for a particularly long period of time. With the new Datejust 36, Oystersteel stainless steel and Everose gold are combined to create a stunning two-tone design, which has its own name at Rolex: Rolesor. 36 mm, Caliber 3235, automatic winding, โฌ11,250.
Magic Gold (Hublot)
Although some gold alloys are harder than others, gold is inherently soft and can never be truly scratch resistant โ unless the alloy contains 25% ceramic. Hublot has patented this combination, which requires a unique manufacturing method, under the name โMagic Goldโ. It gives an almost invulnerable surface to watches like the Big Bang MP-11 Magic Gold. Although the surface is polished, the material has a matte, high-tech appearance that differs significantly from the appearance of pure metal-based gold alloys. 45 mm, Caliber HUB9011, manual winding, limited to 50 pieces, โฌ89,500.
This article originally appeared in the WatchTime 2022 Special Design Issue, on sale now.
SRQ Backlot