Jony Ive’s new interview with The Financial Times is packed with nerdy details on the Apple Watch and the designer’s life. Slipped in among the juicy design bits, Sir Jonathan also hints that Apple invented an entirely new form of gold just for the timepiece.
“The molecules in Apple gold are closer together, making it twice as hard as standard gold,” Ive says.
Wait. Gold is a metal. Does Apple’s design studio exist in another dimension?
As pointed out by Ars Technica, Ive’s statement actually isn’t crazy at all.
Ive and the design team are obsessed with the materials that go into Apple products, and the gold composite they might be using in the the Apple Watch Edition could be its most innovative feature. Apple was granted a patent in December 2014 for creating a “method and apparatus for forming a gold metal matrix composite.” Ars notes that metal matrix composites allow manufacturers to create complex components, similar to 3-D printing. Apple could be using this approach to make its special gold.
It’s unclear if Apple is actually using this patent for the Apple Watch’s gold. Apple files patents on anything it thinks is patentable, however, Apple hinted at the watch being made of gold hardened in a novel compression process during its keynote, but we didn’t know it would be twice as hard as normal 18-karat gold. The patent says the process could yield gold that’s up to four times harder.
Whether the public will recognize the extra value in Apple’s gold is yet to be seen. Pricing details for the high-end Apple Watch Edition are expected to be announced at Apple’s upcoming “Spring Forward” event next Monday. Rumors suggest prices could start anywhere from $4,500 to $10,000.
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
19 responses to “Apple have devised a new kind of gold for Apple Watch”
it’s = it is. “To make it is special gold?” Use “its”.
Grammarnazi, out.
It’s Liquid Metal Gold.
Well, maybe.
Garbage
such an insightful post. a gift to us all…thank you, thank you, thank you.
I am getting the sports edition simple and nice
‘gold’ with the hardness of, perhaps, tungsten?
It’s actually made from lead. Jon Ivey found the Philosopher’s Stone. Must have gone to school with “He who shall not be named” (Bill Gates)
I’m surprise more people are not offended at the price point of this luxury watch, most of all the people with the means to buy it. The only difference between the gold and the sport watch is the material it is made out of, externally they look the same and internally they both do exactly the same thing.
With most everything else luxury branded you are paying for quality in materials and design, craftsmanship and features. You get that with the Sport watch, the only benefit of the gold Apple watch comes down to the color and how stupid you are with your money.
I would understand if it had a unique design or features over is cheaper counterparts but the Gold Apple Watch is essentially a knockoff of itself.
Luxury watch makers that make the same watch in a variety of case materials charge accordingly. It’s part of the gig so to speak. you want stainless steel, it’s cheaper than Gold or Platinum or whatever other case materials they use. Welcome to world of luxury jewelry. People that have enough money to drop $5 to $10K on a watch don’t care if it’s more expensive, they are buying the more expensive watch for several reasons.
1. Exclusivity
2. It’s freaking GOLD
3. It’s more of a watch you would wear in more formal settings. Imagine someone dressed in a several thousand dollar suit wearing an aluminum watch. For these people, they wouldn’t wear aluminum or stainless steel with a high priced business suit or tuxedo. And since they have the money, they don’t mind paying more for the more expensive material, but the limited product/availability of the watch, which to them is a fashion accessory.
and the most important reason…….. BECAUSE THEY CAN.
I believe that the Swiss actually do charge a ton more solely for the material of gold. Though yes they still do have the handcrafting of non-gold versions. But as far as crazy margins just for gold? Yes, people (not me) do pay that.
nope. there is no difference between the gold submariner Rolex and the steel — only the case material. yet the price of the gold model exceeds the added materials cost. when you have that sort of money you aren’t spending it to be practical, it’s a status thing.
so get over your financial insecurity and stop spreading FUD.
There is a big difference between Rolex an established brand of handcrafted luxury watches and Apple a consumer electronics company. Rolex can fetch a 4x cost premium for material cost but doesn’t it seem a little obscene to you for Apple to expect a 10x plus increase in cost for a watch that will be obsolete in 2 years?
i am getting shy now
I can’t believe Apple are going to charge, or that any sane person is going to pay, thousands of dollars for an Apple Watch just because it’s wrapped in gold. This is not a ‘gold watch’ we are talking about here, you won’t be passing it on to your grandchildren! It’s just a piece of technology. And as such it will be out of date within a year or two when Apple releases a thinner Apple Watch 2 with more features and a better design…
When you buy a Rolex, this is not a factor. If you then buy a Cartier you are just collecting luxury timepieces and you will be able to wear them in the years to come.
NO-ONE will be able to wear an 18t gold 1st Gen Apple Watch in 10 years time, or gift it to their son as a graduation present, because it probably won’t work anymore…
People pay $3000 or more for a Super Bowl ticket, and that game only lasts three hours.
People pay tens of thousands for a bottle of wine over dinner but… hang on, aren’t we getting a little off the subject here ?
no, that’s exactly the point.
it’s just not for you. and that’s ok.
If you don’t think that’s the point, you’re missing the point.
The people who buy gold Apple watch will be the same people dropping $10k on beverages for one night. If a few thousand dollars is a lot of money for you, then you’re not the target demographic for this product. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
if you think gold luxury watch customers buy them to pass on to their kids as graduation gifts then you haven’t met enough super wealthy. hint: while that’s what you may do, it isn’t their motivation. it’s a fabulous status symbol. it’s shorter use can even be more of a dramatic point.
it isn’t for you.