Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Apple Watch Edition
“We wanted to appeal to a wide range of personal styles, so with Apple Watch Edition
we're working with a uniquely luxurious metal: 18-karat solid gold. We're using both
yellow and rose gold, each is a custom alloy designed to be not only beautiful, but up to
twice as hard as stand gold. It begins at the molecular level, where precise adjustments in
the amount of silver, copper and palladium in the alloy result in very specific hues of
yellow and rose gold. Next we use a new hardening process developed by our
metallurgists to strengthen a metal that is naturally very soft. The molten gold is cast, not
into the shape of the watch, but into solid ingots. These ingots are then precisely milled to
remove any imperfections. They're then compressed to a fraction of their original size,
creating dense pore-free billets. Ultrasonic scanners are used to detect even the most
minute defects in the metal. From these solid billets, we machine the watch housing as well
as individual components, like the Digital Crown and the clasps for our straps. Finally,
each case is hand-polished to an immaculate sheen by highly-skilled jewellery artisans.
The result is gold that is elegant, yet uncompromisingly durable.“
Jony Ive, explaining how the Apple Watch Edition is forged from 18-karat gold.
Traditional watches are often used as fashion accessories, rather than timekeeping devices.
The sheer number of jewellery-encrusted time pieces is proof of that, as are the selection
of materials, designs and prices that accompany them. The Apple Watch Edition fits
perfectly into this crowd, with a case made entirely of 18-carat gold that has been
developed to be twice as hard as regular gold, making it more resistant to nicks and
scratches. There are two shades of gold to choose from: 18-carat yellow gold and 18-carat
rose gold, each with its own set of straps that feature hints of the same gold material.
That's not all, because the display is made from sapphire glass, which is the second hardest
transparent material after diamond. This makes it incredibly resistant to everyday wear and
tear, and keeps the Retina display underneath looking pin-sharp and beautiful. To finish off
