Metals of Honour

In developing innovative new precious metal alloys, watchmakers are working to make timepieces both tougher and more beautiful than ever

By Christian Barker

The word precious may refer to something valuable, but don’t forget it can also mean fussy, finicky and difficult. Both interpretations apply when talking about precious metals. Gold, for instance, possesses reassuring heft and, thanks to its inert nature, is hypoallergenic. But in its unadulterated form, it’s too soft and malleable to be used in jewellery or watchmaking: it can easily lose shape or be scratched or dinged. That’s why jewellers and watchmakers have long added a dash of more rigid materials to precious metals, creating alloys of vastly improved stability and strength. There’s been little innovation in the formulation of alloys over the past few hundred years. Most watchmakers contentedly use 18-karat gold, comprising about 75 per cent gold, 12.5 per cent copper and 12.5 per cent silver in…

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Tatler Hong Kong (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 2020

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