The Power Of Platinum

Among all the metals used in watchmaking, platinum is among the rarest. Even the top brands often only craft very limited numbers of their platinum cased watches, which is part of the answer why they sell at a significant premium when compared to the same watch in 18 karat gold. There was a time when this higher price could also be explained by the more expensive price of platinum itself, but that has for a while not been the case anymore. However, processing platinum, as well as finishing it, requires special craftsmanship, because it is very dense, malleable and ductile. With the few watches made the investment in this cannot be spread out over so many pieces.

Compared to white gold it has a subtle different hue, with the added advantage that it rarely tarnishes. A lot of people love platinum because it gives their watches quite some heft. This especially becomes clear when you craft sports watches from them as Rolex did with the Daytona. This is part of the appeal of the precious metal as it confirms to people who have it on the wrist that they are wearing something special.

Because platinum is such a precious metal and often placed above gold in the luxury tiers, many brands also use it for their minute repeaters. However, it is not ideal to do so, as other materials, such as titanium and steel result in a much clearer and louder sound.

Traditionally a lot of brands use blue in connection to their platinum models. Especially in the 1990’s many of the platinum models where introduced with a blue strap. Because of the understated look of this metal, it goes very well together. Also, it is almost like a secret code for people in-the-know confirming that you are wearing something very precious and special.