In its 24 carat state, gold is too malleable to use for wristwatches, so Rolex takes the pure form and creates 18 carat alloys in their own foundry. Composed of 750 thousandths of pure gold, they introduce other elements such as copper and silver to create yellow, white and rose gold alloys to use on their timepieces. They are alloyed by fusion in a crucible at over 1000 ºC using state of the art equipment to achieve the properties that the watchmakers desires from each.
The gold alloys go through several processes before they are shaped into the individual pieces that will make up the components of the watch. The molten alloy goes through a graphite sieve and drops into a vat of water, creating small beads. The beads are melted once again and shaped into rods like the ones shown in the photo above. From there the rods go to metal workshops where they are shaped into the plates, tubes and other parts of the case and the bracelet. The parts are then polished and undergo quality control to ensure that they meet the standards of Rolex gold.
In 2005 Rolex introduced its pink gold alloy, known as Everose gold. Its unique composition is a secret of the company, giving it a warm hue that retains its color over time. This gold alloy is used on many of their popular models, like the Daytona and Day-Date. When combining a gold alloy with their 904L stainless steel alloy, they refer to the combination as “Rolesor,” a term patented by the watchmaker in 1933 and introduced in the Datejust model in 1948.
Precious metals represent the top of the line in terms of materials used for wristwatches and the attention paid to the quality of the metals, including gold alloys, is associated with the luxury of the timepiece. Rolex has taken it upon themselves to manufacture their own gold alloys, allowing them to control the purity, luster and vibrance of their gold watches. This is one of the many reasons that it remains one of the top Swiss matchmakers in the world. For more information, visit rolex.com.
