Apple Watch Edition's gold case undergoes unique hardening process, hand polishing during manufactur

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited March 2015
Following Monday's "Spring forward" event, Apple updated its website with a few expository videos relating to Apple Watch, including a clip detailing the production process each gold Apple Watch Edition unit goes through prior to sale.




Narrated by Apple SVP of Design Jony Ive, the video offers insight into an involved production process that results in one of the most expensive products Apple has ever brought to market.

Work begins at the molecular level, Ive says, with raw materials, including gold, silver, copper and palladium mixed using a specific recipe to create a custom alloy with unique 18 karat yellow and rose gold hues.

After exiting the crucible, a new hardening process thought up by Apple's metallurgists. Molten gold is cast into solid ingots, milled down to remove imperfections and compressed, which creates dense pore-free billets. Ultrasonic scanners are used weed out units that show defects.

Apple machines the hardened ingots into housings and other parts, like the Digital Crown and solid gold clasps for strap accessories. Finally, artisans hand polish each piece of metal to a lustrous sheen.

The Apple Watch Edition starts at $10,000 and tops out at $17,000 as configured through Apple's website. Preorders and in-store previews begin on April 10, with shipments to start two weeks later on April 24.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 49
    gwmacgwmac Posts: 1,807member
    Am I the only one wondering why the band isn't also gold at that price or is it?
  • Reply 2 of 49
    tyler82tyler82 Posts: 1,100member

    $17,000 for a watch that is going to be outdated in 9 months!!! 

  • Reply 3 of 49
    prokipprokip Posts: 178member
    Am not sure who will buy these. My Hong Kong friend says, every Chinese customer and his mother will buy one. They love gold !!
  • Reply 4 of 49
    tyler82tyler82 Posts: 1,100member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by prokip View Post



    Am not sure who will buy these. My Hong Kong friend says, every Chinese customer and his mother will buy one. They love gold !!



    Rich tech dorks in San Francisco, the Millennial Russian Mafia, and yes, the Chinese, because having $100,000 worth of showy merchandise  while living with 5 generations of family in a 2 bedroom apartment is how they roll!

     

    I can't even begin to think of how this is going to increase the crime rate in urban areas..

  • Reply 5 of 49
    pmzpmz Posts: 3,433member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tyler82 View Post

     

    $17,000 for a watch that is going to be outdated in 9 months!!! 




    Most $17,000 watches on the market are decades outdated. 

  • Reply 6 of 49
    It would be nice if they replaced the internal components every year. You're probably correct though... I wonder how much it would be second hand next year.
  • Reply 7 of 49
    gwmacgwmac Posts: 1,807member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Darren Mccoy View Post



    It would be nice if they replaced the internal components every year. You're probably correct though... I wonder how much it would be second hand next year.



    The style and size of the face will change. Plus that would be tedious to do. I think a much better option is to have a trade-in option for the gold watches where they give you a credit towards the purchase of a new one. They could then just melt the gold from the old ones. 

     

    Any idea how many actual grams of gold these will contain? It doesn't appear to be that much just from the photos. 

  • Reply 8 of 49
    tyler82tyler82 Posts: 1,100member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sog35 View Post

     

     

    don't judge.  People have different priorities.

     

    Many will spend $30k on a european vacation that last a few weeks.  Or a $10k bottle of wine that lasts 1 hour.




    People that actually *have* money do these things. I guess you missed my point.

  • Reply 9 of 49
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    At $10K+ a pop Apple isn't expectng many people to buy the Ediition. So I find all these discussions around who will buy it, won't the tech be outdated in a year blah blah blah to be Zzzzz. As an investor the concern should be how many stainless steel watches Apple can move.
  • Reply 10 of 49
    beltsbearbeltsbear Posts: 314member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sog35 View Post

     

     

    Apple site says the large case is 69 grams.  

     

    That comes to about 1.67 troy ounces of pure gold.  Worth about $2k just for the gold.  And people though this would sell for $2k. LOL.




    Is that using a standard calculator or one that considers Apples use of ceramic particles in the gold mix that reduces the gold content by almost half?

  • Reply 11 of 49
    tyler82tyler82 Posts: 1,100member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sog35 View Post

     

     

    You don't understand luxury.

     

    People buy $30k Gold Rolex watches that have technology that has been OUTDATED for DECADES!


     

    I understand a saying about a fool and his money.

     

    A 1965 Mustang is outdated.

     

    So is a 1993 BMW 325i. 

     

    Apples and oranges.

  • Reply 12 of 49
    wdowellwdowell Posts: 226member
    It may be 'unique' process, but it's not the only watch on the market that does clever things to the gold to have the same outcome - (making it cheaper to make and longer lasting): Hublot does it as Jon Gruber posted.
  • Reply 13 of 49
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member

    I think we are seeing class envy rearing its ugly head. To be expected I guess. Just another anti-Apple talking point.

  • Reply 14 of 49

    Hand polished with real gypsy tears, legend has it.

  • Reply 15 of 49
    magman1979magman1979 Posts: 1,292member
    tyler82 wrote: »

    Rich tech dorks in San Francisco, the Millennial Russian Mafia, and yes, the Chinese, because having $100,000 worth of showy merchandise  while living with 5 generations of family in a 2 bedroom apartment is how they roll!

    I can't even begin to think of how this is going to increase the crime rate in urban areas..
    Seriously? Are you high on crack or something? Stop trolling and GTFO, your comments are mindless ramblings that bring nothing to the discussion, except make yourself look like a moron.
  • Reply 16 of 49
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sog35 View Post

     

     

    standard.  The Apple site says the case WEIGHTS 69 grams.  


    Too bad pure gold is 18k, which is what I think the question was.  24k is pure gold.  18k is 75% gold content.  Hopefully, the other 25% is Liquidmetal.  18k gold is soft and scratches easily, the only way to make it stronger would be to add a special alloy but keep the gold lust color.  18k white gold is stronger than 18k yellow gold because of the nickle added to give it a white look.  Then white gold is rhodium finished to give it that bright white color. 

  • Reply 17 of 49
    magman1979magman1979 Posts: 1,292member
    Hand polished with real gypsy tears, legend has it.
    Wow, never thought this ?WATCH EDITION would bring out the trolls in such multitude and magnitude... I'll buy one just to piss you people off at this rate!
  • Reply 18 of 49
    tyler82tyler82 Posts: 1,100member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MagMan1979 View Post





    Seriously? Are you high on crack or something? Stop trolling and GTFO, your comments are mindless ramblings that bring nothing to the discussion, except make yourself look like a moron.



    Wow, you AI forumers sure have fragile egos. Makes it fun to poke you with a stick :D

     

    Lighten up and get a sense of humor bro, 

    I'll sell you one for 17 Gs.

  • Reply 19 of 49
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member

    .

  • Reply 20 of 49
    magman1979magman1979 Posts: 1,292member
    tyler82 wrote: »

    Wow, you AI forumers sure have fragile egos. Makes it fun to poke you with a stick :D

    Get a sense of humor bro, 
    I'll sell you one for 17 Gs.
    How about you shove your immaturity and go comment at places like 9to5Mac or, better yet, BGR, where your kind of crap is welcomed with open arms.
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