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Old 14 December 2017, 08:40 PM   #1
Passionata
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durablity of solid gold watch cases

I know it s a kind of oxymoron but still , how fragiles are the solid gold watch cases? I know scratching easily but do they break,bends much easier comparing to SS or just in theory .If you do have experience please share with me it shouldn t be just Rolex you can name any brand.
thanks
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Old 14 December 2017, 10:03 PM   #2
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I know it s a kind of oxymoron but still , how fragiles are the solid gold watch cases? I know scratching easily but do they break,bends much easier comparing to SS or just in theory .If you do have experience please share with me it shouldn t be just Rolex you can name any brand.
thanks
Gold is softer than stainless steel so it will scratch and scuff easier, but iirc gold is also the most non-reactive of all metals and doesn't react with oxygen which means it can't rust or tarnish. Of course that assumes pure gold and obviously not strictly applicable to gold alloy.

I've seen some bending on gold watches over the years with very thin lugs, but it's usually with ones that have attached lugs and not ones that are solid with the case.

In practical use, the only real difference is in propensity for acquiring surface scratches, but I don't think that in any way impacts durability.

Platinum is my choice for greatest metal density, purity, and possibly the least potential for lost metal during a proper polish.

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Old 14 December 2017, 10:16 PM   #3
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No, they don't bend or break. Anything that scratches your PM watch will also scratch your SS. No noticeable difference.
Nothing to worry using PM.
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Old 14 December 2017, 11:24 PM   #4
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Quote:
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G
In practical use, the only real difference is in propensity for acquiring surface scratches, but I don't think that in any way impacts durability.

Platinum is my choice for greatest metal density, purity, and possibly the least potential for lost metal during a proper polish.

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No, they don't bend or break. Anything that scratches your PM watch will also scratch your SS. No noticeable difference.
Nothing to worry using PM.
indeed it s interesting that HV values all three Gold/SS/Pt how similar (125/150/130)
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Old 15 December 2017, 01:51 AM   #5
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Yeah, they've pulled up gold doubloons that were submerged in saltwater for a few hundred years and they still look pretty good.

I'd say gold is sufficiently durable.

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Old 15 December 2017, 02:14 AM   #6
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A PM case is hollowed out, a substantial drop could damage the case in a way which can potentially compromise water resistance, whereas this is less likely to happen with a stainless steel case.
Yes I've seen this happen myself, a bulge appeared on the surface underneath the fluted bezel (DD), this had to be ground off to make the bezel fit properly and make the watch pass the test. The case back also didn't screw into the case as smooth as it should.
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Old 15 December 2017, 05:14 AM   #7
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A PM case is hollowed out, a substantial drop could damage the case in a way which can potentially compromise water resistance, whereas this is less likely to happen with a stainless steel case.
Yes I've seen this happen myself, a bulge appeared on the surface underneath the fluted bezel (DD), this had to be ground off to make the bezel fit properly and make the watch pass the test. The case back also didn't screw into the case as smooth as it should.
are you positive on that ? i know some cheap brands offered hollowed cases used to be but i ve understood the modern times PM cases are just as it is full PM nothing hollowed inside.
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Old 15 December 2017, 05:17 AM   #8
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are you positive on that ? i know some cheap brands offered hollowed cases used to be but i ve understood the modern times PM cases are just as it is full PM nothing hollowed inside.
It's not like it's fully hollowed, but all PM cases have less 'meat' on them than SS ones. That and the metal being softer explains my previous post.
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Old 15 December 2017, 05:33 AM   #9
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It's not like it's fully hollowed, but all PM cases have less 'meat' on them than SS ones. That and the metal being softer explains my previous post.
i thought the fine ones are casted in machine from 100% "meat" or forged from PM it seems i was wrong, however PP use cold forged gold according this article
https://link.springer.com/content/pd...bf03215478.pdf
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Old 15 December 2017, 05:48 AM   #10
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i thought the fine ones are casted in machine from 100% "meat" or forged from PM it seems i was wrong.
I'll try to make a comparison picture soon which I'll post to this thread.

Then you can clearly see that even new PM cases are definitely different from their SS cousins.
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Old 15 December 2017, 06:10 AM   #11
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I'll try to make a comparison picture soon which I'll post to this thread.

Then you can clearly see that even new PM cases are definitely different from their SS cousins.
thanks , looking forward watching it
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Old 15 December 2017, 10:22 PM   #12
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I didn't expect to make two pictures today, but here they are. A SS Daytona vs a Rose gold Daytona.

Both pictures show the inside of the case opposite of the crown&pushers. You can clearly see that the gold one is pretty hollowed.
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Old 15 December 2017, 11:03 PM   #13
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And this one quite a bit of gold is removed from the case ring.

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Old 16 December 2017, 02:32 AM   #14
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Quote:
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I didn't expect to make two pictures today, but here they are. A SS Daytona vs a Rose gold Daytona.

Both pictures show the inside of the case opposite of the crown&pushers. You can clearly see that the gold one is pretty hollowed.


Okay it s clear now the case walls are not as thick as on the SS one ,when you said hollow i thought u ve meant inside the material like a tube ,except saving costs i guess no other reasons beyond.
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Old 16 December 2017, 03:03 AM   #15
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Okay it s clear now the case walls are not as thick as on the SS one ,when you said hollow i thought u ve meant inside the material like a tube ,except saving costs i guess no other reasons beyond.
Yes, hollow might not be the best way to put it.
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Rolex uses rare elves to polish the platinum. They have a union deal and make like $90 per hour and get time and half on weekends.
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Old 16 December 2017, 05:17 AM   #16
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Do you think this is to save Rolex money i.e. less gold in the watch or to save weight, as PM gold watches are pretty hefty.
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Old 16 December 2017, 05:24 AM   #17
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In a nutshell: less volume + softer material + higher mass (hence stronger force upon impact) = much higher probability to deform a gold case compared to a SS one.


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Old 16 December 2017, 06:13 AM   #18
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That's very interesting/surprising - thanks for your pictorial efforts, Padi & Bas.

I also wonder why they do this i.e. offer less metal (by volume) than in the SS equivalent. Presumably, doing so is detrimental to the structural solidity (as per Bas' reference to 'bulging' of the case), but may make the watch less overly heavy.

I was always of the understanding that the actual base cost of a precious metal bore little relation to the end RRP of a precious metal piece (even allowing extra cost for machining difficulty, security measures, waste collection etc.) i.e. the price differential between a SS & Platinum Daytona will be much more than just the cost difference of the raw materials, Platinum over SS.

So, if Rolex are making excellent profit on a PM piece already, and the cost to offer a more solid PM case would be relatively negligible, to either Rolex or buyer, why do they 'hollow' out PM cases, if not for weighting purposes?
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Old 16 December 2017, 08:45 AM   #19
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That's very interesting/surprising - thanks for your pictorial efforts, Padi & Bas.

I also wonder why they do this i.e. offer less metal (by volume) than in the SS equivalent. Presumably, doing so is detrimental to the structural solidity (as per Bas' reference to 'bulging' of the case), but may make the watch less overly heavy.

I was always of the understanding that the actual base cost of a precious metal bore little relation to the end RRP of a precious metal piece (even allowing extra cost for machining difficulty, security measures, waste collection etc.) i.e. the price differential between a SS & Platinum Daytona will be much more than just the cost difference of the raw materials, Platinum over SS.

So, if Rolex are making excellent profit on a PM piece already, and the cost to offer a more solid PM case would be relatively negligible, to either Rolex or buyer, why do they 'hollow' out PM cases, if not for weighting purposes?
Excellent profit plus several grams gold multiplied by number of watches turned out is even better than excellent
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Old 16 December 2017, 09:13 AM   #20
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So to reiterate, don't drop your solid gold watch on a hard surface or you will cry all the way to the bank!
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Old 16 December 2017, 09:15 AM   #21
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That's very interesting/surprising - thanks for your pictorial efforts, Padi & Bas.

I also wonder why they do this i.e. offer less metal (by volume) than in the SS equivalent. Presumably, doing so is detrimental to the structural solidity (as per Bas' reference to 'bulging' of the case), but may make the watch less overly heavy.

I was always of the understanding that the actual base cost of a precious metal bore little relation to the end RRP of a precious metal piece (even allowing extra cost for machining difficulty, security measures, waste collection etc.) i.e. the price differential between a SS & Platinum Daytona will be much more than just the cost difference of the raw materials, Platinum over SS.

So, if Rolex are making excellent profit on a PM piece already, and the cost to offer a more solid PM case would be relatively negligible, to either Rolex or buyer, why do they 'hollow' out PM cases, if not for weighting purposes?
No doubt that little bit of gold they save from each case adds up to a bunch of gold=$$
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Old 16 December 2017, 10:00 AM   #22
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Yes, hollow might not be the best way to put it.
Bas, would you know if the same is true for platinum as with gold?
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Old 16 December 2017, 01:32 PM   #23
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This is very interesting! Thanks for sharing and especially the photos.
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Old 16 December 2017, 01:39 PM   #24
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Yes, hollow might not be the best way to put it.
In the electric guitar world, the process used to 'lighten' a heavy solid body instrument is referred to as *chambered*.

Perhaps this is a better description.

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Old 16 December 2017, 03:57 PM   #25
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Bas, would you know if the same is true for platinum as with gold?
Probably.
One passed my hand yesterday but sadly my colleague didn't have to take it out of the case.
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Rolex uses rare elves to polish the platinum. They have a union deal and make like $90 per hour and get time and half on weekends.
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Old 16 December 2017, 06:39 PM   #26
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So to reiterate, don't drop your solid gold watch on a hard surface or you will cry all the way to the bank!
No, that is exaggerating, the new PM sport watches have enough body. It's not exactly a tin can
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Old 19 December 2017, 04:56 AM   #27
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I m also interested in the manufacturing of different PM cases ,afaik some are stamped ,some are cold forged and the others are casted .I think the highest density you got by cold forged or milled pieces.
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Old 19 December 2017, 05:01 PM   #28
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I m also interested in the manufacturing of different PM cases ,afaik some are stamped ,some are cold forged and the others are casted .I think the highest density you got by cold forged or milled pieces.
I find this interesting too. I'll try to get some insight.
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Old 19 December 2017, 05:32 PM   #29
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I find this interesting too. I'll try to get some insight.


Obviously not comparable to the great great can i wear my Rolex series but still;-)
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Old 19 December 2017, 05:33 PM   #30
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durablity of solid gold watch cases

Quote:
Originally Posted by mmmmp View Post
In the electric guitar world, the process used to 'lighten' a heavy solid body instrument is referred to as *chambered*.

Perhaps this is a better description.

Mark

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In tooling/mechanical engineering it s called cavity
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