It may surprise you (or perhaps not) that in the luxury watch industry, there are products produced entirely in precious metals such as gold or platinum that are then completely coated in black.
Yes, the end result is a timepiece case in a black color that totally hides the underlying expensive material. While metals such as steel and titanium are often coated using various type of PVD (phsyical vapor deposition) applications, such coloring methods are typically considered counter intuitive when used on a material most owners are seeking to show off. Though, in the strange world of luxury watches what “can happen” often does, and a select number of niche timepieces are available with totally hidden gold (or platinum) cases. The question is, “why?”
A few years ago, the term “stealth wealth” became more popular, as the economic recession made it less en vogue for wealthy people to show off their… wealth. The result was a desire for people of means to be less overt about showing it off for social and political reasons. In the watch world, I experienced a growing number of people interested in “under-the-radar” style watches that, while perhaps very expensive, expressed their prestigious status in more subtle ways. This included lesser known brands, less flashy designs, use of 18k white gold that from a distance resembles steel, and of course, a conspicuous lack of precious stones. It also gave birth to the black-coated luxury watch.
It was 2006 that the boutique Swiss watch maker Urwerk released their first timepiece with a gold case that was coated in a black material. Co-founder of Urwerk Martin Frei recalls that they produced a version of their UR-103 watch in 18k red gold, and rather than polish it, decided to give the case a matte sandblasted finish. It was bit controversial at the time. To raise the bar even more, they produced a platinum-cased version of the UR-103 and then coated in black for a special model known as the UR-103 Blackbird. The platinum was given a heavy polish and the resulting case in black was distinct in its finish from similar steel cases coated in black.
At the time, Urwerk produced the black-coated platinum watch to make a point about how luxury is often something meant for the owner and not the observer. For them, it was an intellectual exercise forcing their clients to ask themselves what mattered more – the inherent value of the platinum case or the aesthetic design of the watch. The black coating had a further interesting result to make the case more scratch resistant. Platinum is a decidedly soft metal, so the coating process helped harden it a bit.
Urwerk continued their trend of producing precious metal watches coated in black with the UR-CC1 Black Cobra a few years later. Even more a watch about design rather than sheer luxury, the heavy platinum Black Cobra limited edition watch is perhaps the ultimate example of mixing the world’s of pure luxury and unique horological design together.
Fellow boutique high-end watchmaker MCT agrees that it has found a distinct interest among clients for a lack of “bling bling” in many of their purchase decisions. MCT recently released a version of their Sequential Two S200 watch in a black-coated 18k white gold case. What is interesting is that to the fine connoisseur, the finishing on a black DLC (diamond-like carbon) coated gold case is different from steel. They remark that black-coated gold has a sort of transparency where the more lustrous polishing of gold is visible, versus the less pronounced polish possible on steel or titanium cases. The trained observer (and customer) is treated with a polished black case that simply wouldn’t be possible if the underlying material was any less precious.
While the watches from companies like Urwerk and MCT are standard limited production models released by these two small watch makers, coating gold or platinum in black has perhaps a larger place in the world of aftermarket watch customization. London-based Bamford Watch Department will offer high quality black (or other color) coatings on a range of watches, including their specialty, Rolex . Bamford Watch Department even goes so far as to offer some limited edition curated designs such as an all-black Rolex Sky-Dweller – which is currently only available in various gold colors from Rolex. Bamford customers who invest in such watches know that the right type of audience will notice their customized Rolex models as being in gold, but later customized with a more demure appearance. The customer base who chooses a flashy Rolex to only later make it more austere looking (at considerable expense) may be limited, but fans swear by it.
MCT acknowledges that some of its customers felt that coating gold in a black material was confusing and perhaps “crazy,” but what Urwerk, MCT, and Bamford all agree on is that enough customers “love” the notion of covering a precious material in a subtle black-coating. Wearing any of these watches on the wrist immediately allows you to know they are not made in steel or another metal because of their greater weight. There is also the very personal feeling owners have that they are wearing the best, but that they don’t need to show it off. According to MCT, “the black coating on gold could be considered as the quintessence of contemporary luxury because it is exclusive, smart, and discreet.”
That statement may very well sum up the reasons why the oddity of black-coated gold or platinum has experienced its own niche success and popularity. While I don’t think that more mainstream luxury watch makers will follow suit with their own “hidden precious metal” timepieces, for the most discerning collector, nothing is out of the question.