For many of us, when the gold Apple Watch Edition was revealed, our inner argonaut screamed, "Yes!" but our bank accounts said, "Um, no." The fact is, few people have 10 grand to drop on a gadget. But where there's a will, there's a way, and the willful have created a few ways for tightwads and those of, shall we say, less affluent means to look like a million bucks.
For somewhere in the neighborhood of $400 to $700, a growing number of third-party vendors are only too happy to plate your stainless steel Apple Watch in a decidedly more opulent metal. Of course, this is a new endeavor, for a new gadget, and significantly more involved (and expensive) than covering your iPhone 6 Plus in a new case. Skepticism abounds, as do questions. For starters: Who exactly is doing this? It's a mix of guys who simply saw a demand and decided to fill it, and seasoned companies with a long history of refinishing fine watches.
Let's start with the n00b. That would be Ryan Flynn, the fellow behind Watch Plate. He fell into it almost by accident. Ryan is an early adopter, one of those diehards who stayed up into the wee hours the day Apple started accepting orders, constantly refreshing the page, trying to secure a watch. Frustrated and seeking instant gratification, he turned to Craigslist, willing to fork over whatever necessary to secure a pre-order.
"I went and paid a premium on Craigslist for any Apple Watch," he says. "I ended up with a 38mm, which was a little small for my wrist."
Rather than make do with the smaller watch, Flynn decided to try gold-plating it for his wife. He turned to Nash Motorcycle Company, a shop he uses to plate motorcycle parts (and where he's a part owner), and had the watch covered with a whisper-thin layer of gold. He thought it looked great, and posted photos on the popular MacRumors forum.
People went nuts. Absolutely crazy. Within minutes, Flynn was inundated with positive replies. Seeing an opportunity, he launched a website to capitalize on the interest. He once again turned to Nash to do the plating. For $399, he'll give your Apple Watch and its spiffy Milanese or stainless steel band a shiny finish in yellow or rose gold.
Gold-plating can be done a variety of ways, but most methods fall under the broad category of "electroplating," whereby chemical solutions and electrical current are used to bond gold molecules to metal. Common techniques include immersion-plating (submerging the object in solutions containing the plating metal) and brush-plating (brushing the plating solution onto the object). Immersion-plating is often automated while brush-plating requires human application---which can highlight imperfections and flaws if not meticulously done.
While Flynn won't offer details on his process or the chemicals used, but we do know the Watch was submerged in three inches of liquid for roughly 20 minutes (suggesting an immersion method). The Apple Watch's initial water resistance tests indicate it can handle up to 30 minutes of submersion at a depth of three feet, but it's important to note we're not talking water here. The fluids used in plating may contain chemicals (such as nickel) that could irritate the skin or harm the gasket, seals, and exterior components of the Watch in the long term.
Watch Plate has been inundated with orders, and as the first customers receive their newly plated watches, early results seem positive. Keaton Keller overwhelmingly complimentary in his recent video review of the plated watch. "The whole process costs around $400, so it's a little on the pricey side, but I think this makes my steel watch look pretty damn awesome," he says in the video. "I've always wanted a gold watch and I obviously wasn't going to buy the $10,000 one from Apple, so this is a really good option …."
For his part, Flynn is confident people are totally convinced he dropped five-figures for a genuine Apple Watch Edition. He suspects it even got them better service at a popular restaurant in Santa Barbara, where such a watch would be noticed. "Total, it cost less than $1,000 for an identical experience," he says.
Flynn is new to the watch refinishing game, but the joint effort from The Time Preserve and Metal Arts Specialties unites two Michigan companies that specialize in high-end watches. David Vinson of Metal Arts Specialties, which refinishes fine jewelry, joined John Schult of The Time Preserve, which specializes in watch restoration and repair, to develop a method for gold-plating the Apple Watch.
They started months before the Watch was released, meticulously analyzing even the smallest announcement, leak, rumor, or photo. Vinson and Schult focused on creating an exact color match for the Apple Watch Edition, which is slightly paler than yellow gold due to Apple's use of an alloy that includes 18 karat gold, silver and palladium.
Though they, too, are keeping their process under wraps, each Watch is unboxed, documented, inspected, and thoroughly cleaned before plating. Any scratches or imperfections on the stainless steel are polished away before plating, which is overseen by a team of three people who take as long as 70 minutes to do the job. Then the watch is inspected again before shipment to the customer.
For $450, you can get your Apple Watch plated in colors that match the gold of a Rolex or yellow or rose gold Apple Watch Edition. They also offer custom colors like Blanca Cupertino (white gold), Cupertino Stealth (medium bright gray), or Noir Cupertino (dark gray). For another $100 to $250, you can have your band (be it the modern buckle, Milanese Loop, or the Metal Link) plated to match.
So there you have it: you can get a gold* Apple Watch for roughly $1,000. But should you? It's still early days in the gold-plating rush, and there are a few things to consider before you go gilded.
For starters, this is going to void your warranty. Apple didn't respond to our request for comment, but it's widely known that third-party modifications to an Apple device renders it ineligible for out-of-warranty service. That said, it is (relatively) cheap, considering an 18-karat Apple Watch Edition starts at $10,000. Depending on the service you use and the style of plating you desire, you're looking at around $400-450 minimum for the aesthetic upgrade. The end-result gold-plated Apple Watch will boast a new exterior of either 18 or 24 carat gold.
How long this plating will last remains to be seen. Flynn guarantees his work for 30 days, while Vinson and Schult back theirs for up to two years. The bigger question, though, is how the plating process might effect that watch. James Lamdin of Analog/Shift is familiar with solid gold and gold-plated watch cases, and said the Apple Watch case probably is a good candidate for this type of customization. Whereas some luxury watch cases---like that of a Rolex---are comprised of four or more pieces, the Apple Watch case is a single piece, making plating a significantly less complex and invasive process.
Thus far, all signs point to the Watch taking plating without problems, but we're talking about a brand new product. It remains to be seen just how the Watch will hold up against the onslaught of daily wear. Caveat emptor.
But if your heart wants gold and your wallet wants steel, a compromise is possible---as long as you’re willing to drop the cash and take the risk.
