Gold v. Platinum

[Horologista]

Why is platinum considered the premium metal for most brands when gold is trading at more than 2.5x the value of platinum.

Is it because platinum is slightly more dense 21.45 v. 19.3 g/cm3. Is it because platinum is actually more rare? Is the gold market in a bit of a bubble because it is a more liquor asset and more common store of value? Has traditional watchmaking not yet caught up to economic realities? Do people just prefer white metal (and white gold is just not 100% right)?

[brandrea]

Because it’s marketing and more “rare”

[njlam]

I am told it is harder to work with. Perhaps making the fluted bezel is harder to do in platinum than gold?

[GoingPlaces]

Much harder to work with. Took Rolex a long time to finally make fluted bezel on the DD. It also polishes different.

[Horologista]

Originally Posted by GoingPlaces

Much harder to work with. Took Rolex a long time to finally make fluted bezel on the DD. It also polishes different.

But the Mohs hardness of platinum is 4 and steel is 4.5-7.5 depending on the carbon content. Platinum is known to be a malleable metal. Definitely should be easier to work with.

[Krash]

Platinum has always been considered more valuable and prestigious than gold (despite market prices).

Just like a platinum credit card is more prestigious or of higher value than a gold credit card. Also, at work, we used to give people rewards for exceptional performance. The levels were bronze, silver, gold, and platinum was the highest.

I feel like it’s been this way since I’ve been alive (all 60 years).


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[GoingPlaces]

Originally Posted by Horologista

But the Mohs hardness of platinum is 4 and steel is 4.5-7.5 depending on the carbon content. Platinum is known to be a malleable metal. Definitely should be easier to work with.

Over the years, there are many threads/posts on this very topic. The consensus has always been that Platinum is harder to work with. Jewelers have told me the very same thing, they charge more for platinum. Higher melting point and denser.

[1st amg]

Originally Posted by GoingPlaces

Much harder to work with. Took Rolex a long time to finally make fluted bezel on the DD. It also polishes different.

How does it polish differently? Genuinely curious

[GoingPlaces]

Originally Posted by 1st amg

How does it polish differently? Genuinely curious

To my understanding, when you polish platinum you merely move or "push" the metal round. Unlike gold, that actually comes off. I think it's a chemistry thing.

[swils8610]

Originally Posted by GoingPlaces

To my understanding, when you polish platinum you merely move or "push" the metal round. Unlike gold, that actually comes off. I think it's a chemistry thing.

That’s correct. Platinum develops a white looking patina also.


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[Hardtimes]

One of my favorite sayings.....it is what it is

[wm82]

Platinum is cheaper right now because its also an industrial metal used in catalyzers.

However platinum, mined, is much rarer than gold and really only mined in South Africa and Russia in any quantities.

It's also a whole different beast to work with, compared to gold.

I think we will see platinum prices go a lot higher in the coming years.

[MILGAUSS88]

Platinum supply is 4% of the gold supply.
Historically it has been more expensive than gold.
It is harder to work with. My jeweler, who mostly does custom work, says he hates using it.
Lastly most people forget about its alloy, iridium,.
Which is $4,650 an ounce at this time. Which makes 900 platinum more expensive than the 950 platinum used today.
No, it wasn't because it was better, it was cheaper by 25%.

[Sublovin]

It's based on how difficult it is to work with as of the others have said. If you look at the actual weight of either metal, you can't make sense of either when it comes to cost. A lot of it has to do with the process. Neither one are based on the melt value of the metal.

[Calatrava r]

Platinum has always been the king of metals in the watch industry. That is just the way it was and is.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by Horologista

Why is platinum considered the premium metal for most brands when gold is trading at more than 2.5x the value of platinum.

. . .

It does not matter what a product is made of to set the price, other than a return on costs. Price is set on typical supply/demand economics.

If Rolex made only a few plastic watches each year and they were in great demand, they could cost more than either the platinum or gold models which are more plentiful.

[rolph]

Platinum is indeed rarer than gold. It's estimated that about 20 times more gold is mined than platinum, which adds to its exclusivity.

[Driver8]

As others have said, rarity - either perceived or actual.

In terms of actual rarity, I remember reading a while back that all the gold ever mined would fill around three Olympic sized swimming pools, whereas all the platinum ever mined would only cover your ankles in one Olympic sized swimming pool.

[geoach]

Originally Posted by Tools

It does not matter what a product is made of to set the price, other than a return on costs. Price is set on typical supply/demand economics.

If Rolex made only a few plastic watches each year and they were in great demand, they could cost more than either the platinum or gold models which are more plentiful.

perfectly said

[EverCloserUnion]

Originally Posted by Driver8

As others have said, rarity - either perceived or actual.

In terms of actual rarity, I remember reading a while back that all the gold ever mined would fill around three Olympic sized swimming pools, whereas all the platinum ever mined would only cover your ankles in one Olympic sized swimming pool.

If we could find a way to extract gold from the earth's core, there would be enough of it to cover the surface of the planet to a depth of a couple of metres.