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What happened to 9k and 14k gold watches?

What happened to 9k and 14k gold watches?

Buffy Acacia

If you’ve spent much time browsing vintage gold watches, you’ll have seen a huge variety in the kinds of cases available. Not only were there solid cases in 9k, 14k and 18k gold, but also plated, filled and rolled gold options in each of those purities. They all had their ups and downs, but clearly there was a market for gold at every price point imaginable. So where did they go? Why are we now forced to buy watches exclusively in stainless steel or 18k gold? Could lower purity cases ever make a comeback?

Plating versus PVD

Baltic MR01 Gold PVD 2
Baltic MR01 Gold PVD

A potential elephant in the room for this discussion is the popularisation of PVD coatings, which all but eliminated the traditional form of electroplating. Why would anyone need an affordable version of solid gold, when a PVD coating offers the same look for plated prices? Granted, the PVD process (physical vapour deposition) results in a much more durable finish than electroplated gold, but it is by no means permanent. It can still be scratched or worn away over time, and unlike gold plating, it can’t ever be reapplied.

Mido Multifort TV 35 Rose gold PVD

Any amount of polishing will reveal the base metal below because the coating is only between 1 and 5 microns thick. Claims of being waterproof and sweat-proof are actually in relation to the stainless steel or titanium cases beneath the coating, and have nothing to do with the PVD itself. So, if you intend on your gold watch becoming an heirloom or you simply don’t want to see grey metal poking out in several years’ time, solid gold is still the way to go. Strictly speaking outside of watchmaking, gold PVD is considered costume jewellery.

The necessary contradiction of affordable precious metals

1978 Omega 9k watch bracelet
A 9k solid gold Omega watch and bracelet from 1978. Image courtesy of Birth Year Watches.

A possible reason for the loss of 9k and 14k gold watches is the rationale that only wealthy people can afford gold watches, and those who can will only bother with the highest purity. Wealth disparity may be a very real issue, but it is not yet so extreme that watch enthusiasts have been reduced only to poverty or plentitude. One of the main points of attraction for solid gold watches is that they retain some of their value in their material. So, if you’re trying to be smart with your money, it makes a lot of sense to buy something that inherently maintains value. That remains true whether the watch is 18k or 9k gold, and eliminating the lower purity options just prohibits people with less expendable income from making those wiser purchases.

Addressing the dismissal of 9k gold

9k Bueche Girod bonhams
A 1978 Bueche-Girod in 9k gold. Image courtesy of Bonhams.

9k gold is often met with sneers, claims that it’s not real gold, and an attitude that it’s not worth owning. Thankfully, where alloys are involved, emotional responses are ultimately irrelevant. There is no threshold at which an alloy becomes gold. Gold is gold, and a 9k gold alloy contains 37.5% gold by weight. Sure, that means 62.5% of your watch is made of other metals, but they don’t make the gold disappear any more than 18k gold makes its 25% of non-gold alloy disappear. If a gold buyer would pay for it, how can that not be real gold?

9k rolex datejust
A 9k Rolex Datejust ref. 6305 c.1953. Image courtesy of Christie’s.

Whether it’s advertising or psychology that has created this perceived chasm in quality between 9k and 18k, 9k gold is still worth buying as long as you understand that 37.5% is where its value lies. People on limited budgets still deserve the chance to invest in solid gold, and indeed most jewellers offer huge ranges of 9k jewellery because more people can afford it. There is a distant possibility that it will tarnish over time, but that is easily cleaned, and it will always look better than plating or PVD coating.

Why 14k gold is the best of both worlds, and more

14k Patek Philippe ref 497
A 14k Patek Philippe ref. 497 from 1927. Image courtesy of Christie’s.

Besides the benefit of being cheaper than 18k gold, 14k is also the most durable gold alloy. There’s a common misconception that the softness of pure gold makes higher purities more susceptible to scratches, but that ignores the impact of the alloying metals. Copper isn’t exactly scratch-proof either, so 9k and 18k alloys are actually very close in hardness. Due to its 58.5% gold content, 14k hits a balance that optimises its scratch resistance.

jaeger lecoultre digital 14k two tone polara
A rare Jaeger-LeCoultre Polara in two-tone steel and 14k from 1975. Image courtesy of Christie’s.

White gold alloys are even more durable again, as their non-gold metal components such as silver and palladium are harder than copper. Because it has less gold than 18k, 14k white gold often doesn’t need any rhodium plating to cover up tinges of yellow. Unless you crave the specific heft and rich, yellow hue of 18k gold, 14k is technically a superior material.

The verdict

Clearly, there are benefits to lower purity gold watches, whether that’s something practical like durability or just being more affordable. An entry level luxury brand such as Tissot, for example, would most likely thrive selling a solid gold Gentleman in 9k. It seems that the only thing preventing their existence is a misplaced bias from both consumers and brands. It would probably take a big name brand successfully releasing one to prove that – the Swatch Group tried with bronze gold, but it was never available in a wide range of models, limited to a couple of Omegas and a single Blancpain. So until that time comes, you should definitely check out some of the vintage examples we’re missing out on in the modern market.