Does Rolex Make Their Own Gold?

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Consistent with their vertically integrated business model, Rolex manufactures gold in their own foundry at their Plan-les-Ouates site in Geneva, Switzerland. This allows them to control the composition of the gold alloys used in their wristwatches. 

Photo of Rolex 18 karat Gold
Rolex 18 karat Yellow Gold (photo: Rolex)
Rolex adds silver, copper and other elements to 24 karat gold in different proportions to get either a white, yellow or rose gold alloy. The elements are fused at over 1000ºC, then the molten alloy goes through a graphite sieve to create small beads that are then fused into rods and stretched and rolled. The parts are then stamped out of the sheets and polished to be fitted onto the corresponding timepieces.

Rolex patented their rose gold alloy, called Everose, in 2005. They closely guard the composition of this alloy to maintain the exclusivity of their pink gold. They refer to the combination of gold with their 904L stainless steel as Rolesor, a name that was patented in 1933.

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Rolex Everose Gold Alloy

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The Rolex brand is known almost as much for the vertical integration of their wristwatch manufacturing process as the watches themselves. From the ceramic bezels they produce to the blue parachrom hairsprings in their watches, there is very little that goes into their timepieces that isn't produced behind the tight security of their facilities in Switzerland.

Rolex Everose Gold Alloy
The gold they use is no different, cast in their own foundries using specific formulas to meet their own standards. Their Everose gold contains a small percentage of platinum, the most noble of the metals, meant to help the metal retain its color throughout its lifetime.

Some posit that this may be nothing more than a clever way to differentiate their products in the luxury watch market. However, the idea behind the patented metal alloy is to reduce corrosion or fading that may occur over time when the wristwatch is exposed to sea water and chlorine present in swimming pools.

photo from inside rolex foundry
Rolex Foundry 
Regardless of the validity of the claim that Rolex's Everose gold is less likely to tarnish than any other rose gold, its copper tint is a nice addition to the traditional yellow and white gold that is more commonly used for watches. There is both a modern and classic element to the color that makes pieces using the metal far more interesting, especially when styled with other metal finishes.

UPDATE: Rolex has unveiled several 2016 model configurations with combinations of their Everose gold and stainless steel.

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