Goldtech is a red gold alloy that Panerai developed and patented itself. It is 18-carat gold with an unusually high share of copper and a small amount of platinum. Panerai says this mix gives a strong, distinctive colour and makes the metal very resistant to wear and oxidation.
What is Goldtech made of?
Goldtech is 75 percent gold, which makes it an 18-carat alloy. Most of the rest is copper, at about 24 percent. That is an unusually large amount. The final part is platinum, at about 0.4 percent. Ordinary gold alloys do not add platinum to the copper, but Goldtech does, and the result is a rich, deep red colour. Panerai says the copper and platinum together give the metal its strong, distinctive colour.
Is Goldtech tougher than ordinary gold?
Panerai says the copper and platinum make Goldtech very resistant to wear and oxidation. The platinum has a specific job: it is there to stop the case from oxidising. One watch retailer describes Goldtech as noticeably tougher and longer-lasting than the regular pink or yellow gold Panerai uses on other watches. That is the view of a seller, not of Panerai itself.
Where it comes from
Panerai developed Goldtech itself, through its in-house research unit, the Laboratorio di Idee. The brand has patented the alloy. Its CEO presents it as the company’s own take on precious metals. In 2019 the Submersible PAM 974 was presented with a 42 mm Goldtech case. At the time, the metal was described as a new gold alloy for Panerai.
Which Panerai watches use Goldtech?
Goldtech appears in Panerai collections such as the Luminor Due and the Luminor Marina. The Luminor Due TuttoOro collection, launched in late 2022, was the first time that line was made in Goldtech. Panerai also uses the alloy for smaller parts, not just the case. One example is the brushed trapezoidal pin buckle on the Luminor Marina PAM01112.
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