Why the world’s most luxurious watches are getting heavier

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Even in the age of Ozempic, we’re still culturally hard-wired to associate quality with weight. We talk of “heavy hitters”, “weighty matters” and “light entertainment”, our language revealing how we naturally bestow greater importance on heftier things.

fresh platinum faces from Parmigiani (Fleurier Toric Perpetual Calendar), Cartier (Tank à Guichets) and Rolex (Land-Dweller).

A 2009 study published in the journal Psychological Science highlighted this subconscious bias. Volunteers were required to hold a weighted clipboard while estimating conversion rates of different foreign currencies. The heavier the clipboard, the higher the values surmised.

The watch world exploits this predilection. Platinum is reserved for the most exclusive timepieces, whose prices typically eclipse those of their gold counterparts. Part of the justification for this is that platinum is less malleable and, therefore, harder to work with. But the material’s status is also informed by its sheer weight. A platinum watch exudes a certain gravitas due to its heaviness and solidity.

This mental quirk explains why it’s taken so long for fine watch brands to embrace titanium. Lightweight and strong, titanium makes for a supremely wearable watch. But it’s only in recent years that high-end brands, such as A. Lange & Söhne and Vacheron Constantin, have warmed to it.

Meanwhile, platinum releases keep on coming, with a barrage unveiled this year from the likes of Rolex, Cartier and Parmigiani, as well as Chopard and Grand Seiko.

Admittedly, a platinum watch may offer a certain stealth-wealth appeal, the white-grey metal passing as steel to the casual glance. On the wrist, however, the obtrusive weight makes the watch cumbersome and unwieldy. But practicality isn’t the selling point. A platinum watch is the literal embodiment of material excess, a concept that’s fundamental to the luxury world. For watchmakers, heavy metal is still worth the weight.