The work fell to the team from QuesTek, who used computers to conceptualize a sturdier metal. Standard 18-karat gold is 75 percent gold and 25 percent other metals such as zinc and nickel. The proportion of those other metals determines the strength of the gold. Apple’s engineers came up with combinations for the rose gold and traditional alloys that included copper, silver, and palladium. The luxurious metal could be cast into blocks of gold and chiseled away to produce a single-body watch case. But what delighted Ive was the engineers’ assurance that it was twice as strong as traditional
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