Liquidmetal Technologies Inc (LQMT)

[rige]

Hublot has a gold alloy that is harder than tempered steel;

http://hublot.watchprosite.com/show-forumpost/fi-871/pi-5034408/ti-759858/t-/

To produce this fusion so requires temperature and pressure that would have been cause for concern for even Prometheus himself. At 2200 degrees and under intense pressure gold and ceramic (normally not the two materials you would expect to be fused together) are forced into a single metal.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2076620/Swiss-watch-maker-unveils-indestructible-18-carat-gold-bulletproof-ceramic.html

The alloy is created by pouring gold into a baked boron carbide crystal lattice, which forms the super-hard alloy. It comes out of the moulds black - but then polishes up to a shine

and that process forms flat watch pieces;

http://www.hublot.com/en/craftsmanship/materials

While Apple has also applied for a similar light-weight, high strength, gold matrix patent, the Apple gold watch is only twice as hard as normal 18kt gold, so the molding process must be different, just a theory.