Golden Concept is a Sweden-based company that makes higher-end cases for Apple watches and a few other products. I am fascinated with the Apple Watch (and other smartwatch) case market because it allows people to differentiate their practical, wearable electronic devices by giving them a more distinctive skin. One of the most appealing things about the traditional wristwatch market is that wearers don’t all need to look the same, given that the market offers a wide variety of wristwatch styles and looks. When it comes to smartwatches, wearers have comparatively fewer options since the smartwatch market is dominated by a few leaders. Traditionally, this meant the best way to differentiate your own smartwatch is with a different strap. That isn’t always enough if you want your timepiece to be a meaningful extension of your personality.
Moreover, I don’t think that most traditional watchmakers should get into the smartwatch market because the hardware and software involved are in an entirely different product class than these brands are used to. For this reason, I have long recommended to luxury brands that rather than make their own smartphones they should make high-end smartphone cases, and rather than making their own smartwatches, they offer high-end smartwatch cases. This is exactly where a company like Golden Concept fits in. Now, almost 10 years into the life of the Apple Watch, the market for Apple Watch cases is relatively robust.
Most Apple Watch cases on the market seem to be about offering more protection and durability to the popular smartwatch device. That’s all good, but what I am more interested in is how the shape, theme, and style of the Apple Watch can be extended beyond its somewhat generic form. In fact, I ascribe much of the popularity of the Apple Watch Ultra to the fact that it looks a bit different (and more distinctive) than the standard more pebble-like Apple Watch.
The impetus for the review of the Golden Concept Apple Watch case began in a Las Vegas nightclub. In my travels, I happen to find myself in such situations, and I go straight into an observation of contemporary wristwatch sociology. What I observed was a lot of young people who were trying to show off, wearing Apple Watches that in no way helped them to show off. The problem is that, unlike most traditional watches, Apple watches more or less look the same on everyone’s wrist. When you are trying to stand out in a crowd, you first need to look different, and then look nice in order to get the attention you want. Wearing an Apple Watch certainly offers desirable functionality and practicality, but it doesn’t really deliver on style. Thus, wearing a case over your Apple Watch in a “club lifestyle environment” is the way to get both attention and enjoy the utility of a modern smartwatch product.
Nightclubs and similar places often attract blingy attire and accessories. Shiny things, precious or semi-precious materials, and interesting shapes command the kind of attention many wearers are interested in when gathering in such social settings. While there are probably other products like it out there, the Golden Concept Racing Sport Edition RSTII49 Amber Rose case decorated with diamond-style (not chemically the same though) Moissanite stones. It is a perfect solution for many people who want to wear their Apple Watch, but also have some of the attention you get from wearing a blingy, luxury timepiece.
Golden Concept makes a series of Apple Watch case styles and sizes. This is the largest Golden Concept case size, capable of housing the Apple Watch Ultra or Apple Watch Ultra 2 (which is in the Golden Concept case for this review) with its 49mm long case profile. That makes for a relatively large overall case, given that the Apple Watch Ultra is already larger in size. Accordingly, the Golden Concept RSTIII49 case is about 56mm wide without the crown, about 59mm wide with the crown, is about 19mm thick, and a roughly 59mm long lug-to-lug distance.
The case is produced from steel, with a rose gold-tone PVD coating for this model (Golden Concept offers other colors too). The steel is set with “over 400 Moissanite gems” which is where much of the blingy appeal comes from, and which I personally find rather fun. Attached to the case is a detachable fluoroelastomer strap/ The entire composition weighs 155 grams without the Apple Watch inside of it, and 216 grams with the Apple Watch inside of it. I would have much preferred for the case to be in titanium to match the material of the Apple Watch Ultra 1 and 2, but that would have increased the cost and made it much more challenging to set any stones since titanium is much harder than steel and it doesn’t take to gem-setting very well.
Golden Concept makes the most of the case’s size by creating a tonneau-style case shape that integrates with the strap, allowing it to wrap comfortably around most wrist sizes. The overall profile and visual theme is roughly Richard Mille-esque, which is not an accident. This shape happens to be trendy, but it also lends itself well to wearing comfort despite a relatively large size. If you have an Apple Watch Ultra and want to wear it in such a case, then I do recommend you have larger wrists. Most people might be a bit better off with a smaller Apple Watch if they intend on using a case like the Golden Concept with much regularity.
How well does the Golden Goncept RSTIII49 Amber Rose perform as a housing for a smartwatch that you must interact with and that must interact with you? What I found most interesting about the case is not only how it physically stores the Apple Watch, but how it preserves the wearer’s ability to operate the buttons, touch the screen, and connect with the sensors on the back of the watch. These sensors are responsible for things such as heart rate detection, which is crucial to using the Apple Watch as an exercise or activity monitor. The Apple Watch Ultra has two case buttons/pushers, plus the digital crown. Each of these is operated via an extension built into the case. That means you can still fully operate the Apple Watch and even touch the screen – even though it is of course slightly easier to do without the case on there. The bottom line is that Golden Concept did a pretty decent job of offering a visual style, without having to sacrifice much of why people are wearing an Apple Watch to begin with.
You will have to wear the case rather snugly though. That begins by sizing the strap correctly, which unfortunately needs to be cut to size. This can be tricky and also offers limited wearing options, since people sometimes may want to wear it more loosely or more snugly. Also, having to cut the strap to size means that people can’t easily share the Golden Concept case with a friend. You can, of course, purchase additional straps from Golden Concept, so at least the strap removal mechanism is pretty straightforward and doesn’t require tools. I would have of course preferred more adjustment options when it comes to the strap part of the equation, especially since this heavier case must be worn snugly, both for comfort and to properly allow the rear of the case to touch your skin as that is necessary for the heart rate monitor to function.
One of the best things about the Golden Concept Racing Sport Edition Apple Watch case is how easy it is to install and remove the Apple Watch itself. Using a small tool or paper clip, you unlatch the bezel of the case, which is mounted on a hinge. The Apple Watch is separated from its straps and then you gently slide it in and close the latch door over it. Removing the Apple Watch is as simple as performing this process in reverse. My takeaway from this was that it is probably wise to consider the Golden Concept case as an occasional accessory, rather than a full-time replacement for the standard Apple Watch profile. For sports or daily wearing, the RSTIII49 Amber Rose might be a bit much, but it is a really fun outfit to wear to put on your Apple Watch on the right occasion. Given that it can take only 20-30 seconds to install or remove the Apple Watch from the Golden Concept case, this is a very good way of thinking about how to use such a product in your normal daily rotation of clothing and wearable tools.
Golden Concept makes less expensive and smaller Apple Watch cases, with the Racing Sport Edition RSTIII49 Amber Rose currently representing the higher end of the product line. Non-Moissanite-set Golden Concept cases are mostly priced at nearly one-third the cost of this one, but they of course aren’t as “club-ready.” For me, if I am going to put the Apple Watch in a case, it needs to radically change its look and feel, which I think this case most certainly does.
I even like the overall style of the Golden Concept. It marries an attractive visual profile with modern-looking angles and features that feel contemporary as well as luxurious. A watch like this in actual 18k gold with natural diamonds would cost vastly more money. So being able to offer this look at this price is an interesting mixture of value and features for a market that wants something fun, but isn’t looking to put down luxury car money into a fun accessory that they may only wear occasionally.
Golden Concept has limited this Racing Sport Edition RSTIII49 Amber Rose Apple Watch case to 99 pieces as a limited edition. That shows how modest production volumes are and will probably ensure that no one else at the nightclub is going to have one of these things. If I were going to wear an Apple Watch out at night for socializing, I’d like it to have some added personality, and something like a Golden Concept case is certainly an intriguing product. I actually like the style and poise of this product, even though it is easy to comment on its overall size (which is a bit large for my wrist) and the fact that it is so blingy (not everyone appreciates a little shine like I do). In any event, there is a market for blingier Apple Watch cases and Golden Concept has a decently refined product that does so rather well. Price for the Golden Concept Racing Sport Edition RSTIII49 Amber Rose limited edition of 99 pieces Apple Watch case is $2,999 USD. Learn more at the Golden Concept website.
