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Many people baulked at the idea of paying in excess of $10,000 (£8,000) for an Apple Watch Edition.

But there is now a way to get your hands on a gold-plated version of the timepiece without paying such extortionate prices. 

Jewellers are offering to transform cheaper Apple Watch models to make them look like the Edition version for as little as $399 (£262).

Watch Plate will gold plate any stainless steel Watch in 24 karat gold or rose gold and copper for $399 (£262). The cheapest Apple Watch costs $549 in the US and £479 in the UK.  This takes the total price for getting a gold version to $948, or around £740 - a saving of more than $9,000 (£5,950) compared to the Edition

One service, as spotted by 9to5Mac, is being offered by Watch Plate in California.

The firm will gold plate any stainless steel model of the watch in either 24 karat gold, or rose gold and copper for a flat fee of $399 (£262).

It can't gold plate Sport models because as the firm explained: 'Apple has coated the Sport model with a non-conductive layer which cannot be removed, and renders our electroplating process ineffective.'

Watch Plate accepts national and international orders and takes three days to complete an order in the US. However, it will take longer for international orders. Shipping is free. 

The cheapest model of the Apple Watch costs $549 in the US and £479 in the UK. This takes the total price for getting a gold version to $948, or around £740 - depending on conversion rates.

A saving of more than $9,000 (£5,950) compared to the Edition.

Alternatively, Golden Dreams charges $4,200 (£2,765) but that includes the price of the watch. 

Its service can similarly only transform the stainless steel version of the Watch, but offers 24 karat yellow gold, 18 karat rose gold and 18 karat white gold plates. 

Golden Dreams additionally offers alligator, shark, python and ostrich leather straps as well as engraving on the watch and band. 

Golden Dreams takes 15 days to complete and ship an order, and shipping is also free.

This service offers a saving of $5,800 (£3,810).

Gold plating the watch will void Apple's warranty that comes with the device, so changes are made at the owner's risk.

Golden Dreams offers its own two-year warranty on its service, but not the watch itself. 

The pricing of the Apple Watch range was called into question last week when a report revealed the Sport model costs just $84 (£55) to build. 

IHS Technology estimates the so-called 'bill of materials' is just $81.20 (£53), which rises to $83.70 (£55) when the $2.50 manufacturing expense is added.

And with the retail price of the Apple Watch Sport 38mm being $349.00 (£299 in the UK), hardware costs account for just 24 per cent .

By comparison estimated hardware costs to retail price ratios for other Apple products reviewed by IHS are in the range of 29 to 98 per cent .

Alternatively, Golden Dreams in Switzerland charges $4,200 (£2,765) but that includes the price of the watch. Its service can similarly only transform the stainless steel version of the Watch, but offers 24 karat yellow gold, 18 karat rose gold and 18 karat white gold plates

Golden Dreams additionally offers alligator, shark, python and ostrich leather straps as well as engraving on the watch and band. Golden Dreams takes 15 days to complete and ship an order. This service offers a saving of $5,800 (£3,810), however, gold plating any Watch from the tech giant voids Apple's warranty

It is worth noting though that his doesn't include the varying metals used for the case, including the 18 karat yellow and rose gold of the Edition model - and this is likely to add a substantial cost onto the watch.  

Apple, nor IHS, have revealed costs or estimates for this and it could in fact mean Apple's ratios are much slimmer. 

Two MailOnline investigations additionally revealed that Britain is the most expensive place in the world to buy an Apple Watch - and some replacement straps cost more than the timepiece itself. 

The cheapest model is the 38mm Sport version and costs £299 in the UK. In the US, the same model costs $349, but this doesn't include sales tax. 

The pricing of the Apple Watch range (pictured) was called into question last week when a report revealed the Sport model (right) costs just $84 (£55) to build. IHS Technology estimates the so-called 'bill of materials' is just $81.20 (£53), which rises to $83.70 (£55) when the $2.50 manufacturing expense is added

Sales tax in the US depends on the region where the product is sold, but as an example California has one of the highest rates - at 9 per cent - while Montana has zero. 

With both of these sales taxes added to the price of the Sports model in the US, the total cost works out at $380.41 (£257) and $349 (£236) in the respective states.

This is a difference of £42 when bought in California, compared to the UK, and £63 when compared to Montana. 

The effect is magnified for the top-of-the-range Edition version, which costs from £8,000 for the 38mm model in Britain, compared to a starting price of $10,000 in the US.

At the time of writing, $10,000 converts to £6,769 - which equates to a difference of £1,231 before charges are taken into account.

The most expensive version of the 38mm edition in the UK is £13,500 in the UK, and $17,000 in the US. 

When sales taxes are added to the US model, the price rises to $18,530 in California, which converts to £12,543 - a difference of £957.  

But the difference isn't just visible between the UK and US. 

DailyMail.com's Mark Prigg reviews the brand new Apple Watch

Elsewhere, replacement straps for the Apple Watch range can, in some instances, cost more than buying the timepiece itself. A replacement strap, or band in the US, for the Apple Watch Sport costs £39 with tax in the UK, or starts at $49 in the US plus relevant sales taxes in the different states

In Australia, for example, the most expensive 38mm Edition costs $21,000 AUD, which converts to £10,832 - a difference of around £2,665 compared to the UK. 

Meanwhile, a replacement strap, or band in the US, for the Apple Watch Sport costs £39 with tax included in the UK, or starts at $49 in the US plus relevant sales taxes in the different states.

The Milanese Loop, Leather Loop and Classic Buckle cost £129, or $149. 

A Modern Buckle costs £209, or $249, while the Link Bracelet is available for £349 in the UK and $449 in the US. 

By comparison, a 38mm Apple Watch Sport can be bought for £299, £50 less than the Link Bracelet in the UK. 

A Modern Buckle costs £209, or $249, while the Link Bracelet is available for £349 in the UK and $449 in the US. By comparison, a 38mm Apple Watch Sport can be bought for £299, £50 less than the Link Bracelet in the UK. And this increases to a $100 difference in the US for the cheapest Sport Watch versus buying the band

And this increases to a $100 difference in the US for the cheapest Sport Watch versus buying an individual band.

These price discrepancies don't just apply to Apple products, however.

MailOnline recently compared prices for the Sony PlayStation 4, GoPro Hero4 Silver edition action camera, Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 Neo in black and the Apple iPad Air 2.

Prices were compared on both the UK and US Amazon sites, plus PC World in the UK and Best Buy in the US – with all taxes and VAT included.

At the time of the research, the PlayStation 4 cost £327 from Amazon UK and £349 from PC World. This was compared to $435 in the US, which converts to £272.

For the GoPro Hero 4 camera, prices were closer between the two countries, but UK customers still paid up to £17 more for the device.

In terms of the Samsung Gear 2 Neo, prices ranged from £135 ($216) on the American Amazon site up to £190 on its UK equivalent.

And Apple's price discrepancy doesn't just apply to its own store. Customers buying the Apple iPad Air 2 from other retailers pay £399 in the UK at PC World, compared to £340 ($544) at Best Buy in the US. 

MailOnline compared prices for the Sony PlayStation 4, GoPro Hero4 Silver, Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 Neo, and Apple iPad Air 2. Prices were compared on UK and US Amazon sites, PC World in the UK and Best Buy in US - with all taxes and VAT included. Prices are shown in pounds and are correct at the time of writing