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Employees who have been working with Apple for at least 10 years are gifted a square chunk of aluminium, a polishing cloth, and a signed note from CEO Tim Cook, as per an unboxing video posted by YouTuber DongleBookPro.
Described as one of the ‘rarest Apple products’ which you cannot buy, the square slab is made of the same 6000 series aluminium used to manufacture Apple products. The memento sports a gigantic brand logo in the centre made from stainless steel, number 10 engraved on the side signifying the big work anniversary, and the employee’s name, including the date they hit the milestone.
The award contains a detailed explanation of the making of the product, too. “Remnants from the production process are collected and reformulated to create a 100 percent recycled, custom alloy. The alloy is cast into long ingots, then each ingot is sliced into blocks that are machined to the finished size. The surface is fine blasted and the edges are diamond-cut. The block is then anodized to seal the finish and create a protective layer. Finally, a stainless steel Apple logo is set into the center,” the note reads.
The note of appreciation from Tim thanks the worker for the challenges, breakthroughs and contributions made to achieve Apple’s goals.
“Congratulations on reaching this milestone moment. The work you’ve done, the challenges you’ve met and the breakthroughs you’ve made possible — they all add up to a profound and lasting contribution to Apple’s mission to change the world for the better. On behalf of everyone at Apple, thank you for all you bring to our journey together,” the Apple CEO concludes the note with a signature at the bottom.
The Apple polishing cloth that accompanies the slab had gone viral in 2021 for its exorbitant cost of $19 ( ₹1,500 approximately).
The YouTube account DongleBookPro curates rare and prototype Apple hardware. According to the video, Apple swapped the earlier 10-year award made of crystal for the new one around 2020-21. Employees who cross 20 and 30 years with the company also receive similar versions of this award.
