IP or PVD both refer to Ion Plating (IP) through a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) process. It's a modern plating method commonly used in the watch and jewelry trade where a durable and hardwearing finish is applied to products made from metals. Many manufacturers now use this process for coating metals such as titanium and stainless steel.

The technique involves “blasting” the gold onto another metal at a high temperature, which confuses some people when manufacturers define their PVD as "gold-filled" due to the known fact that "gold-filled" is mechanically bonded to a base metal. During the blasting process, the material moves from a condensed vapor phase to a thin solid film.

PVD shouldn't be confused with the traditional electroplating of brass, nickel, and gold finishes because these require a clear coat that degrade with time and can easily tarnish or corrode. PVD requires no clear top coats that fade or dull.

Similar to what I've mentioned above, it involves adding a titanium nitride layer to the base metal in a vapor form. The result is a harder and more durable surface that offers greater brightness and sheen than the traditional plating methods.

Experiments conducted to gauge the durability of ion plating have shown that IP plated surfaces are five to eight times more durable and resilient to corrosion and wear than surfaces obtained through other plating processes.