An ignition device for an internal combustion engine, comprising: a housing having an opening; an insulator secured within the housing with an end of the insulator exposed through said opening in the housing; a center electrode mounted within the insulator and having a free end extending beyond the insulator; a ground electrode extending from the housing with a portion of the ground electrode being located opposite the free end of the center electrode to define a spark gap therebetween; at least a selected one of said center electrode or ground electrode having a platinum-based firing tip (120, 22); a resistance weld joint bonding said firing tip (120, 22) to said selected electrode (16, 18), said resistance weld joint defining a lower surface of said firing tip (120, 22) embedded a first distance (d) beneath an outer surface of said selected electrode (120, 22); and a continuous bead of overlapping laser weld pools formed over an outer periphery of said firing tip (120, 22) further bonding said firing tip (120, 22) to said selected electrode (120, 22), said overlapping weld pools extending a second distance beneath said outer surface of said selected electrode (120, 22), wherein said second distance is greater than said first distance (d) and said firing tip (120, 22) is free from undercuts from said laser weld pools, wherein said overlapping laser weld pools are formed so as to completely cover an exposed weld joint seam created between the firing tip (120, 22) and the respective electrode body (16, 18) during an initial resistance welding process the ignition device being characterized in that a platinum rivet having a generally frustoconical shaped end is used to form the firing tip (120, 22), and in that said center electrode has a side surface extending along a longitudinal axis and said laser weld pools abut said side surface, wherein said laser weld pools define a generally conical surface. a housing having an opening; an insulator secured within the housing with an end of the insulator exposed through said opening in the housing; a center electrode mounted within the insulator and having a free end extending beyond the insulator; a ground electrode extending from the housing with a portion of the ground electrode being located opposite the free end of the center electrode to define a spark gap therebetween; at least a selected one of said center electrode or ground electrode having a platinum-based firing tip (120, 22); a resistance weld joint bonding said firing tip (120, 22) to said selected electrode (16, 18), said resistance weld joint defining a lower surface of said firing tip (120, 22) embedded a first distance (d) beneath an outer surface of said selected electrode (120, 22); and a continuous bead of overlapping laser weld pools formed over an outer periphery of said firing tip (120, 22) further bonding said firing tip (120, 22) to said selected electrode (120, 22), said overlapping weld pools extending a second distance beneath said outer surface of said selected electrode (120, 22), wherein said second distance is greater than said first distance (d) and said firing tip (120, 22) is free from undercuts from said laser weld pools, wherein said overlapping laser weld pools are formed so as to completely cover an exposed weld joint seam created between the firing tip (120, 22) and the respective electrode body (16, 18) during an initial resistance welding process the ignition device being characterized in that a platinum rivet having a generally frustoconical shaped end is used to form the firing tip (120, 22), and in that said center electrode has a side surface extending along a longitudinal axis and said laser weld pools abut said side surface, wherein said laser weld pools define a generally conical surface.