The Gold and Rose Gold Watches Making Waves This Year

Team USA is racking up the gold medals at the Paris Olympics this summer… and while you might not be wearing an olympic gold medal, you can get a taste of the sparkle with one of the gold and rose gold watches that are all the rage right now.

While you can find stainless steel watches just about anywhere, watches crafted from the world’s precious metals have a special place in the hearts of many luxury watch collectors. This year, yellow gold and rose gold have been the metals of choice for many watch enthusiasts, making waves in pedestrian streetwear as well as on celebrity wrists.

Let’s explore some of our favorite rose gold and gold watches – and find out why these warm-hued metals are certainly here to stay.

White metal watches (those made from platinum, stainless steel, and white gold) have reigned for a while – but the fact remains that, to an untrained eye, these materials can be mimicked by less expensive versions quite easily. That is why many elite watchmakers have integrated special features into their luxurious white metal watches to make their pure composition clear to anyone who knows anything about watches.

For instance, Rolex watches made from platinum are distinguished by an ice blue face – the brand reserves the ice blue color specifically for platinum watches. With that small detail, these watches evoke elegance, luxury, and class without the need for a tag shouting “I’m made of platinum!”

When it comes to rose gold and gold, on the other hand, there is no room for faking it. These precious metals have taken over the watch world due to their unparalleled luster and inability to be mimicked. Top-tier watches, like the Rolex Day-Date 40 pictured above, epitomize the beauty and grace inherent in rose gold and yellow gold alike.

Many jewelry and watch aficionados wonder, what is the difference between yellow gold and rose gold?

Rose gold is an alloy (a mixture of metals) that combines pure gold and copper – the copper adds the recognizable pinkish tint. The most common ratio is 75% pure gold to 25% copper, which yields 18K rose gold.

If you thought rose gold was a fleeting trend, you would be mistaken. Rose gold has actually been around for a while, and first became popular in the 1800s, when it was normally known as “Russian Gold.” Why? Because legendary Russian jeweler Peter Carl Fabergé used the product in his well-known, artistic Fabergé Eggs.

In the 1920s, jewelry company Cartier brought rose gold into the limelight with a line of feminine jewelry that emphasized the pink-hued metal. Cartier especially saw success with its “Trinity Ring,” which combined yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold to make a striking design.

Now, rose gold is surging in popularity again – and this time, it is making waves as a popular watch metal for wearers of any gender. In fact, Pantone named rose gold as its 2016 color of the year, referring to it as “rose quartz.” Nearly a decade later, it is abundantly clear that rose gold isn’t going anywhere.

So if rose gold is a mixture of pure gold and copper, does that mean yellow gold is 100% gold? Not quite! Gold is a relatively soft metal, so it is typically combined with other metals in order to create a harder, more wearable product. Karats describe the ratio of pure gold to other metals – and in watchmaking, the most common type is 18K yellow gold, which is made from 75% pure gold and 25% other metals (just like rose gold).

Now that we have a better understanding of the chemical compositions of yellow gold and rose gold watches, let’s explore some of our favorite models that are available in each of these two finishes. Yellow gold and rose gold both make for classic watch designs that will never go out of style.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is one of the hallmark watches in the Audemars Piguet collection. Introduced in 1972 at that year’s Swiss Watch Show (later to be known as Baselworld), the Royal Oak was originally crafted from stainless steel and turned heads as a dress watch made of this traditionally utilitarian metal.

These days, however, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch has branched out, offering numerous different finishes and styles to suit any wearer.

For instance, take this Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, which is crafted from 18K yellow gold. It retains some of the original design elements of the Royal Oak including the octagonal bezel and exposed screws, which give it a nautical look. It also departs from the standard, however, with numerous complications and sub-dials. Plus, the navy blue face offers an elegant and understated contrast to the lustrous gold used on the bezel and bracelet.

For those searching for a smaller gold watch, this Patek Philippe Calatrava model offers an approachable option with a 35 mm face, a flexible size for any wearer. The Calatrava was created with an ultra-slim profile, made for wearing comfortably underneath the cuff of a button-down shirt.

The Patek Philippe Calatrava certainly takes on a somewhat sleeker profile when compared with heftier watches like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak or the Rolex Daytona. Patek Philippe is a heritage Swiss watchmaker that is renowned for exemplary craftsmanship, top quality materials, and a commitment to excellence at every step of the horological process.

Though the Calatrava is a slim watch, that is not to say that Patek Philippe watches cannot be more substantial as well. For instance, consider the Patek Philippe Aquanaut, which is a sporty take on the brand’s Nautilus line.

The Patek Philippe Aquanaut in 18K rose gold perfectly marries the masculine, sturdy features of this watch with a gender-neutral twist in the pinkish hues of the rose gold bezel. The rubber strap maintains the sportiness inherent in the Aquanaut line, while complications like the highly desirable moon phase display up the ante on luxury.

There is no doubt that this rose gold Patek Philippe Aquanaut is a special watch. Featuring the ingenious annual calendar complication, it ensures automatic date adjustments throughout the year, meaning that it requires just one correction annually. Further, it is powered by the brand’s prestigious 26-330 S QA LU caliber and delivers exceptional timekeeping accuracy that cannot be matched.

The final rose gold watch we’ll be spotlighting in this piece is none other than the Rolex GMT-Master II, a pinnacle of fine watchmaking that has been lauded as an integral element of the horological scene for years. Since its introduction in the 1980s, the GMT-Master II has yielded a number of special edition models and cool collaborations – but there is nothing quite like this classic rose gold build with a striking black index dial.

This Rolex GMT-Master II model is truly timeless. The rose gold bracelet and case are perfectly complemented by the black face and the combination black and brown dial, which evokes the highly desirable Rolex GMT-Master II “Root Beer” special edition watch. The Rolex “Root Beer” watch is another masterpiece in rose gold craftsmanship, combining steel and 18K rose gold to provide a piece perfect for those who like to mix metals.

While some individuals feel that rose gold appears to be a more feminine metal, with its distinct pinkish hue, Rolex watches crafted from 18K rose gold emphasize the gender-ambiguous nature of this alloy. The substantial nature of watches like the Rolex GMT-Master II, the Rolex Sky-Dweller, or the Rolex Daytona makes them ideal for men as well as women embracing the oversize “boyfriend watch” trend.

No matter which gold or rose gold watch you prefer, Avi & Co. has an incredible selection of watches from name brands like Audemars Piguet, Rolex, and Patek Philippe for sale. If you are looking for the perfect yellow or rose gold watch to complete your collection, look no further than our three showroom locations.

Avi & Co. boutiques are now open in Miami, New York City, and Aspen – so wherever you are, do not hesitate to visit us. We’ll help you find the watch you have been dreaming of today.