Gold Watches Are Making a Comeback. Here Are the 18 Best to Buy Right Now.
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When it comes to watches and jewelry, gold reigned supreme for many years. Yellow gold in particular was the ultimate status symbol and metal of choice for many watchmakers’ high-end models. However, in the ’90s, yellow gold started to fall out of fashion, and the watch and jewelry industries began to favor precious metals like white gold and platinum as well as sportier and more durable alternatives like titanium and stainless steel.
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The trend in metals paralleled an overall shift in fashion, including the rise of luxury denim and high-end athleisure. In short, more casual forms of dress became increasingly commonplace. With a suit and tie no longer a necessity for the workplace, a stainless steel sports watch became the perfect complement to a polo or straightforward button-down.
Soon the good old stainless steel sports watch took on a life of its own. Suddenly, the price of a stainless-steel sports watch became equal to if not greater than its precious metal counterparts. Demand continued to surge, reaching near-mythical proportions, resulting in widespread sellouts, waitlists and overall scarcity. Thus, as the pendulum so often swings in the other direction when a trend becomes too pervasive, it seems gold is primed to make a comeback.
In 2022 alone, we’ve seen the launch of dozens of gold watches from prominent brands. And while many stainless steel sports watches have risen well above retail value in the secondary market, it might just be the perfect time to invest in a classic gold model whether new or pre-owned. Here, we’ve compiled of some the best new releases and old standbys you might consider seizing upon while the moment is right.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra Thin 50th Anniversary
2022 marked the 50th anniversary of AP’s legendary Royal Oak. In celebration, the brand debuted the next evolution of its “Jumbo” series, replacing the Ref. 15202 with the new Ref. 16202. The 16202 maintains most of the design codes of the Royal Oak while adding a brand new movement, the caliber 7121, under the hood. The all-gold look is complete with a smoked yellow-gold-toned “Petite Tapisserie” dial and a “50-years” oscillating weight that echoes the case color.
Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 Re-Edition
Vacheron’s 222 first debuted in honor of the brand’s 222nd anniversary in 1977. Originally designed by the legendary Jorg Hysek, it embodied the spirit of the era and the rise of the luxury sports watch. This year, in keeping with the hype around ’70s-era sports models, Vacheron has reimaged the iconic model in yellow gold to much fanfare from collectors and enthusiasts alike.
Buy Now on Vacheron Constantin: $69,000
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Flyback Chronograph
Blancpain’s latest Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Flyback Chronograph in rose gold may not look like the tool watch you’d expect, but it is. Just like its titanium counterpart, the brushed gold variation offers all the technical specs you need, from 300 meters of water resistance to the flyback chronograph function, allowing the uninterrupted measurement of a succession of elapsed times.
Vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date
This vintage Rolex hails from 1973, the start of an era when gold was all the rage. The Oyster Perpetual Date offers perfect vintage proportions, coming in at just 34mm, as a nice alternative to the classic Datejust 36. This model’s vintage appeal extends to the rivet-link Oyster bracelet, champagne-textured dial, acrylic crystal and Tritium lume, all of which make it a quintessential vintage Rolex.
Breguet Classique Calendrier 7337
The Breguet Classique Calendrier 7337 has roots that trace back almost 200 years. The model draws inspiration from a gold pocket watch designed for a British Royal Navy commander that displayed a moonphase indicator, day and date apertures and a power reserve indicator in addition to basic hours and minutes. The modern evolution first appeared in the brand’s catalog in 2009, and the new 2022 edition maintains all the technical specs with a revamped dial featuring new colors and patterns used for the guilloche.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur World Time Triple Time
The Excalibur collection is Roger Debuis’ signature line, offering an unabashedly contemporary and even futuristic take on watchmaking. Most models feature open-worked dials and bold color schemes. By comparison, the World Triple Time is relatively tame. Here, you have a more elevated look thanks to the rose gold construction and the impressive configuration of three time zones displayed simultaneously.
Buy Now on Watches of Switzerland: $29,500
Breitling Navitimer B01 Chrono 41
One of Breitling’s latest additions to the Navitimer family combines the complexity of a pilot’s watch with the beauty of a dress watch. In celebration of the model’s impressive 70th anniversary, Breitling has given this classic tool watch a refined aesthetic thanks to its 18-karat rose gold case. In honor of the monumental milestone, you also get the return of the AOPA winged logo that graced the dial of the early Navitimers of the 1950s.
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Automatic 36 mm
Last year, Parmigiani Fleurier celebrated its 25th anniversary with the launch of an all-new collection, the Tonda PF. This particular iteration of the model, featuring a rose gold build and contrasting deep ruby dial went on to win the Ladies’ Watch Prize as the GPHG. However, the 36mm truly knows no gender and would look handsome on any wrist.
Buy Now on Parmigiani Fleurier: $53,246
Bremont H1 Generation Audley
This year, Bremont introduced the H1 Generation line, marking the brand’s first core collection to contain Bremont’s manufactured ENG300 Series movements. Within the family of watches, the brand launched three models: the Supernova, Fury and Audley. The Audley is named after Bremont’s first flagship Boutique in Mayfair and offers the perfect blend of classic and contemporary dress watch styling.
Cartier Tank Louis Cartier
Cartier’s newest interpretation of its Tank Louis Cartier epitomizes the modern dress watch. While modest in size, the design is thoroughly modern with a rose gold case and a unique, geometric dial design marked by four Roman numeral hour indicators.
Buy Now on Watches of Switzerland: $12,800
Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 MM
This year, Chopard debuted a long-awaited variation of its Alpine Eagle: one in yellow gold. Previously, we’ve seen the model in stainless steel and even rose gold, and now the model comes full circle with a yellow gold construction, which echoes the original St. Moritz that inspired the collection. As an added bonus, Chopard has made a commitment to use one hundred percent ethically sourced gold, so you can wear this gorgeous watch with confidence.
Girard Perregaux Laureato 42 MM
Girard-Perregaux’s latest evolution of its Laureato fully embodies the spirit of the seventies with a modern twist. Here, the iconic luxury sport watch proportions and geometry are elevated with a rose gold construction with a mix of polished and satin-finished surfaces and black onyx dial. The result amps up the luxury aspect while remaining robust enough to maintain the sport moniker.
Buy Now on Girard Perregaux: $54,300
Jaeger LeCoultre Polaris Perpetual Calendar
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s newest addition to its Polaris lineup combines the best of 1960s sports watches with the brand’s perpetual calendar caliber that first debuted in 2013. The pairing of the complication with the precious metal elevates the watch while the addition of a rubber strap keeps it functional and sporty. All in all, the new Polaris Perpetual Calendar strikes the perfect balance watchmakers strive for in creating a luxury sport model.
Buy Now on Jaeger LeCoultre: $48,100
Panerai Luminor GoldTech Calendario Perpetuo Experience
This variation of the Panerai Luminor is another example of the perfect balance of sport and luxury that can be achieved when watchmakers use a precious metal on a traditional tool watch. Here, you have the bold proportions you expect from the diver, from its 44mm case to its brushed crown guard, all encased in beautiful rose gold and with the added bonus of a perpetual calendar and dual time functions.
Breguet Classique 5930
It doesn’t get more classic than the Breguet Classique 5930. This simple dress watch has all the hallmarks of the brand in its purest form. It features a modest 35.5mm, 18-karat yellow gold case with a silver, engine-turned concentric dial and subtle date aperture tucked at six o’clock. The look is complete with the brand’s signature Breguet or “moon” tip watch hands, making it timeless and instantly recognizable.
Buy Now on Mr. Porter: $11,650
Piaget Polo Date
Initially launched in 2016, Piaget’s Polo collection has quickly become a cornerstone of the brand. For its newest addition, Piaget has iterated on the green trend. While the hue has become increasingly prevalent in watchmaking over the past several years, it’s been a part of Piaget’s color palette since the 1960s. Here, the brand offers a modern take on the hue by pairing it with warm, 18-karat gold.
Rolex 30th Anniversary Yacht-Master
2022 marked the 30th anniversary of the Yacht-Master, a relatively young collection in the Rolex lineup. This commemorative edition offers a modern take on the original all-gold Ref. 16628 with a more subtle gold case, softened by a black bezel and the addition of an Oysterflex bracelet.
Vacheron Constantin Patrimony (Pre-Owned)
Here we have another example from the peak era of gold watches: the eighties. Unlike many of its more audacious counterparts of the decade, the Patrimony is classic and understated. A quintessential dress watch through and through, this particular model features a modest 34mm yellow gold case and champagne “Sigma” dial with the added bonus of a date complication tucked at three o’clock.
Buy Now on Watches of Switzerland: $7,450
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