How the World’s Most Beautiful Element Shaped Watch Design and Desire
Universally, even before recorded history, gold has reigned supreme as the most valuable, most precious, most coveted metal in human perception, in all its forms from mineral, to commodity to precious object. Yet in watch collecting circles, certain sectors are divided, even averse, to the chemical element (atomic number 79), sitting anywhere near their timepieces. Some would posit that gold is inappropriate, even in poor taste, except on a true dress watch, preferring to pay for the precious skills of watchmaking rather than the precious metal of gold. Just to be clear: zero presence of gold unless it’s in the rotor.
Gold watches as we think of them today tend to take form primarily as elegant, luxurious and expensive yellow and white gold bracelet watches, popular in the 50s through to the 70s, befitting of an era considered a golden age for economic growth in the West. Gold watches were seen as obvious status symbols, exuding wealth, success and sophistication. Wearing an all gold watch was not only a fashion statement, it was an economic indicator often attached to a certain persona that enjoyed a privileged, materially successful lifestyle with status and position, perhaps as a winning company man. I’m thinking the Mad Men era, where even Don Draper is seen wearing a gold dress watch, in his case an Omega De Ville.
As the seventies drew to a close, we saw a spike in the rise of individuality and in an anti-conformist casual chic, aligned to an overall societal casualisation and loosening of strict social norms. A trend emerged that drew people away from wearing the formal, obvious, perhaps even gaudy, wealth and status symbols. New technologies generated higher standards bringing advances and efficiencies in mass production and pared back processes. Opulent excess was just no longer considered “cool man” and alongside other unorthodox design materials such as plastics, vinyl and chrome, we also saw an ascendancy in silver in luxury fields across the board. Enter too the ascendancy of interest in the tool watch, in effect instruments which had been utilised decades earlier by astronauts and deep-sea divers, aviators and explorers. Distinctive, rugged and reliable, these watches were composed of ready-to-work utilitarian metal, stainless steel, and would rise to become ‘holy grail’ watches. Certain sought-after stainless steel models, especially those from premier makers such as Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, commanding prices that not only rival but surpass those of the similar reference in gold.
Yet in tracking the constant ebb of movements in the watch collecting world what has been steadily flowing is a piqued interest in gold watches, these bracelets that wear like a second skin speak of a bygone era of chic elegance, luxury and sophistication and now it seems everyone wants a piece of this vintage action and charm. Whereas ingenuity and craftsmanship may have long been considered the purview of stainless steel, I’d argue one would be hard pressed to find any watch that rivals the artistry and creativity of a gold Polo bracelet watch, by way of example. The Polo may once have been worth less than its scrap value, but today these models well and truly transcend their gold weight value. Perhaps you didn’t think to associate creativity with gold watches, the sheer ingenuity of the Corum gold ‘time is money’ coin watch puts pay to that. What of innovation? It is little known that Rolex beat the AP Royal Oak to the mark when in 1964 it released a sapphire crystal, fully integrated bracelet watch, sculpted from a block of solid 18ct gold aptly named the King Midas it was indeed fit for a king– speaking of which, Elvis was known to wear one.
Today, the notion that the place of gold bracelet watches is in the sphere of jewellery, not the horological world is as outdated as the idea that gold bracelet watches are little more than frivolous ornaments. More than merely a statement in style the resurgence of gold bracelet watches have reclaimed their position at the forefront of the watch connoisseur’s radar. Alluring in equal parts investment value, elegance, refinement and innovation, you can hardly be blamed for lusting after one.
By Patricia Kontos, Senior Timepieces Specialist
Top Image: Vintage Omega Constellation watches / Alamy
March 2025