Short on time? Gold watches are where a lot of collectors end up, and we have some great ones in the safe right now. Our favourite is the yellow gold Day-Date with the onyx dial. Here are five, ranked by how much we'd want to wear them.
1. Rolex Day-Date 40 228238, Onyx Dial
Yellow gold, President bracelet, and a natural onyx dial with diamond markers, so no two are the same. It's the most "Rolex" watch there is, made more interesting by a stone dial. See ours.
2. Rolex Daytona 126598RBOW "Rainbow"
Yellow gold with 36 baguette sapphires running through the spectrum on the bezel. Subtle it is not, but as a piece of gem-setting it's extraordinary. See ours.
3. Rolex Daytona Le Mans 126529LN
White gold that looks like steel, a Paul Newman-style dial and a 24-hour chronograph made for the Le Mans centenary. The stealthiest gold watch here, and one of the shortest-lived modern Rolexes. See ours.
4. Patek Philippe 5140R Perpetual Calendar
37.2mm of rose gold and one of the finest perpetual calendars made, thanks to the ultra-thin calibre 240 Q. The classic gold dress watch. See ours.
5. F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain
Rose gold, a grey dial, and a tourbillon with a constant-force remontoir and dead-beat seconds. It ranks fifth only because it's the one we'd be most nervous wearing to the supermarket. See ours.
Final Thoughts
Gold changes how a watch feels: heavier, warmer, more personal. Any of these would be the centrepiece of a collection.
