Reply With Quote*And yes I know the Smurf is discontinued.
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Accepting that some watches can only be acquired in white gold or platinum, I really don’t get it. Mirror polished steel looks almost the same and costs a fraction of the price. The steel is also hardier and lighter. What’s the big deal with precious metal? Take the Smurf as an example - yes I like the blue dial / bezel but not for tens of thousands more than steel options. Residuals seem to be worse for run-of-the mill precious metal watches. Please explain what I’m missing....isn’t white gold as a concept just a contradiction in terms???
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*And yes I know the Smurf is discontinued.
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It has its own special properties, whether they are real or perceived is open to question (other than weight).
White gold is best when it can be had for almost the same price as the same model of watch in SS
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I think it’s more of an inward rather than outward benefit. I.e. you buy a white gold watch, it’s special as a result, but the rest of the world doesn’t know the difference. However, you know and appreciate it for being a precious metal variant.
To be fair, if you have a yellow or rose gold watch, 99% of people will assume it’s not real gold too. You can buy £100 fashion watches coloured gold.
That’s a good thing - it’s a personal hobby after all.
Last edited by Berty234; 3rd September 2020 at 13:47.
You make a decent point here. Where SS watches are so price inflated and hard to come by, you are getting more “value for money” buying precious metal. At the same time you may not benefit from the kind of gains that buying SS may bring you. Here I’m specifically talking Rolex.
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White gold and SS do look different but to be honest, it is negligible. Some people say they like the slightly “warmer” colour and heft. I personally love rose and yellow gold for the warmth and I think it suits my skin tone. And for some dressier watches, gold, in white or yellow or rose, is a more fitting material than SS. However, for a lot of other types of watches, SS is the hardier more suitable material. But to be honest, the major reason people choose white gold is because they have to! The model they want only comes in precious metal!
BW,
Chi Kai
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I get that to some extent, but I think my bank manager would say different.Originally Posted by Berty234
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Agree with the OP on this, I`ve never seen the point of white gold watches either. I own a few solid gold watches but they're either yellow or rose-gold, I`d never be drawn to white gold.
You really need to handle/wear one to appreciate the difference, I have a 41mm white gold Day Date and a 41mm stainless Datejust, visually they are not a million miles apart but the difference is incredible. It’s like trying to compare a Rolls Royce to a Mini, it is in a different league. The colour/weight of the gold just can’t be replicated in stainless steel and makes the Datejust feel cheap in comparison which indeed it is. I was sceptical until I tried one but the quality is unquestionable.
I had a DJ 41 for a couple of years and it had a white gold fluted bezel. To my eyes the difference between the steel case and the bezel was virtually imperceptible. Maybe the white gold was a little brighter....
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Rose gold - big fan!
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I’ve sometimes thought that about rose gold as some of them seem a bit Michael Kors to me, but I had the pleasure of trying on an AP RO in rose gold and it was stunning.
I’ve also tried on a couple of white gold Rolex watches and the feel is just quite special.
Probably the ‘if you know, you know’ is very applicable here.
I wonder what the record is for daily posts!
I have had a rose gold which I really liked and sold last year, and just ordered another. Had a white gold in between, and whilst I appreciated the weight of it, it was marginal whether I could tell the difference between that and a steel watch. It is also noticeably softer than steel which is a big disadvantage. I put in quite a deep scratch to the bracelet without even noticing, just while at the house
I suppose it depends on the watch of course, but a full yellow gold watch is very Jimmy Saville or Swiss Tony whereas white gold is stealthier and as said before it is for the wearer to know and enjoy.
That Blue dial Daytona above is an absolute stunner. In a world were we could walk into an AD and buy at list price the difference between SS and WG would be considerable. In the current crazy market place WF want £24k for a £10k SS Daytona, surely the question should be who in their right minds is willing to pay that.
For a few grand more you could have that Blue one, no contest.
Calling Mr.Veblen!
And no I don't get it either but that didn't stop a WG Daytona parking itself on my wrist; realistically due to ease of acquisition, funkier dial and, ahem, mahoosive discount.
Exactly this. I am glad regular non-watch people think nothing of the watch I wear. I happen to also love the blue of the Smurf. If the Smurf was only available in yellow/rose gold, I would not have bought it because it is too ostentatious imho. I have no interest in boasting to the world that I have a solid gold watch and prefer others not knowing.
Here we go again.
High end watches are about pride of ownership. This often illogical because if you spend a fortune on a Bentley car you may not like the attention it attracts. Alternatively you can buy a white gold watch and no one will notice it so you will enjoy wearing a watch that you know is good but no one else does.
Having said that, a white gold does look better than stainless steel.
In the case of the smurf, I imagine the increased cost of the white gold also ensures fewer people have them. If you like having something that very few other people do, then that is probably one way of achieving it.
That’s a very special watch. I’d imagine that getting one from an AD isn’t easy nowadays the way tho fs have gone.
It has its own special properties, whether they are real or perceived is open to question (other than weight).
White gold is best when it can be had for almost the same price as the same model of watch in SS
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Don’t worry. Some of us see the point....enjoyment. Here are some of mine .
Only the Yachtmaster remains. Which is fine by me. I enjoyed ever one.
And that is the point, the whole point and the only point.
By the way, the days of a cheapish white gold/blue dial Daytona are long gone. Think 30K these days, and rising. The WG Yachtmaster seems to go for above retail. Gold is on the rise.
And for those fond of yellow gold, my one model. It was very pleasing.
And for those, understandably fond of steel (excellent metal) compare with this DayDate Presidential.Now, that’s pure class. To me anyway.
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Last edited by paskinner; 3rd September 2020 at 15:29.
Can you please elaborate on how a watch being made of gold to one of SS is like comparing a Rolls Royce to a MINI when both watches are from the same line from the same manufacturer?
Now I’m no Rolex expert but I would have thought the case design, size and internals would be the same for both watches so why would the fact that one is made of gold and one is made of SS change the tolerances of manufacture?
Last edited by jaytip; 3rd September 2020 at 18:50.
I think the point below about pride of ownership says it pretty well for me. The question is not totally dissimilar to asking why you would buy a JLC or Patek when the majority of people won't necessarily know it's more expensive than a nice Tissot or Longines. But you don't have it for them; you have it for yourself, and what it means to you.
When it comes to sports watches I'll admit I'm pretty happy with steel for durability - although to be fair I'm not in a position to consider a Smurf or white gold Daytona like the beautiful one posted by NickG below. I have a white gold dress watch, which feels right to have in gold for being a dress watch, even though it's obviously more understated than if it were in yellow or rose gold. But in a way that's something I like about it, and I feel it suits me. That I like knowing it's gold probably isn't entirely rational. It does have a nice lustre which feels subtly different from my steel watches. But then there are plenty of beautiful steel dress watches out there so I don't think it's something I'd get caught up on either way. To each his own.
He didn’t say that. He said the gold DayDate felt very superior. I’ve owned both, and he is right. It feels hugely superior, just as the gold Daytona feels hugely superior to the steel version.
But you have to try for yourself; whether they are worth the extra money, that’s a more interesting question.
White Gold.
For me WG is a purely personal pleasure and yes there was/is a sense of achievement in owning.
But you either 'get it' (and think it's worth the money), or you don't.
If you don't 'get it', don't waste your money.
(and btw I bought my WG Sub' for less than my SS Daytona would fetch so in that sense it was a no-brainer).
Whats the point of any watch that costs more than a Casio f91w?
You either get it or you dont. Same with precious metal watches.
The Rolls/Mini comparison stems from the fact that they both have 4 wheels and that’s where the similarity ends. To me it’s the same as comparing the DD and DJ, the DD has the President bracelet which is a work of art, my DJ has the jubilee which in comparison feels cheap and very ordinary. The big difference to me is the weight, the DD weighs in at just under 8ozs. which really makes its presence felt on the wrist, the DJ feels tinny in comparison. The colour difference as said before is not that great but it is significant enough to give it a special/different appearance. I would imagine manufacturing tolerances are very similar allowing for the different expansion coefficient for the different materials but as others have said it’s the knowledge you have something special without it screaming look at me. Go and try one and see what conclusion you come to, as I said I was sceptical but once on the wrist they feel special.
That’s fair comment. In an odd way, a steel Daytona is far more exclusive than a white gold one. But that’s only to the watch fans.
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What concept of “white gold” is a contradiction? There are many alloys of pure gold (24karat) with 18karat with mixtures to make them rose coloured etc. And Platinum is a pure metal with its own properties. I see no contradictions. These metals have been used for jewellery for aeons. And will do so while we likes shiny things.
Back in the mid-90s when I started collecting watches I was obsessed with gold, I would only buy solid gold watches and to me they always felt special. In those days they were easy to find at reasonable prices. I still like gold and I still own a few, but it no longer has the appeal it once did for me. Possibly that's because I`ve handled and worked on lots of watches, or maybe I'm just getting older and I don`t get a buzz from stuff like I once did.
Anyone looking to buy a new/modern gold watch has limited choice and needs deep pockets. Vintage or second-hand is definitely the way to go, particularly if the watch isn't a regular wearer.
Having owned a couple of rose-gold watches, plus a bimetal rose-gold Omega for a while, I`m firmly back in the yellow gold camp. Rose gold looks good in pics but to me the watches never look quite as good on the wrist.
At the end of the day I guess it's down to personal preference.
Really? You think Rolex make more white gold Daytonas than steel ones? I’m sure they would like to, but I doubt it. In truth, there are plenty of steel Daytonas about, if you are willing to pay.
“Because it is there”.
I've got a steel Speedy with a WG bezel. To my eyes, the bezel really "pops" and looks much nicer than the steel.
If white gold wasn't so expensive would people prefer the look of it over steel?
Never understood heft either, why do wearers want to wear something heavy? If they did, why not add lead inside steel watches.
WatchFanUK23 is going to be there or thereabouts, I reckon. 200 plus and counting in three months.
I don't know there are a couple of new members not far behind, the race is on!
Last edited by boring_sandwich; 3rd September 2020 at 18:35.
I was at my AD today collecting something today and asked if they had any of the WG Daytona's in on Oysterflex and he said they haven't had a single Daytona in (even precious metal ones) since they reopened. The WG is hard to get as well apparently.
Fair point. However, it is not about mass. ‘Heft’ as you put it is linked to solidity. We react to it subconsciously as a marker of quality. Your Bentley feels different to your Vauxhall when you close the door. Whether you are being tricked or not, tinny stuff presents itself as cheap and solid stuff as of higher quality. DJ’s rattle; DD’s don’t relatively speaking.
Yes you are correct from a science point of view. I’m talking about the name “white gold”...in my simple mind they are two different colours (it’s either white or it’s gold). I was being a touch light-hearted but perhaps that didn’t come through.
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Is that a bad thing? I never can tell in this place....
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I also like responding to people on threads that I’ve started. I feel if people have time to respond to me i respond back. My mum taught me that at some point in the eighties.
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If you can get one from an AD right now over a WG one, I’ll eat my hat.
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The dragon has a white gold datejust with presidents bracelet, she wanted an extra link fitted which had to be ordered, the salesman had to be told it was WG , he thought it was steel.
You can’t beat a good old bit of product knowledge.
I guess Eddie will make that judgement….
I shall patiently await my fate BoringSandwich.
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On the 23rd of May, 2017, a member who lived in the 'Bear Pit' made 45 posts in the period from 0807 to 1648hrs.
______
Jim.
What’s the bear pit?
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How about a bit of logic; far, far, more people want a steel watch. They could be selling (say) ten times as many steel watches and still have a big waiting list. And relatively few people want a gold watch. So they’re easier to buy.
None of that justifies the claim that Rolex sells more gold Daytonas; if you ever ordered one, you’d realise they can be frustratingly slow to supply.
Thinks he is being subtle.............
another lame thread, I am afraid
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