The Paradox: Precious Metal Sport Watches

Since about the day it was first discovered, gold has been a coveted material. The metal’s shine and malleability lends itself for decorating and gilding treasured items, and incites an almost primal attraction to the stuff.

Given the material’s history, it’s no wonder that many of today’s luxury watches are offered in precious metals including all hues of gold, platinum, and plenty of alloys in-between. Some companies, such as A. Lange & Sohne go as far as to produce their pieces exclusively in precious metals, gold being their most popular case material.

A Lange 1 Moonphase in gold

It’s difficult to argue that such a type of watch looks anything but spectacular in gold. You might even go as far as to say that such a piece practically belongs in it, much in the same way that a Patek Perpetual Calendar 5270 and Breguet Tradition might. Sports watches, on the other hand - that’s another story.

Gold v. Sport

Recent years have seen an uptick in the popularity of gold sports watches, particularly on the bulky end of sizes. Before we jump into why gold sports watches may or may not “work,” let’s break down what a sports watch is all about, and what a gold watch is all about.

The archetypal sports watch is likely the Rolex Submariner. It’s difficult to find an accessibly priced watch with a richer history than the Submariner, considering the various models’ uses in plenty of military organizations, movies, and other settings of note. The Submariner’s spectacular reputation is, in no small part, due to the fact that the watch is incredibly well-made and if cared for properly will probably outlive any of its owners from now until the end of time. There’s a reason that the Royal Navy, James Bond, and countless divers chose the Rolex Submariner: it’s practically the best-looking watch out there that can take a serious beating and live on. All this being said, take a second to consider the type of man (or woman!) that would wear a Submariner: keep that in your mind for a moment.

A Rolex Submariner 5517 Milsub, used by the Royal Navy

Moving to the opposite side of the spectrum, the archetypal gold watch is likely something similar to the Patek Philippe Calatrava. The Calatrava is simple in what it offers: a no-frills, no-excess timepiece that typically says “I’ve been in this game longer than you.” It’s the type of watch that usually sanctifies a collection, and makes it truly complete: anything past a Calatrava is wonderful excess. The status it brings is enough indicator that it really does belong in gold - despite gold being an incredibly soft and delicate case material, it’s the type of watch that indicates you probably don’t have to do much physical activity. Once more, consider the type of person that would wear a Calatrava on a regular basis and store that in your mind.

A Patek 5120J Calatrava

The Combination

Comparing the two types of characters that a Submariner and Calatrava represent, it is fairly easy to see that they are at odds with each other. 007, in his early days, wore a Rolex for a reason. Today, Putin wears a PP Calatrava. The contrasting lifestyles do not suggest that an individual can’t or shouldn’t own both, in fact I’d suggest quite the opposite: owning a spectacular gold dress watch and a timeless sport watch is probably the best thing you can do for your collection. The problem, in my opinion, arrises when you try to meld the two lifestyles into one heavy and often garish abomination.

Take for example the Royal Oak Offshore line by Audemars Piguet. The steel pieces offered are “loud” in their own right, but in gold, the watches simply blow doors down - and not in a good way, depending on who you ask.

A ROO in Gold

Other watches really pull the look off, such as the gold Rolex Submariner:

But, the same problem affects the beautiful and ugly alike: a gold sports watch is simply a massive contradiction.

The Paradox

In such a combination, the robustness, utility and longevity offered by a sports watch is nearly entirely negated by the gold aspect. By changing one important detail, the watch is no longer nearly immune to door frames and tabletops, and rendered as delicate as the PP Calatrava above. In effect, the gold neuters the watch and leaves it nothing more than a fashion piece with an everlasting existential crisis.

Despite the lessened durability gold provides, such watches have sold exceptionally well in past years. The reason is straightforward: as the market moves towards larger and more imposing watches, it follows to say that the market would also desire larger and more imposing gold watches. Without destroying what the Calatrava or other watches stand for, the gold sports watch offers a balance.

All things considered, my recommendation would always be to pick up a kick-ass steel watch, and a complementary dress watch. As long as you wear the right one to the occasion, you’ll always look more appropriate than if you had sported the intermediate alternative.