Why You Should Wear a Yellow Gold Watch Right Now

We know what you’re thinking: You’ve avoided yellow gold all your life because of the image, hammered into you since childhood, of the returning OFW clad in a denim jacket and his signature “Saudi Gold.” It could be why an entire generation of men has avoided yellow gold altogether, instead favoring the metal’s subtler, less attention-catching counterparts. 

But something has shifted in the last few years that has suddenly made yellow gold feel both classic and contemporary. Maybe it’s because Mark Wahlberg, now a respectable family man who manages to maintain a punishing schedule of daily 3 a.m. workouts, casually pairs his with a T-shirt and jeans.

Or maybe because Dr. Martin Luther King, the proud owner of a yellow gold Rolex Datejust, is an appropriate model to follow in the social justice warrior age. 

Whether you’re looking to men who have worn yellow gold so well in the past or those who can nonchalantly pull it off today, the time has come to seriously consider adding a yellow gold timepiece to your arsenal. Plus—and here’s something we can definitely pick up from our OFW counterparts—it looks incredibly good with a tan.

Here are a few models to consider.   

1| Rolex Day-Date 40 

IMAGE Rolex

Nothing like a sexy dose of gold-on-gold to get you started. The model is favored by world leaders, as the day-of-the-week display allows you stay on track when crisscrossing the globe. Glorietta 4, rolex.com

2| Tag Heuer Aquaracer 

IMAGE Tag Heuer

Perhaps a two-tone watch is more your speed? The Aquaracer is equal parts elegant and sporty, and it’s water-resistant up to 300 meters, should you ever need to tell time in the deep. Glorietta 4, tagheuer.com

3| Breguet Classique 5157    

IMAGE Breguet

A leather strap keeps the flash to a classy minimum, while the thin case is designed for lightness and ease. Lucerne, Glorietta 4, breguet.com

4| Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921 

IMAGE Vacheron Constantin

If the shiny case alone is not indicator enough, the off-kilter numerals of this Art Deco-influenced design should let people know you’re no ordinary guy. Lucerne, Glorietta 4, vacheron-constantin.com

5| Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin 

IMAGE Audemars Piguet

The brand has been among the proponents of embracing the bold metal tone of late, with its “return to yellow gold” campaign. This edition is a tribute to the 1977 release. Greenbelt 5, audemarspiguet.com

6| Patek Philippe 5159J-001 

IMAGE Patek Philippe

For those who are too lazy to reset their watches once every leap year, this watch’s mechanical memory will do it for you. (You’ll thank us when February 29 rolls around.) Greenbelt 5, patek.com