How Does Gold Hold Up?

[pilotjim]

I'm thinking of trading my SS BLNR for a gold GMT. I love my watch, but I also just love the look of gold. How does the gold hold up in comparison to stainless? I wear my watch every day, and I'm not concerned about minor wear and scratches. But I'm just wondering if the gold will show normal daily wear a lot more than the SS does.

[glamorama]

There has been countless threads on this if you search.

In my experience the main difference is that gold is easier to ding.

[Crazy Lugs]

It’s significantly softer than stainless steel.

[SLWoodster]

I already ding the crap out of my SS...

[travisb]

It's a softer metal but mine don't show any more wear than my SS (other than polished areas of course, which will always show more than brushed).

[DoctorA]

Depends how you wear your watch. As stated, gold is a softer metal and is more susceptible to scratches but if that’s the watch you want then wear it carefully, enjoy it and don’t worry about scratches

[Brew]

I have gold side-by-side with stainless on my tt DJ. It seems to be about equal, at least on a jubilee.

[locutus49]

It gets scratches. Unless you are OCD it is a fine metal. I only own gold or platinum now, and both metals scratched.

[STEELINOX]

Gold is more revealing as to its wearing - and as a daily wearer, its perfectly happy as stainless steel to be proudly worn ~ !

Forgot the picture ~ !

[toomann]

I'm not sure about a gold watch but I've seen gold from sunken ships and gold taken from Egyptian tombs that look pretty good considering what it's been through.

[Jona]

I have a YG Sub which I adore but not as a daily wearer. I think it's more suited to occasional use where it will be worn with care.

[Mystro]

Gold is a lot softer but it also polished out easier. You must be at peace with hairline scratches if you are going to daily a 18k gold watch.

[desk jockey]

Originally Posted by STEELINOX

Gold is more revealing as to its wearing - and as a daily wearer, its perfectly happy as stainless steel to be proudly worn ~ !

Forgot the picture ~ !

I love the look of both the gold 40 and WG 42 YM; the only main point of concern for me is the PM clasp on the oysterflex. How do you find it holding up on yours?

[locutus49]

Do you mean will it functionally hold up (yes) or will it get scratches (yes)? Again, if you are OCD do not buy any expensive watch as they all scratch.

Originally Posted by desk jockey

I love the look of both the gold 40 and WG 42 YM; the only main point of concern for me is the PM clasp on the oysterflex. How do you find it holding up on yours?

[Syed117]

The whole "gold is a soft metal" gets thrown around a little too easily.

It's not play-doh.

If you want to know how it holds up, just look at the countless Day Dates that have stood the test of time. It holds up fine.

[STEELINOX]

Originally Posted by desk jockey

I love the look of both the gold 40 and WG 42 YM; the only main point of concern for me is the PM clasp on the oysterflex. How do you find it holding up on yours?

[thats a stock photo]
I don’t own one yet - but if I ever do...


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[daveo5]

I have my daily wearer in gold. It is 14 k. Up until the mid ‘80s Rolex was only importing 14 k. It wasn’t until the US tariffs were removed that 18 k gold watches appeared. Gold to achieve a hardness for workability needs to have a base metal added. This results in the 9 k, 10 k, 14 k and 18 k gold content present in “workable” metal. Gold + a base metal = workable metal. Without a base metal gold is simply to soft to be practical. I personally observed this in Vietnam decades ago. Most US jewelers use/sell 14 k because of its inherent hardness vs. 18 k. European jewelers have always preferred 18 k. On my 15007 daily, the jubilee 14 k clasp bears several small marks. As my watch sits atop my wrist, the clasp on the underside it is inevitable it will scratch. I don’t lose any sleep.


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[Bigblu10]

I daily wear a YG Sub so yes it holds up fine. It helps to wear the bracelet properly fitted and keep the watch clean on a regular basis. Like any Rolex made out of any metal, if you are doing an activity that might bang it up take it off. All metals will scratch and ding as shown by the threads here on TRF

[joli160]

In practise it wears and scratches totally the same.

I see no difference at all.

18K annealed gold is not soft and anything that will scratch your gold watch will also scratch your SS.
Don't worry about it

[mrricks]

Gold is softer than SS, but harder than you. It will outlast you by centuries.

[Roli4life]

My grandfather wore a Sub (red❗️) and a gold President.
When he Passed the President looked significantly more worn than the Sub. Basically the bezel looked nearly smooth, and the gold just looked very worn.

[Onikage]

We're not allowed to discuss weapons but there is a hardness test done on knife steels where a kind of centre punch is driven into different steels at the same PSI and the depth of the resultant ding measured.
Properly taken care of gold is fine but anyone saying that even though it's softer it behaves the same as steel when put through the mill is crazy.

[joli160]

Originally Posted by Onikage

We're not allowed to discuss weapons but there is a hardness test done on knife steels where a kind of centre punch is driven into different steels at the same PSI and the depth of the resultant ding measured.
Properly taken care of gold is fine but anyone saying that even though it's softer it behaves the same as steel when put through the mill is crazy.

And how often you do that with your PM watch

I wear WG, RG and YG and in normal daily wear without pampering it behaves the same as SS. Haters gonna hate

[Onikage]

Originally Posted by joli160

And how often you do that with your PM watch

I wear WG, RG and YG and in normal daily wear without pampering it behaves the same as SS. Haters gonna hate

Woa there's no hate here, and my post wasn't directed at anyone in this thread. Gold will ding and scratch more severely than its SS counterpart in the same harsh situation so I was putting it out there before someone says it doesn't. And I actually agree with you as my two are both in similar order (though I do look after them equally).

[J.P.Jones]

Originally Posted by mrricks

Gold is softer than SS, but harder than you. It will outlast you by centuries.

Indeed. Wear it, and enjoy it. All of us here will be dead in 70 years or less. We are just the curators of watches, and one day they'll belong to somebody we might not even know.

[Oxfordian]

Originally Posted by joli160

And how often you do that with your PM watch

I wear WG, RG and YG and in normal daily wear without pampering it behaves the same as SS. Haters gonna hate

This is interesting as I am thinking of a TT GMT, TT Sub or TT Sea-Dweller for my forthcoming big birthday but been holding off as unsure how the watch will cope with being used on a regular basis, clearly I have nothing to worry about.

[othertbone]

Originally Posted by pilotjim

I'm thinking of trading my SS BLNR for a gold GMT. I love my watch, but I also just love the look of gold. How does the gold hold up in comparison to stainless? I wear my watch every day, and I'm not concerned about minor wear and scratches. But I'm just wondering if the gold will show normal daily wear a lot more than the SS does.

Gold is softer and imo not a daily wearer.

Don't trade your watch you will regret it. Everyone does, especially rolex. Read the countless threads of remorse.

[shapiroeric]

Originally Posted by SLWoodster

I already ding the crap out of my SS...

Same here....I bought my first watch (Sub) in March and I think I whacked it on day 2....after another whack a day or two later I don't worry about it....just a watch and I can enjoy it that much more....

[ddubb]

Here are some closeups of the PCLs on my 1 yo TT Bluesy vs my 1 yo Daytona. I know my Bluesy is TT and not all gold, but it hopefully gives you an indication. I wear both pretty equally in rotation and type of wear. To my eyes the amount of scratches seems pretty similar.

[Loevhagen]

Half of the people saying "gold is sooooo soft..." has probably never owned a full gold watch and used it - but are just echoing previous statement about "the fact".

Gold holds up perfectly fine. IMO.