Rolex White Gold Versus Stainless Steel

[Bladeshot]

Originally Posted by rambo99

the difference in bezel colour is very noticeable.

Originally Posted by watchwatcher

That is one of the better illustrations I've seen showing the differences between the two metals. Thank you for sharing, Grant.

[Gab27]

Awesome pics! Nice watches!

[wgdaytona]

Having owned a 116519 WG Daytona, and currently owning a 116500 new SS Daytona, I will lay out my .02 worth. Appearance is slight, generally only a collector/enthusiast would know the difference in coloration. I wore my WG Daytona NEARLY DAILY for over 10 years and never had any issues or changes in coloration or "plating" as someone earlier mentioned. It was as awesome 10 years later from when I first bought it.

My last thought to share is also this. I sold my 116519 after 10/11 years of awesome service to pay for the new 116500 SS with the ceramic bezel because I fell in love with the "new look" based on pictures. The 116500 IS a beautiful watch. But, I screwed up, my 116519 was TWICE the watch, and I regret selling it. I just didn't know it at the time. Wearing the 116519 was TWICE the wrist presence to me as the wearer... ie: weight, balance and overall feel. I miss it ALOT. Just my .02 worth.

[RolexSimon]

Love my WG GMT Pepsi. Completely different watch from SS. WG just has presence!! It will scratch more easily ++. May not be an everyday wear for most people.

[hlbrem]

its beautiful watch but i dont like WG, its look the same with SS, Rose gold is much beautiful.
Many people even never know what WG is, i myself didnt know WG exists 10years ago, i can not imagine that Gold can be turned white :))))

[FloridaBill]

Originally Posted by wgdaytona

But, I screwed up, my 116519 was TWICE the watch, and I regret selling it. I just didn't know it at the time. Wearing the 116519 was TWICE the wrist presence to me as the wearer... ie: weight, balance and overall feel.

Can you elaborate a little more on why you feel this way?

[amh]

Originally Posted by FloridaBill

Can you elaborate a little more on why you feel this way?

He said weight, balance and overall feel. Seems legit!

[Zsprings]

Originally Posted by Jshwarms

WG is fantastic......class without being super flashy

Agree,....The shots in this thread opening, with the watches side by side clearly shows a difference to me, between SS and WG. the WG has a grey tone which is more like platinum. That must be something to do with the other metals in the alloy, perhaps making the alloy more resistant to abrasion? To me the WG looks the bees knees!

[faz]

OP, thanks for the side by side picture. Years ago I couldn't tell the difference myself, now I can tell the difference from distance, but I had to 'train' my eye , and still, the bigger giveaway is usually other characteristics like the smurf dial, or the blue dial of WG BLNR (edit: meant to type BLRO), or the blue dial of Daytona, things like that.

I was explaining the difference between WG and SS to a friend, and told him those who buy white gold, buy it for themselves and clearly not to show off. There are many people (at least in the SF Bay area that I live in) that can *easily* afford to have a WG watch, and for those folks, WG works better. It doesn't attract attention say at the company meeting or lunch out with coworkers, or at kid's school events etc., and the wearer enjoys having a heavy expensive luxury item on the wrist.

At the same time, I was telling this friend that for me, that won't work. I can't afford to easily spend that much money on a single watch that looks so close to the SS version from a non-WIS point of view. For me, if I ever spend that much money on a watch, it better yell 'I AM RICH, BITCH!' :)))

Originally Posted by Megalobyte

Let’s put it this way. If you took a WG sub, put a black bezel on it and brushed the polished center links I’m very confident nobody, not even a watch enthusiast would know it’s a WG sub. Unless of course they felt the drastically different weight of it, or, had it side by side with a steel version. I have to believe that’s partly why Rolex differentiates the WG watches with specific dials and bezels so that at least those “in the know” will know it’s a PM version, like a secret handshake of the wealthy. ;) As others have said, you buy a WG sub because you want a special version of the sub but without the “impact” of yellow gold. I think it’s a pretty neat idea, to wear a really valuable watch that hides it’s value very well. It’s the anti-flex, flex. :)

Originally Posted by noshame

I have to agree with this. The heavier weight can only be felt by the wearer, not the observer. As for the difference in hue/colour, they are different, but to me, it's a subtle difference, not an obvious difference. I really think those who can spot a white gold reference is not because of weight or colour, but because of the white gold exclusive details such as blue bezel on SubDate or midnight blue dial on GMT, and again, these are details that most non-watch people wouldn't know.

I agree with both above.

[Benzsiam]

Originally Posted by faz

OP, thanks for the side by side picture. Years ago I couldn't tell the difference myself, now I can tell the difference from distance, but I had to 'train' my eye , and still, the bigger giveaway is usually other characteristics like the smurf dial, or the blue dial of WG BLNR, or the blue dial of Daytona, things like that.

I was explaining the difference between WG and SS to a friend, and told him those who buy white gold, buy it for themselves and clearly not to show off. There are many people (at least in the SF Bay area that I live in) that can *easily* afford to have a WG watch, and for those folks, WG works better. It doesn't attract attention say at the company meeting or lunch out with coworkers, or at kid's school events etc., and the wearer enjoys having a heavy expensive luxury item on the wrist.

At the same time, I was telling this friend that for me, that won't work. I can't afford to easily spend that much money on a single watch that looks so close to the SS version from a non-WIS point of view. For me, if I ever spend that much money on a watch, it better yell 'I AM RICH, BITCH!' :)))








I agree with both above.

I didn't know that Rolex make WG BLNR (Batman), I have WG BLRO (126719BLRO).

[joli160]

Originally Posted by Benzsiam

I didn't know that Rolex make WG BLNR (Batman), I have WG BLRO (126719BLRO).

They didn’t

[faz]

Originally Posted by Benzsiam

I didn't know that Rolex make WG BLNR (Batman), I have WG BLRO (126719BLRO).

yes, typo on my part. (or more of a brain fart.) fixed it.

[wgdaytona]

Sure Bill, it's tough to put in words though. Its the slight difference in color, the weight, the smoothness f the metal, the presence, the overall sorta "immeasurable" different feeling of wearing under the radar gold. I know, and don't care of anyone else does. A solid gold Daytona that mopes don't even know I'm wearing a 20/30k timepiece. It's a feeling you only connect with when you wear it for a while, and then go back to SS, and then realize what you're missing. Just one of those things. I should have never passed it on.

[VegasBaby]

Originally Posted by Bladeshot

126710BLRO on left on 97200 bracelet.
116719 on right.

This is studio lighting with daylight bulbs and a gray card background. Long ago, this pic was intended to show the bezel color difference, during all those passionate debates about color variation.

The metal color difference is subtitle to most. I do love WG. Cheers.

It would have been cool had you posted those pics and not mentioned which one was SS and which one was WG. Nice pics!!

[Dabbadon8]

Originally Posted by VegasBaby

It would have been cool had you posted those pics and not mentioned which one was SS and which one was WG. Nice pics!!

Small crown at 6 is give away.

[swish77]

Originally Posted by Dabbadon8

Small crown at 6 is give away.

OK, yes, but the much bigger giveaway is that the white gold GMT is well, white gold, and looks like it in the photo.

As I said earlier, I don't think the lighting is great in that photo, but the white gold GMT (on the right) is clearly _ yes, clearly _ warmer toned than the colder stainless steel.

[Dabbadon8]

Originally Posted by swish77

OK, yes, but the much bigger giveaway is that the white gold GMT is well, white gold, and looks like it in the photo.

As I said earlier, I don't think the lighting is great in that photo, but the white gold GMT (on the right) is clearly _ yes, clearly _ warmer toned than the colder stainless steel.

Disagree there’s that big of a visual difference. I mean, I have on my SS BLRO now and a white gold wedding band. There’s a difference but it’s not very noticeable. I own a platinum watch and don’t have anything against PM rolexes. I just think white metals aren’t all that different in appearance. Ymmv.

[joli160]

Originally Posted by Dabbadon8

Disagree there’s that big of a visual difference. I mean, I have on my SS BLRO now and a white gold wedding band. There’s a difference but it’s not very noticeable. I own a platinum watch and don’t have anything against PM rolexes. I just think white metals aren’t all that different in appearance. Ymmv.

Most white gold jewelry is Rhodium plated. Rolex own WG alloy is not.
You can’t really compare the two. Other than the Rhodium finish it’s probably a completely different alloy.
On pictures it may be difficult to see the difference between SS and WG but in real it is quite obvious.

The difference between Pt and SS is much harder to distinguish and in my eyes these look really similar to the naked eye

[JSolution]

Originally Posted by VegasBaby

It would have been cool had you posted those pics and not mentioned which one was SS and which one was WG. Nice pics!!

Easy one has the crown at the bottom of the dial one doesn’t

[Swiss Mad!]

Originally Posted by rambo99

the two metals look the same to me.

Do they look the same in these photos?










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[Swiss Mad!]

Originally Posted by Benzsiam

I didn't know that Rolex make WG BLNR (Batman), I have WG BLRO (126719BLRO).

They don’t make a WG BLNR


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[Krash]

Beautiful.

I never buy into the argument that white gold isn’t worth the extra money. Of course it’s worth the extra money.

I like yellow gold too, but I’ve always loved white gold watches just as much.


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[1st amg]

For me, the difference is obvious. Possibly due to the fact I have had a WG sub for about five years and the color/tone visually is in your face. Without a doubt I can see the difference, possibly because I have been exposed to it.
Then the overall feel of the watch is in another stratoshpere. You feel the watch and to me that is important. Different strokes for all I guess.

[Kinnakeet]

I have really come to appreciate white gold. Have a Breguet, GS and a Rolex in WG. I like the stealth factor. The feel of the Rolex is completely different than steel. They glow. And of course the weight is so much more.